Occupational Therapy Assistants pay in the U.S.
$70,710avg. a year
$33.99 an hour · 51,290 employed
Occupational Therapy Assistants in the U.S. earn an average of $70,710 a year and a median of $72,300. Pay is highest in California ($84,690) and lowest in South Dakota ($55,470).
$72,300Median pay
$33.99Average hourly
+11%Avg. pay since 2020
51,290Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for occupational therapy assistants
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
13,840 jobs
California
$84,690
$40.72 an hour
2710 jobs
Maryland
$79,890
$38.41 an hour
35,610 jobs
Texas
$79,750
$38.34 an hour
41,080 jobs
New Jersey
$77,640
$37.33 an hour
5220 jobs
Nevada
$77,290
$37.16 an hour
6730 jobs
Arkansas
$76,900
$36.97 an hour
7710 jobs
Colorado
$76,690
$36.87 an hour
8250 jobs
Oregon
$76,610
$36.83 an hour
9720 jobs
Washington
$76,310
$36.69 an hour
10220 jobs
Delaware
$75,930
$36.51 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Occupational Therapy Assistants pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $65k$65k–$68k$68k–$72k$72k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $99,250 | $47.72 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $94,960 | $45.66 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $92,750 | $44.59 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $86,300 | $41.49 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $85,400 | $41.06 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $85,120 | $40.92 |
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | $81,980 | $39.41 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $81,740 | $39.30 |
Related jobs
- Physical Therapist Assistants$68,730
- Physical Therapist Aides$36,430
- Occupational Therapy Aides$44,110
- Home Health and Personal Care Aides$36,120
- Nursing Assistants$42,700
- Medical Assistants$46,120
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Occupational Therapy Assistants pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $63,660 | $62,250 | 750 |
| Alaska | $59,400 | $53,530 | 60 |
| Arizona | $72,100 | $73,490 | 1,120 |
| Arkansas | $76,900 | $78,940 | 730 |
| California | $84,690 | $81,770 | 3,840 |
| Colorado | $76,690 | $75,340 | 710 |
| Connecticut | $70,500 | $72,780 | 820 |
| Delaware | $75,930 | $78,640 | 220 |
| District of Columbia | $71,110 | $66,390 | 60 |
| Florida | $70,310 | $71,630 | 3,910 |
| Georgia | $72,080 | $75,920 | 1,060 |
| Hawaii | $71,270 | $72,710 | 60 |
| Idaho | $66,160 | $65,330 | 210 |
| Illinois | $65,580 | $64,120 | 2,470 |
| Indiana | $67,160 | $66,660 | 1,490 |
| Iowa | $63,970 | $64,140 | 400 |
| Kansas | $66,420 | $65,010 | 660 |
| Kentucky | $65,360 | $65,230 | 500 |
| Louisiana | $65,660 | $66,090 | 760 |
| Maine | $68,890 | $64,270 | 250 |
| Maryland | $79,890 | $82,010 | 710 |
| Massachusetts | $68,340 | $75,040 | 1,410 |
| Michigan | $65,400 | $63,260 | 1,250 |
| Minnesota | $65,690 | $64,920 | 540 |
| Mississippi | $63,530 | $61,650 | 420 |
| Missouri | $66,030 | $66,070 | 1,470 |
| Montana | $73,590 | $72,800 | 60 |
| Nebraska | $62,520 | $63,180 | 210 |
| Nevada | $77,290 | $79,510 | 220 |
| New Hampshire | $68,050 | $67,790 | 150 |
| New Jersey | $77,640 | $74,960 | 1,080 |
| New Mexico | $71,550 | $77,020 | 300 |
| New York | $67,620 | $68,530 | 2,230 |
| North Carolina | $69,270 | $69,390 | 1,590 |
| North Dakota | $58,980 | $60,970 | 130 |
| Ohio | $64,770 | $62,700 | 3,890 |
| Oklahoma | $66,710 | $66,520 | 1,000 |
| Oregon | $76,610 | $76,850 | 250 |
| Pennsylvania | $67,750 | $71,590 | 2,560 |
| Rhode Island | $67,840 | $66,710 | 300 |
| South Carolina | $70,480 | $73,740 | 830 |
| South Dakota | $55,470 | $56,180 | 100 |
| Tennessee | $60,550 | $62,420 | 1,300 |
| Texas | $79,750 | $81,500 | 5,610 |
| Utah | $66,980 | $66,080 | 280 |
| Virginia | $73,140 | $74,960 | 1,130 |
| Washington | $76,310 | $77,590 | 720 |
| West Virginia | $63,680 | $60,370 | 340 |
| Wisconsin | $58,900 | $59,960 | 1,050 |
| Wyoming | $60,890 | $62,750 | 80 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$74,600
2,200 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$81,740
1,720 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$68,150
1,710 jobsDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
$80,140
1,220 jobsAustin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
$86,300
1,190 jobsMiami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
$70,560
1,090 jobsPhiladelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
$72,210
940 jobsHouston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
$79,660
900 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do occupational therapy assistants make?
The average is $70,710 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $72,300 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $33.99, and the median is $34.76 an hour.
Which state pays occupational therapy assistants the most?
California, with an average of $84,690 a year. The best-paying metro area is San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA at $99,250.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $51,490 a year, and the top 10% earn over $89,780.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 31-2011. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.