Occupational Therapy Aide Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of occupational therapy aides to grow 3.6% from 2025 to 2035 (about 200 more jobs), with about 600 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $39,160 a year ranks 738th of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +3.6%
- Openings a year
- 600
- Median pay
- $39,160
- Pay rank
- 738th of 825
Is employment of occupational therapy aides growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of occupational therapy aides to rise 3.6% (about 200 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is slower than the +13.3% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 17 healthcare support occupations with a projection. That change ranks 347th of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 4,400 |
| Employment, 2035 | 4,600 |
| Projected change | +3.6% |
| Openings a year | 600 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 4,400 jobs here differ from the 4,310 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 600 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 726th most of 830 occupations. About 97% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 20 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for occupational therapy aides rank?
The median of $39,160 a year ranks 738th of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the lower half of occupations on both pay and openings.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: high school diploma or equivalent.
- Typical on-the-job training: short-term on-the-job training.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical Therapist Aides | +4.0% | 6,400 | $35,240 |
| Occupational Therapy Assistants | +21.5% | 8,100 | $72,300 |
| Physical Therapist Assistants | +23.0% | 18,500 | $68,380 |
| Psychiatric Aides | +1.9% | 4,900 | $44,910 |
| Nursing Assistants | +2.6% | 196,200 | $42,260 |
| Medical Assistants | +12.9% | 109,700 | $45,690 |
| Psychiatric Technicians | +22.3% | 17,000 | $45,130 |
| Rehabilitation Counselors | +2.2% | 8,200 | $46,850 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.