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How Much Does an Occupational Therapy Assistant Make?

An occupational therapy assistant in the US earns a median salary of $72,300 a year, or $34.76 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $70,710, and the middle half earn between $61,710 and $79,160.

Median a year $72,300
Median an hour $34.76
Median a month $6,025
Average a year $70,710

Occupational therapy assistant pay range

What occupational therapy assistants earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.

Percentile A year An hour
10th (lowest 10%) $51,490 $24.76
25th $61,710 $29.67
Median (50th) $72,300 $34.76
75th $79,160 $38.06
90th (top 10%) $89,780 $43.16

The median is 42% more than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 51,290 people work as occupational therapy assistants in the US.

After tax and by period

A week
$1,390
Every two weeks
$2,781
Twice a month
$3,013
A month
$6,025

At the median salary, before tax.

Occupational therapy assistant salary by state

Sorted by average pay. California pays occupational therapy assistants the most, at $84,690 a year on average.

State Average Median Jobs After tax
California $84,690 $81,770 3,840 After tax
Maryland $79,890 $82,010 710 After tax
Texas $79,750 $81,500 5,610 After tax
New Jersey $77,640 $74,960 1,080 After tax
Nevada $77,290 $79,510 220 After tax
Arkansas $76,900 $78,940 730 After tax
Colorado $76,690 $75,340 710 After tax
Oregon $76,610 $76,850 250 After tax
Washington $76,310 $77,590 720 After tax
Delaware $75,930 $78,640 220 After tax
Montana $73,590 $72,800 60 After tax
Virginia $73,140 $74,960 1,130 After tax
Arizona $72,100 $73,490 1,120 After tax
Georgia $72,080 $75,920 1,060 After tax
New Mexico $71,550 $77,020 300 After tax
Hawaii $71,270 $72,710 60 After tax
District of Columbia $71,110 $66,390 60 After tax
Connecticut $70,500 $72,780 820 After tax
South Carolina $70,480 $73,740 830 After tax
Florida $70,310 $71,630 3,910 After tax
North Carolina $69,270 $69,390 1,590 After tax
Maine $68,890 $64,270 250 After tax
Massachusetts $68,340 $75,040 1,410 After tax
New Hampshire $68,050 $67,790 150 After tax
Rhode Island $67,840 $66,710 300 After tax
Pennsylvania $67,750 $71,590 2,560 After tax
New York $67,620 $68,530 2,230 After tax
Indiana $67,160 $66,660 1,490 After tax
Utah $66,980 $66,080 280 After tax
Oklahoma $66,710 $66,520 1,000 After tax
Kansas $66,420 $65,010 660 After tax
Idaho $66,160 $65,330 210 After tax
Missouri $66,030 $66,070 1,470 After tax
Minnesota $65,690 $64,920 540 After tax
Louisiana $65,660 $66,090 760 After tax
Illinois $65,580 $64,120 2,470 After tax
Michigan $65,400 $63,260 1,250 After tax
Kentucky $65,360 $65,230 500 After tax
Ohio $64,770 $62,700 3,890 After tax
Iowa $63,970 $64,140 400 After tax
West Virginia $63,680 $60,370 340 After tax
Alabama $63,660 $62,250 750 After tax
Mississippi $63,530 $61,650 420 After tax
Nebraska $62,520 $63,180 210 After tax
Wyoming $60,890 $62,750 80 After tax
Tennessee $60,550 $62,420 1,300 After tax
Alaska $59,400 $53,530 60 After tax
North Dakota $58,980 $60,970 130 After tax
Wisconsin $58,900 $59,960 1,050 After tax
South Dakota $55,470 $56,180 100 After tax

A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.

Other healthcare support jobs

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Occupational Therapy Assistants” (SOC 31-2011). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries

About the Job Salaries

Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.

How to use it

  1. 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
  2. 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
  3. 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
  4. 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an occupational therapy assistant make an hour?

The median hourly wage for an occupational therapy assistant is $34.76, and the average is $33.99. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $24.76 an hour and the top 10% over $43.16.

How much does an occupational therapy assistant make a month?

At the median salary of $72,300, an occupational therapy assistant earns about $6,025 a month before tax, or $2,781 every two weeks.

Which state pays occupational therapy assistants the most?

California has the highest average pay for an occupational therapy assistant, at $84,690 a year. Next are Maryland and Texas. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.

What is the starting salary for an occupational therapy assistant?

The lowest-paid 10% of occupational therapy assistants earn less than $51,490 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $61,710. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.

How much do the highest-paid occupational therapy assistants make?

The top 10% earn more than $89,780 a year, and the top 25% more than $79,160.