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.
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. The role reports a median annual salary of $37,370 in the US and is showing modest growth of 2% over the next decade. Entry typically requires a High school diploma or equivalent, and shows low AI exposure (0.35 on a 0-1 scale) — the role's core work resists automation. The most in-demand skills for the role include Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness, Speaking, Active Listening, Coordination.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £29,084 a year for Nursing auxiliaries and assistants (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £25,189 to £33,294 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 6131). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Service and sales workers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Occupational therapy aides, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 5. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Therapy and Counseling
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Psychology
- Computers and Electronics
- Education and Training
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Public Safety and Security
What you'd actually do
- Encourage patients and attend to their physical needs to facilitate the attainment of therapeutic goals.
- Report to supervisors or therapists, verbally or in writing, on patients' progress, attitudes, attendance, and accomplishments.
- Observe patients' attendance, progress, attitudes, and accomplishments and record and maintain information in client records.
- Prepare and maintain work area, materials, and equipment and maintain inventory of treatment and educational supplies.
- Transport patients to and from the occupational therapy work area.
- Instruct patients and families in work, social, and living skills, the care and use of adaptive equipment, and other skills to facilitate home and work adjustment to disability.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Occupational therapy aides 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.
How much does Occupational therapy aides earn?
The median annual salary for Occupational therapy aides in the US is $37,370.
What is the job outlook for Occupational therapy aides?
The role is showing modest growth of 2% over the next decade. Current US employment is approximately 5,200 workers.
How do I become occupational therapy aides?
The typical entry education is a High school diploma or equivalent. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Occupational therapy aides need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness, Speaking, Active Listening, Coordination, Critical Thinking. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Occupational therapy aides?
Our AI-durability model gives Occupational therapy aides a score of 0.35 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at low AI exposure — the role's core work resists current-generation automation. It's a comparatively AI-durable choice within its field.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Occupational therapy aides has low barrier to entry — generally accessible — you can enter with basic credentials and on-the-job learning.