Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

31-2011 Occupational Therapy Assistants

Assist occupational therapists in providing occupational therapy treatments and procedures. May, in accordance with State laws, assist in development of treatment plans, carry out routine functions, direct activity programs, and document the progress of treatments. Generally requires formal training.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
29,130 2.1 % $25.07 $52,150 0.6 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $16.22 $20.28 $25.02 $29.67 $34.60
Annual Wage (2) $33,750 $42,180 $52,040 $61,710 $71,960


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 10,400 1.51 $25.84 $53,750
Nursing Care Facilities 5,700 0.34 $26.98 $56,120
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 4,240 0.08 $23.29 $48,440
Elementary and Secondary Schools 1,840 0.02 $21.30 $44,310
Home Health Care Services 1,430 0.13 $29.35 $61,050

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 10,400 1.51 $25.84 $53,750
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals 1,170 0.53 $25.06 $52,130
Nursing Care Facilities 5,700 0.34 $26.98 $56,120
Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals 650 0.28 $23.54 $48,970
Home Health Care Services 1,430 0.13 $29.35 $61,050

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Home Health Care Services 1,430 0.13 $29.35 $61,050
Employment Services 370 0.01 $28.09 $58,420
Nursing Care Facilities 5,700 0.34 $26.98 $56,120
Management of Companies and Enterprises 100 0.01 $26.18 $54,460
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 10,400 1.51 $25.84 $53,750


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Ohio 2,350 0.47 2.08 $24.91 $51,820
Pennsylvania 2,120 0.38 1.68 $22.20 $46,180
Texas 2,040 0.20 0.87 $30.81 $64,090
New York 2,020 0.24 1.06 $22.58 $46,970
California 2,000 0.14 0.63 $29.33 $61,010




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 320 0.49 2.15 $24.49 $50,940
Ohio 2,350 0.47 2.08 $24.91 $51,820
Massachusetts 1,380 0.44 1.93 $24.56 $51,090
Indiana 1,180 0.43 1.88 $25.03 $52,060
Connecticut 630 0.39 1.72 $26.25 $54,610




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nevada 210 0.18 0.81 $32.81 $68,240
Texas 2,040 0.20 0.87 $30.81 $64,090
New Jersey 330 0.09 0.39 $30.08 $62,560
California 2,000 0.14 0.63 $29.33 $61,010
Maryland 500 0.20 0.89 $28.63 $59,560





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 910 0.26 1.12 $24.09 $50,110
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 770 0.15 0.67 $26.32 $54,750
Pittsburgh, PA 670 0.60 2.65 $22.99 $47,810
Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division 540 0.39 1.72 $29.71 $61,800
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 490 0.29 1.28 $24.30 $50,540
St. Louis, MO-IL 460 0.36 1.58 $23.94 $49,790
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 450 0.12 0.52 $29.54 $61,440
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 450 0.19 0.85 $26.48 $55,070
Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH 440 0.45 1.98 $26.43 $54,980
Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN 420 0.43 1.91 $24.54 $51,040




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Cumberland, MD-WV 70 2.02 8.91 $21.98 $45,730
New Bedford, MA 110 1.71 7.55 $24.73 $51,440
Leominster-Fitchburg-Gardner, MA 50 1.13 4.99 $23.02 $47,880
Altoona, PA 60 1.11 4.91 $19.71 $41,010
Pueblo, CO 60 1.01 4.45 $20.48 $42,590
Springfield, MA-CT 260 0.91 4.02 $24.93 $51,860
Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA 190 0.86 3.79 $25.00 $52,000
Waterbury, CT 50 0.78 3.45 $26.01 $54,100
Toledo, OH 220 0.76 3.33 $24.51 $50,970
Macon, GA 60 0.70 3.06 $25.46 $52,950




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
El Paso, TX 70 0.25 1.10 $34.95 $72,690
San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA 250 0.20 0.88 $33.70 $70,100
Fort Worth-Arlington, TX Metropolitan Division 60 0.06 0.28 $32.95 $68,530
Las Vegas-Paradise, NV 170 0.21 0.94 $32.90 $68,430
Edison-New Brunswick, NJ Metropolitan Division 120 0.13 0.57 $32.48 $67,550
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 410 0.20 0.88 $32.28 $67,140
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX 310 0.40 1.76 $31.59 $65,700
Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, CA Metropolitan Division 70 0.07 0.31 $30.75 $63,960
Tallahassee, FL 30 0.19 0.86 $30.63 $63,710
Greensboro-High Point, NC 50 0.15 0.65 $30.61 $63,670

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 150 0.66 2.92 $22.94 $47,710
Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area 130 0.69 3.03 $19.70 $40,980
Other Ohio nonmetropolitan area 120 0.46 2.01 $23.10 $48,040
Other North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 110 0.39 1.71 $29.21 $60,770
Central Indiana nonmetropolitan area 100 0.70 3.08 $25.85 $53,780

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Upper Savannah South Carolina nonmetropolitan area 90 0.85 3.72 $14.56 $30,290
Central Indiana nonmetropolitan area 100 0.70 3.08 $25.85 $53,780
Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area 130 0.69 3.03 $19.70 $40,980
West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 150 0.66 2.92 $22.94 $47,710
South Illinois nonmetropolitan area 80 0.57 2.52 $22.33 $46,450

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Eastern Texas nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $34.57 $71,910
Northwestern Texas nonmetropolitan area 30 0.12 0.53 $32.35 $67,280
Other North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 110 0.39 1.71 $29.21 $60,770
Northeastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 30 0.20 0.87 $28.36 $58,980
Western Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 90 0.38 1.67 $27.54 $57,290


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012