Occupational Therapy Aides

What 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.

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience

None

On-the-job training

Short-term on-the-job training

Self-employed

Not available

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

• Therapy and Counselingimportance 4.4/5
• English Languageimportance 4.2/5
• Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.1/5
• Psychologyimportance 3.8/5
• Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.7/5
• Education and Trainingimportance 3.6/5
• Medicine and Dentistryimportance 3.3/5
• Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.1/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

• Contact With Others5.0/5
• Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.9/5
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.8/5
• Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.5/5
• Physical Proximity4.5/5
• Health and Safety of Other Workers4.4/5

Related Careers

• Physical Therapist Aides
• Occupational Therapy Assistants
• Physical Therapist Assistants
• Psychiatric Technicians
• Rehabilitation Counselors
• Psychiatric Aides
• Respiratory Therapists
• Nursing Assistants

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

• Public Safety Telecommunicators96% skill match
• Physical Therapists96% skill match
• Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses96% skill match
• Self-Enrichment Teachers96% skill match
• Medical Assistants96% skill match
• Psychiatric Technicians96% skill match
• Nurse Midwives95% skill match
• Skincare Specialists95% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

• Service Orientationimportance 3.8/5
• Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.6/5
• Coordinationimportance 3.4/5
• Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.1/5
• Instructingimportance 3.0/5
• Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.0/5
• Time Managementimportance 3.0/5
• Persuasionimportance 2.9/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

• Empathy
• Cooperation
• Dependability
• Social Orientation
• Attention to Detail
• Integrity
• Optimism

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

• SocialHigh
• RealisticMedium
• ConventionalMedium
• InvestigativeLow
• EnterprisingLow
• ArtisticLow

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where occupational therapy aides make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1. 1Pittsburgh, PA4.83× national avg
2. 2Omaha, NE-IA3.79× national avg
3. 3Oklahoma City, OK3.38× national avg
4. 4Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA2.23× national avg
5. 5Cleveland, OH2.19× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

• Psychiatric TechniciansCareer Change
• Physical Therapist AidesLateral Move
• Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational NursesCareer Change
• Psychiatric AidesLateral Move

See the full career path from Occupational Therapy Aides →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.