Occupation · SOC 31-2012
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.
Median wage
$37,370
$27,970–$65,580
Projected growth
—
—
Annual openings
—
per year
Employed (US)
5,000
Job Zone 3
Typical preparation
Medium preparation
Stackable credential programs
1 mapped
Core skills
Service OrientationSpeakingSocial PerceptivenessActive ListeningCoordinationMonitoringCritical ThinkingWriting
Knowledge areas
Therapy and CounselingEnglish LanguageCustomer and Personal ServicePsychologyComputers and Electronics
Technology & tools
Billing and invoicing softwareMedical softwareData base user interface and query softwareSpreadsheet softwareOffice suite software
Representative tasks
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.Assist occupational therapists in planning, implementing, and administering therapy programs to restore, reinforce, and enhance performance, using selected activities and special equipment.Demonstrate therapy techniques, such as manual and creative arts and games.Manage intradepartmental infection control and equipment security.Perform clerical, administrative, and secretarial duties, such as answering phones, restocking and ordering supplies, filling out paperwork, and scheduling appointments.Supervise patients in choosing and completing work assignments or arts and crafts projects.Adjust and repair assistive devices and make adaptive changes to other equipment and to environments.Evaluate the living skills and capacities of clients with physical, developmental, or mental health disabilities.Accompany patients on outings, providing transportation when necessary.Assist educational specialists or clinical psychologists in administering situational or diagnostic tests to measure client's abilities or progress.
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Patient physical needs — recognize and attend to under direct therapist supervision in an outpatient occupational therapy clinic.Therapy work area and basic supplies — prepare and organize following established protocols before each treatment session.Patient transport — assist with safely moving individuals to and from the occupational therapy workspace under therapist direction.Attendance and progress observations — record basic notes in client records using facility-provided templates and under supervisory guidance.Therapy techniques such as manual activities and creative arts games — observe and replicate demonstrations led by supervising occupational therapists.Adaptive equipment — identify common devices and follow instructions for their basic cleaning and storage in a rehabilitation setting.Verbal progress updates — deliver brief, structured reports to supervising therapists at the close of scheduled treatment sessions.Medical software and electronic health record systems — enter basic patient data following step-by-step instructions provided by clinical staff.Therapeutic supply inventory — conduct routine counts and flag low-stock items to the supervisor using a standardized checklist.Active listening skills — apply when receiving patient concerns or instructions from occupational therapists during daily clinical tasks.
developing
Patient encouragement and emotional support — provide consistently during therapy sessions to help clients maintain motivation toward therapeutic goals.Written progress reports — compose and submit to supervising therapists detailing patient attendance, attitudes, and measurable accomplishments.Client records and documentation — update and maintain accurately in medical software with reduced oversight across an ongoing caseload.Therapy program activities — assist in implementing planned exercises and adaptive tasks selected by the occupational therapist for individual patients.Patients and family members — instruct in basic home-adjustment skills and safe use of adaptive equipment following the therapist's established care plan.Treatment supply inventory — manage proactively, including reordering stock and organizing materials to support uninterrupted therapy delivery.Therapy techniques including creative arts and structured games — demonstrate to patients using clear verbal explanation in a group or individual session.Calendar and scheduling software — use to coordinate patient appointments and room bookings, resolving routine scheduling conflicts independently.Social perceptiveness — apply to detect changes in patient mood or behavior and adjust interaction approach in familiar clinical scenarios.Time management across a multi-patient schedule — exercise to ensure each client receives allocated therapy time within a busy outpatient environment.
proficient
Complex patient progress data — synthesize from observations and written records to produce comprehensive reports that inform therapist-led treatment decisions.Non-routine patient behavioral or physical changes — identify, evaluate, and escalate appropriately to supervising therapists across a full daily caseload.Therapy program planning — collaborate with occupational therapists to adapt activities and special equipment for patients with varied and complex disability profiles.Patient and family instruction in work, social, and living skills — deliver independently using tailored communication strategies suited to individual learning needs.Therapy area environment and equipment — manage holistically, including troubleshooting equipment issues and implementing corrective actions without step-by-step guidance.Billing and invoicing software — use accurately to support documentation of therapy services, ensuring compliance with facility and payer requirements.Critical thinking and deductive reasoning — apply when evaluating inconsistencies in patient records and determining the most appropriate course of corrective action.Interdisciplinary communication — facilitate between patients, families, and supervising therapists using clear oral and written expression in a rehabilitation setting.Patient transport logistics — coordinate safely for individuals with significant mobility limitations, applying problem-solving when standard procedures are insufficient.Active learning strategies — employ when integrating new therapeutic protocols or adaptive technologies introduced by the supervising occupational therapy team.
advanced
Therapy aide team performance — lead by setting quality standards, providing on-the-job coaching, and evaluating competency across the occupational therapy support staff.Occupational therapy program implementation — oversee at an organizational level, collaborating with senior therapists to ensure consistency and fidelity across service delivery sites.Clinical documentation systems and medical software — champion adoption and optimization, training staff and developing facility-wide protocols for accurate record keeping.Patient-centered service quality — drive continuous improvement initiatives by analyzing outcome trends and recommending evidence-informed changes to therapy support processes.New aide orientation and ongoing professional development — design and deliver structured training curricula aligned with regulatory standards and facility goals.Therapeutic supply and equipment budget — manage at department level, forecasting needs, negotiating with vendors, and allocating resources to maximize patient care outcomes.Complex ethical and safety concerns in patient care — adjudicate by applying advanced judgment and coordinating resolution with clinical leadership and compliance officers.Stakeholder relationships with patients, families, and interdisciplinary teams — cultivate strategically to support holistic rehabilitation outcomes across a large caseload or multi-site program.Policy and procedure documentation for therapy aide operations — author and maintain, ensuring alignment with accreditation standards and organizational mission.Emerging adaptive technologies and evidence-based therapy tools — evaluate, pilot, and integrate into departmental practice, disseminating findings to guide occupational therapy support staff organization-wide.
Also known as
61 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Rehabilitation Therapy Aide (Rehab Therapy Aide)Medical Specialist Corps Officer (Army 65)SNF COTA (Skilled Nursing Facility Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant)Dental Assistant (Air Force 4Y0X1)Physical Therapy Specialist (Army 68F)Occupational Therapist (Air Force 42T3)Physical Medicine Helper, Orthotic (Air Force 4J012A)Physical Medicine Journeyman, Orthotic (Air Force 4J052A)Occupational Therapist (Air Force 42T4)Physical Medicine Journeyman (Air Force 4J052)Occupational Therapy Assistant (Navy 003055)Occupational Therapist (Navy 0874)Rehabilitation Aide (Rehab Aide)Dental Assistant Helper (Air Force 4Y011)Health Services Management Superintendent (Air Force 4A091)Occupational Therapist Aide (OT Aide)Health Services Management Craftsman, Health Information Technology (Air Force 4A071S)Direct Support Professional (DSP)Physical Medicine Craftsman, Orthotic (Air Force 4J072A)Dental Assistant Journeyman (Air Force 4Y051)Occupational Therapist (Air Force 42T1)Direct Service Professional (DSP)Health Services Management Helper (Air Force 4A011)Health Services Management Journeyman (Air Force 4A051)Certified Occupational Rehabilitation Aide (CORA)Medical Administration Specialty (Coast Guard MED)Occupational Therapy (Army 65A)Physical Medicine (Air Force 4J0X2)Dental Assistant Journeyman, Dental Hygienist (Air Force 4Y051H)Therapy AideHospital Corpsman (Navy HM)Health Services Management (Air Force 4A0X1)Dental Assistant Craftsman, Dental Hygienist (Air Force 4Y071H)Health Services Technician (Coast Guard HS)Physical Medicine Apprentice (Air Force 4J032)Dental Assistant Apprentice (Air Force 4Y031)Occupational Therapist (Air Force 42TX)Health Services Management Apprentice (Air Force 4A031)Rehabilitation Nursing Technician (Rehab Nursing Tech)Physical Therapy (Army 65B)