Pay, demand and where to work, from BLS data with the year on every table.
low → high: location quotient
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By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Occupational therapy assistants (SOC 31-2011) employed 51,290 people in May 2025. The median pay is $72,300 a year ($34.76 an hour); the lowest-paid 10% earn under $51,490 and the highest-paid 10% more than $89,780. BLS projects its employment to change by +21.5% between 2025 and 2035 (about 8,100 openings a year including replacements). The typical way in: Associate's degree.
Highest median pay: Maryland ($82,010), California ($81,770), Texas ($81,500). Most jobs: Texas (5,610), Florida (3,910), Ohio (3,890).
| Measure ⇅ | Annual ⇅ | Hourly equivalent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $51,490 | $24.75 |
| 25th percentile | $61,710 | $29.67 |
| Median | $72,300 | $34.76 |
| Mean | $70,710 | $34.00 |
| 75th percentile | $79,160 | $38.06 |
| 90th percentile (experienced) | $89,780 | $43.16 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
Hourly equivalents divide by 2,080 hours. Pay above $239,200 is shown as "≥ $239,200" (BLS top code).
| Measure ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Jobs 2025 | 52,200 |
| Jobs 2035 (projected) | 63,400 |
| Change in jobs | 11,200 |
| Percent change | +21.5% |
| Openings a year (growth + replacements) | 8,100 |
| Self-employed share | n/a |
| Typical entry education | Associate's degree |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | None |
Licences and certifications are set by states and employers; the education shown is the usual entry requirement, not a legal one.
| State ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ | Yearly rent as % of median pay ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 750 | 1.07 | $62,250 | $50,120 | $79,600 | -14% | 21% |
| Alaska | 60 | 0.56 | $53,530 | $34,110 | $95,900 | -26% | 32% |
| Arizona | 1,120 | 1.04 | $73,490 | $53,810 | $89,880 | +2% | 27% |
| Arkansas | 730 | 1.69 | $78,940 | $50,710 | $98,960 | +9% | 15% |
| California | 3,840 | 0.64 | $81,770 | $65,680 | $104,990 | +13% | 31% |
| Colorado | 710 | 0.75 | $75,340 | $60,880 | $100,190 | +4% | 29% |
| Connecticut | 820 | 1.46 | $72,780 | $60,180 | $81,400 | +1% | 26% |
| Delaware | 220 | 1.39 | $78,640 | $63,970 | $82,070 | +9% | 23% |
| District of Columbia | 60 | 0.27 | $66,390 | $57,450 | $85,660 | -8% | 35% |
| Florida | 3,910 | 1.19 | $71,630 | $59,890 | $79,350 | -1% | 30% |
| Georgia | 1,060 | 0.66 | $75,920 | $55,840 | $86,830 | +5% | 24% |
| Hawaii | 60 | 0.28 | $72,710 | $65,660 | $77,280 | +1% | 32% |
| Idaho | 210 | 0.76 | $65,330 | $59,820 | $74,720 | -10% | 25% |
| Illinois | 2,470 | 1.23 | $64,120 | $47,830 | $80,150 | -11% | 25% |
| Indiana | 1,490 | 1.41 | $66,660 | $43,340 | $86,870 | -8% | 20% |
| Iowa | 400 | 0.77 | $64,140 | $47,670 | $79,800 | -11% | 18% |
| Kansas | 660 | 1.39 | $65,010 | $55,120 | $77,410 | -10% | 20% |
| Kentucky | 500 | 0.76 | $65,230 | $50,840 | $77,270 | -10% | 18% |
| Louisiana | 760 | 1.18 | $66,090 | $31,530 | $83,200 | -9% | 19% |
| Maine | 250 | 1.17 | $64,270 | $53,230 | $81,220 | -11% | 23% |
| Maryland | 710 | 0.78 | $82,010 | $62,380 | $95,520 | +13% | 25% |
| Massachusetts | 1,410 | 1.18 | $75,040 | $42,120 | $82,180 | +4% | 30% |
| Michigan | 1,250 | 0.86 | $63,260 | $52,270 | $79,310 | -13% | 22% |
| Minnesota | 540 | 0.56 | $64,920 | $56,360 | $73,040 | -10% | 24% |
| Mississippi | 420 | 1.09 | $61,650 | $51,920 | $78,320 | -15% | 19% |
| Missouri | 1,470 | 1.52 | $66,070 | $50,990 | $80,930 | -9% | 19% |
| Montana | 60 | 0.33 | $72,800 | $59,060 | $94,510 | +1% | 19% |
| Nebraska | 210 | 0.61 | $63,180 | $47,490 | $77,840 | -13% | 21% |
| Nevada | 220 | 0.42 | $79,510 | $61,530 | $97,590 | +10% | 26% |
| New Hampshire | 150 | 0.66 | $67,790 | $48,410 | $85,610 | -6% | 28% |
| New Jersey | 1,080 | 0.76 | $74,960 | $65,550 | $100,700 | +4% | 29% |
| New Mexico | 300 | 1.04 | $77,020 | $36,820 | $94,000 | +7% | 17% |
| New York | 2,230 | 0.70 | $68,530 | $49,050 | $83,200 | -5% | 29% |
| North Carolina | 1,590 | 0.97 | $69,390 | $55,130 | $83,360 | -4% | 23% |
| North Dakota | 130 | 0.94 | $60,970 | $48,760 | $65,540 | -16% | 19% |
| Ohio | 3,890 | 2.13 | $62,700 | $49,500 | $79,600 | -13% | 21% |
| Oklahoma | 1,000 | 1.77 | $66,520 | $51,710 | $79,320 | -8% | 19% |
| Oregon | 250 | 0.38 | $76,850 | $65,190 | $86,010 | +6% | 25% |
| Pennsylvania | 2,560 | 1.28 | $71,590 | $55,690 | $77,790 | -1% | 21% |
| Rhode Island | 300 | 1.80 | $66,710 | $58,220 | $75,560 | -8% | 26% |
| South Carolina | 830 | 1.10 | $73,740 | $52,050 | $87,860 | +2% | 21% |
| South Dakota | 100 | 0.65 | $56,180 | $40,110 | $72,800 | -22% | 21% |
| Tennessee | 1,300 | 1.20 | $62,420 | $23,910 | $78,950 | -14% | 25% |
| Texas | 5,610 | 1.21 | $81,500 | $60,980 | $95,900 | +13% | 22% |
| Utah | 280 | 0.48 | $66,080 | $42,690 | $94,870 | -9% | 29% |
| Virginia | 1,130 | 0.84 | $74,960 | $57,250 | $89,560 | +4% | 26% |
| Washington | 720 | 0.61 | $77,590 | $62,960 | $88,250 | +7% | 28% |
| West Virginia | 340 | 1.47 | $60,370 | $49,280 | $76,940 | -17% | 18% |
| Wisconsin | 1,050 | 1.08 | $59,960 | $44,620 | $72,940 | -17% | 23% |
| Wyoming | 80 | 0.88 | $62,750 | $37,680 | $74,430 | -13% | 19% |
Location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in the state than in the nation. "n/a" means BLS suppressed the figure. Rent uses the state median gross rent (ACS).
The 60 highest-paying metropolitan areas among those with at least 300 jobs in this occupation.
| Metropolitan area ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Median pay ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 420 | $88,250 | $66,390 | $97,960 | 0.41 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 360 | $82,680 | $71,000 | $103,410 | 0.72 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 310 | $82,620 | $65,600 | $88,920 | 0.68 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 1,190 | $81,500 | $81,500 | $95,900 | 2.79 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 900 | $81,340 | $61,890 | $94,070 | 0.83 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 1,220 | $81,170 | $54,250 | $95,200 | 0.91 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 400 | $80,070 | $65,660 | $98,320 | 0.70 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 420 | $79,240 | $63,580 | $93,870 | 1.14 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 590 | $78,180 | $60,370 | $89,990 | 0.61 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 1,720 | $78,090 | $64,650 | $103,140 | 0.83 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 350 | $77,590 | $66,110 | $90,690 | 0.51 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 340 | $76,980 | $63,550 | $100,190 | 0.65 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 940 | $76,440 | $60,900 | $80,820 | 0.99 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 800 | $76,080 | $63,290 | $93,230 | 1.02 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 850 | $75,300 | $42,120 | $83,550 | 0.96 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 2,200 | $74,960 | $52,860 | $89,040 | 0.70 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 550 | $72,820 | $60,520 | $78,730 | 1.15 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 450 | $72,780 | $58,430 | $79,210 | 1.00 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 350 | $72,630 | $59,890 | $77,770 | 0.75 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 1,090 | $71,310 | $60,010 | $80,760 | 1.17 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | 400 | $71,050 | $55,590 | $81,530 | 1.11 |
| Jacksonville, FL | 340 | $70,540 | $59,110 | $77,070 | 1.36 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 1,710 | $67,840 | $48,980 | $82,560 | 1.15 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 480 | $67,460 | $58,670 | $80,800 | 1.33 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 780 | $67,450 | $50,990 | $84,100 | 1.75 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 440 | $67,300 | $52,560 | $76,580 | 1.87 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | 370 | $67,290 | $52,030 | $79,310 | 1.89 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | 700 | $67,290 | $38,430 | $87,360 | 1.91 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 350 | $66,210 | $58,790 | $73,040 | 0.54 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 420 | $65,840 | $52,380 | $76,730 | 1.90 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 300 | $65,730 | $57,740 | $81,260 | 1.19 |
| Columbus, OH | 610 | $63,480 | $38,020 | $84,670 | 1.67 |
| Cleveland, OH | 720 | $62,700 | $51,070 | $77,870 | 2.11 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 370 | $61,900 | $50,700 | $74,410 | 1.00 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 470 | $60,900 | $52,270 | $89,510 | 0.75 |
The median is $72,300 a year ($34.76 an hour); the lowest-paid tenth earn under $51,490 and the highest-paid tenth over $89,780 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
51,290 in May 2025, and BLS projects +21.5% growth to 2035.
The typical entry education is: Associate's degree (BLS).
Maryland, with a median of $82,010 (among states with published figures).