Occupational Therapy Assistants
Median $72,300
Occupation · SOC 31-2012
Occupational Therapy Aides: pay and where the jobs are
What occupational therapy aides earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$39,160 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $44,110
- Median hourly wage
- $18.83
- Mean hourly wage
- $21.21
- Employment
- 4,310
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 31-2012.
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See where your pay falls among occupational therapy aides nationally and in your state. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
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How much do occupational therapy aides make?
The median annual wage for occupational therapy aides was $39,160 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $29,430 and the highest-paid 10% more than $70,200. As an hourly rate, the median is $18.83. About 4,310 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in North Carolina ($66,190), New York ($46,220) and Washington ($45,890). North Carolina also comes out on top after taxes and local prices.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for occupational therapy aides looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $29,430 | $14.15 | $2,453 | $2,152 |
| 25th percentile | $35,920 | $17.27 | $2,993 | $2,587 |
| Median | $39,160 | $18.83 | $3,263 | $2,804 |
| 75th percentile | $46,780 | $22.49 | $3,898 | $3,314 |
| 90th percentile | $70,200 | $33.75 | $5,850 | $4,851 |
Occupational Therapy Aides: pay by state
27 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$56,433 take-home in national prices
2
$41,235 take-home in national prices
3
$39,017 take-home in national prices
Where a median occupational therapy aide paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | 250 | $66,190 | $29,570 | $77,980 | $53,231 | $56,433 |
| New York | 250 | $46,220 | $32,610 | $61,370 | $37,188 | $34,459 |
| Washington | 190 | $45,890 | $38,550 | $70,200 | $38,416 | $35,898 |
| Nebraska | 90 | $44,980 | $34,730 | $52,940 | $37,154 | $41,235 |
| Connecticut | 110 | $44,840 | $37,930 | $49,170 | $36,217 | $34,955 |
| New Jersey | Not published | $44,470 | $38,980 | $46,270 | $36,627 | $33,663 |
| California | 330 | $43,480 | $36,710 | $68,550 | $35,829 | $32,360 |
| New Mexico | 50 | $43,170 | $37,480 | $85,040 | $35,978 | $39,017 |
| Massachusetts | 90 | $40,160 | $35,340 | $53,540 | $32,476 | $30,708 |
| Colorado | 40 | $40,110 | $38,530 | $71,750 | $33,175 | $32,193 |
| District of Columbia | Not published | $39,620 | $39,610 | $45,840 | $32,803 | $29,848 |
| Michigan | 60 | $39,050 | $29,650 | $50,160 | $32,148 | $33,412 |
| Missouri | 110 | $38,890 | $31,540 | $47,210 | $32,538 | $35,828 |
| Indiana | Not published | $38,250 | $36,200 | $43,220 | $31,815 | $34,089 |
| Georgia | 200 | $38,090 | $33,700 | $47,160 | $31,633 | $32,851 |
| Texas | 410 | $37,180 | $22,100 | $77,230 | $32,054 | $33,026 |
| Pennsylvania | 320 | $37,100 | $34,420 | $68,230 | $30,825 | $31,592 |
| Wisconsin | 40 | $36,760 | $31,360 | $45,850 | $30,792 | $32,725 |
| Nevada | 100 | $36,440 | $34,690 | $63,790 | $31,460 | $31,466 |
| Ohio | 200 | $36,380 | $23,180 | $56,130 | $30,861 | $33,265 |
| Oklahoma | 90 | $34,670 | $31,810 | $52,520 | $29,023 | $33,039 |
| Maryland | Not published | $33,310 | $31,200 | $41,290 | $27,728 | $26,418 |
| Idaho | 120 | $32,590 | $23,500 | $46,110 | $27,747 | $29,056 |
| South Carolina | 50 | $31,950 | $18,290 | $82,800 | $27,515 | $29,349 |
| Louisiana | 70 | $28,560 | $23,070 | $77,200 | $24,657 | $27,954 |
| Tennessee | 40 | $27,840 | $25,700 | $40,090 | $24,536 | $26,708 |
| Mississippi | 50 | $24,300 | $21,770 | $30,780 | $21,381 | $24,589 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 31-2012. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.