Occupational Therapy Assistants build social perceptiveness, service orientation and time management skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses (88%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | 88% | $64,400 | −11% | None |
| 2 | Acute Care Nurses | 81% | $97,550Pay for the broader BLS group “Registered Nurses” | Not compared | Bachelor's degree |
| 3 | Respiratory Therapists | 81% | $82,280 | +14% | None |
| 4 | Registered Nurses | 79% | $97,550 | +35% | Bachelor's degree |
| 5 | Adapted Physical Education Specialists | 77% | $76,580Pay for the broader BLS group “Special Education Teachers, All Other” | Not compared | Bachelor's degree |
| 6 | Massage Therapists | 76% | $58,450 | −19% | None |
| 7 | Recreational Therapists | 76% | $61,960 | −14% | Bachelor's degree |
| 8 | Psychiatric Technicians | 76% | $45,130 | −38% | None |
| 9 | Special Education Teachers, Preschool | 75% | $64,830 | −10% | Bachelor's degree |
| 10 | Special Education Teachers, Secondary School | 74% | $74,260 | +3% | Bachelor's degree |
Compared with Occupational Therapy Assistants, median $72,300. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as occupational therapy assistants (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
88% skill match · $64,400 · −11% pay
Coordination · Operation and Control · Judgment and Decision Making
81% skill match · $97,550 (broader BLS group)
Complex Problem Solving · Coordination · Judgment and Decision Making
81% skill match · $82,280 · +14% pay
Operation and Control · Quality Control Analysis · Equipment Selection
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses (88% skill match, median $64,400), Acute Care Nurses (81% skill match, median $97,550) and Respiratory Therapists (81% skill match, median $82,280), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 6 pay more than occupational therapy assistants at the median. The biggest increases: Radiation Therapists (+46%, $105,310), Physical Therapists (+42%, $102,760) and Occupational Therapists (+39%, $100,330).
8 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones. 2 usually need a graduate degree: Occupational Therapists and Physical Therapists.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.