Careers · Explore one path
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.
Other titles employers use
Certified Occupational Rehabilitation Aide (CORA) · Direct Service Professional (DSP) · Direct Support Professional (DSP) · Occupational Rehabilitation Aide · Occupational Therapist Aide (OT Aide) · Occupational Therapy Aide (OT Aide) · Rehabilitation Aide (Rehab Aide) · Rehabilitation Services Aide
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- 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.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to helping, practical and organizing work.
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Service Orientation
- Speaking
- Social Perceptiveness
- Active Listening
- Coordination
- Critical Thinking
Subjects to know
- Therapy and Counseling
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Psychology
- Computers and Electronics
Useful strengths
- Oral Comprehension
- Problem Sensitivity
- Oral Expression
- Deductive Reasoning
- Speech Recognition
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 4.5 | Arm’s length or closer, most of the day |
| On your feet | 3.7 | Up and down through the day |
| Talking face to face | 4.8 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 2.5 | Little of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a high school diploma. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- High school or less 37%
- A certificate or some college 33%
- A two-year degree 28%
- A doctorate or professional degree 2%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Medical software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Electronic mail software
- Presentation software
- Word processing software
- Billing and invoicing software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 330
- Job openings each year
- 50
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 6.5%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 330 | 50 | 6.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 320 | 40 | 3.2% |
| Texas | 280 | 40 | 12.0% |
| Florida | 210 | 30 | 16.7% |
| Missouri | 190 | 30 | 11.8% |
| Virginia | 160 | 20 | 6.7% |
| Illinois | 150 | 20 | — |
| North Carolina | 130 | 20 | 18.2% |
| Washington | 130 | 20 | 18.2% |
| Indiana | 120 | 20 | 9.1% |
| Massachusetts | 120 | 20 | 9.1% |
| Colorado | 110 | 20 | 22.2% |
| New Mexico | 100 | 10 | 11.1% |
| South Carolina | 100 | 10 | −9.1% |
| Kentucky | 90 | 10 | — |
| Nebraska | 90 | 10 | — |
| Utah | 90 | 10 | 50.0% |
| Mississippi | 80 | 10 | — |
| Iowa | 60 | 10 | 20.0% |
| Tennessee | 60 | 10 | — |
| West Virginia | 50 | 10 | 25.0% |
| Wisconsin | 50 | 10 | — |
| District of Columbia | 40 | 10 | 33.3% |
| New Jersey | 40 | 10 | −20.0% |
| Rhode Island | 40 | 10 | — |
| Alabama | 30 | 0 | — |
| Idaho | 20 | 0 | — |
| Maine | 20 | 0 | — |
| Ohio | 20 | 0 | — |
| Nevada | 10 | 0 | — |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.