31 Series · SOC 31-2012
Occupational Therapy Aides Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $39,160
- Median / year
- +4.8%
- 2024→2025
- $70,200
- Top 10% earn
- +2.5%
- Growth '24–'34
- 4,310
- Estimated US jobs
Occupational Therapy Aides earn a median of $39,160 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $39,160, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $29,430 (10th percentile) to $70,200 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 4,310 estimated jobs in covered establishments. The highest published state median in this ranking is North Carolina ($66,190).
The pay verdict
Occupational Therapy Aides earn a median of $39,160, putting them among the lower-paid US occupations and higher than 11% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Healthcare Support, it ranks #12 of 17 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 2.5% by 2034.
- $39,160
- Median annual wage
- Top 89%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #12 of 17
- in Healthcare Support
- 2.4×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: North Carolina at $66,190. Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
Observed pay change
What changed, BLS OEWS 2019–2025
- The published national median for Occupational Therapy Aides moved from $29,230 in May 2019 to $39,160 in May 2025 (+34.0%).
- Across the 749 occupations priced in both releases under SOC-2018, the median occupation changed +24.5%.
- Occupational Therapy Aides sits +9.5 pp ahead of that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.
Occupational Therapy Aides (SOC 31-2012) has a national median of $39,160 per year in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 release. The published 10th-to-90th-percentile boundaries run from $29,430 to $70,200, and the published mean is $44,110. Those summary statistics describe the estimated distribution; their difference alone does not identify its cause. OEWS estimates 4,310 jobs in covered establishments nationally. WageDex has published rows for 27 state or territory areas and 22 metropolitan or nonmetropolitan wage areas. The published national median moved from $37,370 in the May 2024 OEWS release to $39,160 in May 2025, a rise of $1,790 (+4.8%). This is a change between two BLS survey estimates, not an inflation-adjusted same-worker pay raise.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a +2.5% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which we classify as about as fast as average relative to the all-occupations baseline of 3.1%. About 600 openings are projected per year from growth, occupational transfers, and labor-force exits. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry, and BLS classifies its typical on-the-job preparation as short-term on-the-job training. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific fatality and injury rate for this role in the current release. The safety panel below shows its broad Healthcare Support Occupations SOC-group context and is not an occupation-level measurement or ranking.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. North Carolina pays the highest state median at $66,190, which is +69% above the national figure. The highest published metropolitan-area median in this ranking is Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA at $68,550. The observed difference does not identify its cause. Pair the national median with the state and metropolitan-area rows below while keeping the geography and statistic consistent. OEWS includes tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses, but not employer benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, or nonproduction bonuses. See our methodology for the sourcing and calculation details.
Median Salary
$39,160
per year
Median Hourly
$18.83/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$44,110
average
Employment
4,310
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Occupational Therapy Aides pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$39,160 Bottom 11% higher than 11% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
| Band | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| $0–$20,000 | 0 US occupations | 0% |
| $20,000–$40,000 (this entry) | 98 US occupations | 12% |
| $40,000–$60,000 | 298 US occupations | 36% |
| $60,000–$80,000 | 209 US occupations | 25% |
| $80,000–$100,000 | 82 US occupations | 10% |
| $100,000–$120,000 | 58 US occupations | 7% |
| $120,000–$140,000 | 32 US occupations | 4% |
| $140,000–$160,000 | 14 US occupations | 2% |
| $160,000–$180,000 | 9 US occupations | 1% |
| $180,000 and above | 25 US occupations | 3% |
$39,160 · 11th percentile of 825 US occupations
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 31-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Occupational Therapy Aides; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Read the chart as text
- Home Health and Pers…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 17%, Median annual wage $35800
- Nursing Assistants: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 2.3%, Median annual wage $42260
- Medical Assistants: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 12.5%, Median annual wage $45690
- Dental Assistants: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 6.4%, Median annual wage $48070
- Phlebotomists: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 5.6%, Median annual wage $45230
- Veterinary Assistant…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 8.7%, Median annual wage $38150
- Physical Therapist A…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 22%, Median annual wage $68380
- Healthcare Support W…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.5%, Median annual wage $48430
- Massage Therapists: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 15.4%, Median annual wage $58450
- Medical Equipment Pr…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 10%, Median annual wage $47700
- Orderlies: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.3%, Median annual wage $38290
- Occupational Therapy…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 19.2%, Median annual wage $72300
- Physical Therapist A…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 2.8%, Median annual wage $35240
- Medical Transcriptio…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -4.9%, Median annual wage $40410
- Pharmacy Aides: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -0.1%, Median annual wage $37680
- Psychiatric Aides: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -0.4%, Median annual wage $44910
- Occupational Therapy…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 2.5%, Median annual wage $39160
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
+2.5%
About as fast as average
Annual Openings
600
per year (projected)
Employment Change
+100
5,200 (2024) → 5,300 (2034)
Typical Education
High school diploma or equivalent
On-the-Job Training
Short-term on-the-job training
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Healthcare Support Occupations context
Broad SOC context, not an occupation grade
Fatality Rate
0.6/100K
Injury Rate
5.5/100
Danger Index
22.3/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Occupational Therapy Aides roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ Encourage patients and attend to their physical needs to facilitate the attainment of therapeutic goals.
- ▸ Report to supervisors or therapists, verbally or in writing, on patients' progress, attitudes, attendance, and accomplishments.
- ▸ Evaluate the living skills and capacities of clients with physical, developmental, or mental health disabilities.
- ▸ Observe patients' attendance, progress, attitudes, and accomplishments and record and maintain information in client records.
- ▸ Prepare and maintain work area, materials, and equipment and maintain inventory of treatment and educational supplies.
- ▸ Transport patients to and from the occupational therapy work area.
- ▸ Instruct patients and families in work, social, and living skills, the care and use of adaptive equipment, and other skills to facilitate home and work adjustment to disability.
- ▸ Assist occupational therapists in planning, implementing, and administering therapy programs to restore, reinforce, and enhance performance, using selected activities and special equipment.
- ▸ Demonstrate therapy techniques, such as manual and creative arts and games.
- ▸ Manage intradepartmental infection control and equipment security.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
Occupational Therapy Aides pay history, 2015–2025
Published national median across 11 BLS OEWS releases. Nominal dollars, not inflation-adjusted.
Read the chart as text
| Period | National median |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $27,800 |
| 2016 | $28,330 |
| 2017 | $29,200 |
| 2018 | $28,160 |
| 2019 | $29,230 |
| 2020 | $30,180 |
| 2021 | $33,560 |
| 2022 | $37,060 |
| 2023 | $36,970 |
| 2024 | $37,370 |
| 2025 | $39,160 |
2015 median
$27,800
2025 median
$39,160
2019–2025 change (same SOC)
+$9,930 (+34%)
Avg/year (same SOC)
+5%
| Release | Median | Change | Estimated jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2015 | $27,800 | First banked release | 7,570 |
| May 2016 | $28,330 | +1.9% | 7,210 |
| May 2017 | $29,200 | +3.1% | 7,740 |
| May 2018 | $28,160 | -3.6% | 7,700 |
| May 2019 | $29,230 | Classification break | 7,560 |
| May 2020 | $30,180 | +3.3% | 5,630 |
| May 2021 | $33,560 | +11.2% | 3,370 |
| May 2022 | $37,060 | +10.4% | 3,710 |
| May 2023 | $36,970 | -0.2% | 4,430 |
| May 2024 | $37,370 | +1.1% | 5,000 |
| May 2025 | $39,160 | +4.8% | 4,310 |
Across the 11 releases WageDex holds for this occupation, the published national median went from $27,800 in May 2015 to $39,160 in May 2025. Within the SOC-2018 classification (2019–2025), the like-for-like change averages +5% per year in nominal terms. Within the same SOC classification, estimated employment went from 7,560 in May 2019 to 4,310 in May 2025.
Each figure is a separate BLS survey estimate, so a change between releases reflects the estimated occupation-wide median in each year. It is not the raise any individual worker received, and it is not adjusted for inflation. Years where BLS did not publish an annual median for this occupation are omitted rather than filled in. This span also crosses a classification change: releases before May 2019 use the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification and later releases use the 2018 SOC, so figures either side of that boundary are not strictly like-for-like. Headline change rates on this page use only the same-classification subset.
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 27 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Carolina | $66,190 | +69% above national |
| 2 | New York | $46,220 | +18% above national |
| 3 | Washington | $45,890 | +17% above national |
| 4 | Nebraska | $44,980 | +15% above national |
| 5 | Connecticut | $44,840 | +15% above national |
| 6 | New Jersey | $44,470 | +14% above national |
| 7 | California | $43,480 | +11% above national |
| 8 | New Mexico | $43,170 | +10% above national |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $40,160 | +3% above national |
| 10 | Colorado | $40,110 | +2% above national |
| 11 | District of Columbia | $39,620 | +1% above national |
| 12 | Michigan | $39,050 | same as national |
| 13 | Missouri | $38,890 | 1% below national |
| 14 | Indiana | $38,250 | 2% below national |
| 15 | Georgia | $38,090 | 3% below national |
| 16 | Texas | $37,180 | 5% below national |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $37,100 | 5% below national |
| 18 | Wisconsin | $36,760 | 6% below national |
| 19 | Nevada | $36,440 | 7% below national |
| 20 | Ohio | $36,380 | 7% below national |
| 21 | Oklahoma | $34,670 | 11% below national |
| 22 | Maryland | $33,310 | 15% below national |
| 23 | Idaho | $32,590 | 17% below national |
| 24 | South Carolina | $31,950 | 18% below national |
| 25 | Louisiana | $28,560 | 27% below national |
| 26 | Tennessee | $27,840 | 29% below national |
| 27 | Mississippi | $24,300 | 38% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 22 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $68,550 | +75% above national |
| 2 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $46,320 | +18% above national |
| 3 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $46,260 | +18% above national |
| 4 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $45,840 | +17% above national |
| 5 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $44,980 | +15% above national |
| 6 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $43,270 | +10% above national |
| 7 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $42,790 | +9% above national |
| 8 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $41,400 | +6% above national |
| 9 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $40,200 | +3% above national |
| 10 | Omaha, NE-IA | $39,950 | +2% above national |
| 11 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $39,820 | +2% above national |
| 12 | Cleveland, OH | $38,860 | 1% below national |
| 13 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $38,600 | 1% below national |
| 14 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $38,550 | 2% below national |
| 15 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $38,430 | 2% below national |
| 16 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $38,090 | 3% below national |
| 17 | Pittsburgh, PA | $37,100 | 5% below national |
| 18 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $36,920 | 6% below national |
| 19 | Bloomington, IN | $36,860 | 6% below national |
| 20 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $35,340 | 10% below national |
| 21 | Oklahoma City, OK | $34,110 | 13% below national |
| 22 | Columbia, MO | $33,480 | 15% below national |
Same SOC major group
Other detailed occupations in SOC major group 31 (Healthcare Support Occupations) - category peers, not a pay match.
Dental Assistants
SOC 31-9091
Healthcare Support Workers, All Other
SOC 31-9099
Home Health and Personal Care Aides
SOC 31-1120
Massage Therapists
SOC 31-9011
Medical Assistants
SOC 31-9092
Showing 5 of 16 detailed occupations BLS assigns to this SOC major group.
Nationwide occupations with similar pay or employment scale
Two OEWS peer sets outside this SOC major group (Healthcare Support Occupations). Same-category cards above stay inside the group; these neighborhoods are cross-group nearest neighbors on national median pay ($39,160 here) and reported employment (4,310 jobs here).
Similar median pay
Nearest other detailed occupations by BLS OEWS national median annual wage.
Similar employment scale
Nearest headcount peers (floor 1,000 national jobs), distinct from the pay column.
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS national median annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude occupations already listed in the pay column so the two link sets stay distinct.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Occupational Therapy Aides make? ▼
Where does Occupational Therapy Aides pay rank nationally? ▼
What state pays Occupational Therapy Aides the most? ▼
What education do Occupational Therapy Aides need? ▼
Does BLS publish a safety rate for Occupational Therapy Aides? ▼
Is Occupational Therapy Aides a good career? ▼
How does Occupational Therapy Aides pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Occupational Therapy Aides? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Occupational Therapy Aides pay figures in a real decision
- The 75th-percentile wage is about $46,780/year. Treat it as the upper-quartile market boundary, not an automatic target for experience alone; role scope, location, industry, credentials, performance, and employer context still need separate evidence. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: North Carolina leads at $66,190/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Occupation wages use BLS OEWS May 2025; outlook uses BLS Employment Projections for 2024–2034; safety, skills, knowledge, and task panels identify their BLS or O*NET sources in context. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.