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The national median salary for Occupational Therapy Aides is $39,166 per year ($18.83/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $35,922 and $46,779 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $70,200 per year. There are approximately 4,310 occupational therapy aides employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+2.5%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
600
per year, on avg
Workforce today
5K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
2% from new growth98% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Offices of Other Health Practitioners
NAICS 621300
2K
$38,500
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
NAICS 622100
800
$39,760
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals
NAICS 622300
440
$39,140
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities)
NAICS 623100
320
$52,000
Offices of Physicians
NAICS 621100
200
$39,620
Wage range across top 5 industries: $38,500 to $52,000 (35% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$14.15
$29,432
P25
$17.27
$35,922
P50MEDIAN
$18.83
$39,166
P75
$22.49
$46,779
P90
$33.75
$70,200
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · health sector
Hot
Openings Rate
5.4%
Quits Rate
1.9%
Health Care & Social Assistance openings rebounded to 1.36M (+87K) in March with rate at 5.4%. Hires rose to 700K (+75K). The sector remains structurally tight; compensation pressure persists for clinical roles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average occupational therapy aides salary?
The national median salary for Occupational Therapy Aides is $39,166 per year ($18.83/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $35,922 and $46,779 annually.
How much do top-earning occupational therapy aides make?
The 90th percentile salary for Occupational Therapy Aides is $70,200 per year ($33.75/hr). The 75th percentile is $46,779 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for occupational therapy aides?
Entry-level Occupational Therapy Aides (10th percentile) earn approximately $29,432 per year ($14.15/hr). The 25th percentile is $35,922 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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