Headline risk
4%
Very Low RiskOccupational therapy assistants
AI displacement pressure score for United States AI Work Index, combining global AI task overlap with local wages, employment trends, and demand signals.
Why This Score
Share of job tasks that overlap with current AI capabilities
Median annual wage
Projected employment change over 10 years
Typical preparation needed for this occupation
Occupation profile
Assist occupational therapists in providing occupational therapy treatments and procedures. May, in accordance with state laws, assist in development of treatment plans, carry out routine functions, direct activity programs, and document the progress of treatments. Generally requires formal training.
Task evidence
96% weighted task match · 0% effective coverage
Scores combine AI task overlap, human advantages, and local demand. How it works
United States Now
Median Wage
USD 68,340
Employment 2024
49.2K
Projected Change (2024–34)
19.2%
Openings (2024–34)
7.2K
Wage distribution
Demand outlook
Overall employment of occupational therapy assistants and aides is projected to grow 18 percent from 2024 to 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations.
Role Profile
Tasks
- 1. Instruct, or assist in instructing, patients and families in home programs, basic living skills, or the care and use of adaptive equipment. AI use: 0%
- 2. Maintain and promote a positive attitude toward clients and their treatment programs. AI use: 0%
- 3. Report to supervisors, verbally or in writing, on patients' progress, attitudes, and behavior. AI use: 0%
- 4. Implement, or assist occupational therapists with implementing, treatment plans designed to help clients function independently. AI use: 0%
- 5. Monitor patients' performance in therapy activities, providing encouragement. AI use: 0%
- 6. Observe and record patients' progress, attitudes, and behavior and maintain this information in client records. AI use: 0%
Technologies
Requirements
Work context
Worker profile
Median age 38.0 · 1.5M employed
Under 25: 21% · 25–54: 59% · 55+: 19%
Related
No direct US role match is available yet for this occupation.
Source coverage
11/11 source families · O*NET 30.2 / OEWS 2024 / ORS 2025 / OOH 2025-08-28 / Projections 2024-34 / CPS 2025 / Anthropic task penetration
Data quality
Employment data available
Narrative & sources
Occupational therapy assistants and aides help occupational therapists provide treatments and procedures to clients, or they do routine tasks such as preparing treatment rooms.
Occupational therapy assistants and aides work primarily in occupational therapists’ offices, in hospitals, and in nursing care facilities. Occupational therapy assistants and aides spend much of their time standing while setting up equipment and, in the case of assistants, providing therapy to clients.
Occupational therapy assistants typically need an associate’s degree from an accredited occupational therapy assistant program. Occupational therapy assistants usually need a state-issued license. Occupational therapy aides typically need a high school diploma or equivalent and receive training on the job.
The median annual wage for occupational therapy aides was $37,370 in May 2024.
Overall employment of occupational therapy assistants and aides is projected to grow 18 percent from 2024 to 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations.
Important context
This score measures structural AI displacement pressure, not actual job losses. Local wages and demand data are specific to United States AI Work Index; the underlying AI task overlap analysis is consistent across all countries.