Headline risk
3%
Very Low RiskOccupational therapy assistants
United States AI Work Index tracks this occupation on the shared structural baseline and then layers on local demand resilience, wages, and confidence.
Why This Score
Weighted task overlap from O*NET
Median annual from BLS OEWS
BLS employment projections
O*NET job zone level
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
Method contract
structural_pressure = exposure × (1 - bottleneck)
headline_risk = structural_pressure × (1 - country_demand_resilience)
United States Now
Median Wage
USD 68,340
Employment 2024
49.2K
Projected Change
19.2%
Openings
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 0%
- 2. Maintain and promote a positive attitude toward clients and their treatment programs. AI 0%
- 3. Report to supervisors, verbally or in writing, on patients' progress, attitudes, and behavior. AI 0%
- 4. Implement, or assist occupational therapists with implementing, treatment plans designed to help clients function independently. AI 0%
- 5. Monitor patients' performance in therapy activities, providing encouragement. AI 0%
- 6. Observe and record patients' progress, attitudes, and behavior and maintain this information in client records. AI 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
Mapping quality
major_group_fallback · employment series present
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.
Published limitations
This page shows the local country layer, not realised individual job outcomes. The global structural baseline is shared across countries; only the local demand and wage layer changes here.
Built from O*NET occupation descriptions, task statements, technology skills, work context, Job Zones, Anthropic task penetration, BLS OEWS wages, BLS projection tables, BLS ORS requirements, BLS OOH narrative content, BLS skills data, and BLS CPS occupation age tables.