Occupational Therapy Aides
Under close supervision of an occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant, perform only delegated, selected, or routine tasks in specific situations. These duties include preparing patient and treatment room.
Also called: Certified Occupational Rehabilitation Aide (CORA), Direct Service Professional (DSP), Direct Support Professional (DSP), Independent Living Specialist, Occupational Rehabilitation Aide, Occupational Therapist Aide (OT Aide)
Median pay
$39,160
per year, U.S.
Pay range (10th–90th)
$29,430 – $70,200
People employed
4,310
Holland code
SRC
Social · Realistic · Conventional
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Do you want the same hours every week?
- 2.Are you happy talking and working with people most of the day?
- 3.Do you want to stay at 40 hours a week or less?
- 4.Are you comfortable following clear instructions?
The hard parts
- Exposure to disease or infection
- Tight deadlines are common
- Long hours on your feet
Occupational Therapy Aides pay by state
Highest-paying states
Annual median pay by state (26 states and DC with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
What occupational therapy aides do
- 01Encourage patients and attend to their physical needs to facilitate the attainment of therapeutic goals.
- 02Report to supervisors or therapists, verbally or in writing, on patients' progress, attitudes, attendance, and accomplishments.
- 03Evaluate the living skills and capacities of clients with physical, developmental, or mental health disabilities.
- 04Observe patients' attendance, progress, attitudes, and accomplishments and record and maintain information in client records.
- 05Prepare and maintain work area, materials, and equipment and maintain inventory of treatment and educational supplies.
- 06Transport patients to and from the occupational therapy work area.
Skills that matter most
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
Knowledge
- Therapy and Counseling
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Psychology
- Computers and Electronics
Work styles that stand out
- Dependability
- Cooperation
- Empathy
Education and first steps
Share of workers by required education, as reported to O*NET.
How people get started
- Usually needs vocational training or an associate degree (O*NET Job Zone 3).
- Related work experience: none.
- On-the-job training: anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month.
- A certification can help.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from occupational therapy aides
- Psychiatric Technicians90% · +15%
- Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses88% · +64%
- Nursing Assistants87% · +8%
- Psychiatric Aides84% · +15%
- Medical Assistants79% · +17%
Change into occupational therapy aides
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Psychiatric Technicians88% · $45,130
- Speech-Language Pathology Assistants85% · $48,430
- Nursing Assistants84% · $42,260
- Psychiatric Aides84% · $44,910
- Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors78% · $47,160
Majors that lead here
- Rehabilitation Aide
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.