$Who Earns What

How much does a ot aide make?

US Occupational Therapy Aides

Answer: A typical ot aide in the United States makes $39,160 a year (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Yearly pay of a typical person doing this job in the US
$39,160

Line up 100 people; this is the one in the middle (median). about 4,000 people work in this job. Below the US-wide typical pay ($50,980).

Lower earner
$29,430
10th from the bottom of 100
Typical person
$39,160
Right in the middle (median)
Higher earner
$70,200
10th from the top of 100

If 100 people had this job

Lowest at bottom-left, highest at top-right

Hover over a person to see their yearly pay

47 of 100
not many

OT aide pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread)

OT aide pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread) — Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lower earner (10th from bottom)Typical person (median)Higher earner (10th from top)People in this job
$29,430$39,160$70,200about 4,000

Why does pay differ?

In the US, aides with more experience or useful skills may earn more, and pay can differ by location and employer, such as a nursing home, hospital, or therapy office. Working more hours can raise total yearly earnings.

What if you lived in a different state?

Pay varies a lot by state in the US
Whole US$39,160
North Carolina$66,190
New York$46,220
Washington$45,890
Nebraska$44,980
Connecticut$44,840
Louisiana$28,560
Tennessee$27,840
Mississippi$24,300

Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.

What does a ot aide do?

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.

What's a typical day like?

They set up therapy rooms and equipment, greet or escort clients, and help with forms or appointment calls. Between sessions, they clean and put away equipment, restock supplies, and may record a client's vital signs.

How to get this job

In the US, earn a high school diploma or equivalent, then apply for OT aide jobs; an OT college degree or license is not normally needed. Employers train new aides on the job for several days or weeks, including equipment setup and infection control.

Vocational school or a few years' experience (preparation level 3 of 5)

Good for people who like helping and teaching and building and doing.

Did you know?

Some U.S. OT aides may take and record a client's vital signs before a therapy session—not just set up equipment.

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Sources and data

Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine

Pages used for the text

Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY