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Occupational Therapy Assistant Job Description: Top Duties and Qualifications

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An Occupational Therapy Assistant, or Occupational Therapist Assistant, supports the Occupational Therapist in conducting therapy treatments to improve patients’ mobility and physical health. Their main duties include helping patients perform exercises or treatment plans, recording a patients’ health progress and collecting patients’ medical history or other personal information.

Occupational Therapy Assistant duties and responsibilities

Occupational Therapy Assistants are responsible for treating patients with therapeutic and self-care activities. The job requires candidates to perform a variety of duties including the following:

  • Monitoring a patient’s progress to make sure that they’re successfully completing treatment
  • Encouraging the patient during their recovery process
  • Helping patients to improve their quality of life by finding solutions to their problems
  • Helping injured employees improve their motor skills with the goal of re-entering the workforce
  • Teaching patients with disabilities to become more independent
  • Updating patient records for the Occupational Therapist
  • Keeping the office, treatment room and equipment in good order
  • Teaching patients, family members or other Caregivers skills and techniques to help with the patients’ treatment program

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Occupational Therapy Assistant Job Description Examples

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Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

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Job Description Best Practices
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What does an Occupational Therapy Assistant do?

Occupational Therapy Assistants are healthcare professionals who work directly under Occupational Therapists to help patients recover from injuries and enhance their physical health to effectively perform daily activities. When an Occupational Therapist diagnoses a patient and prescribes a treatment plan, the Occupational Therapy Assistant will work one-on-one with the patient to perform various therapeutic activities and exercises that improve their health. The Occupational Therapy Assistant will take note of the patient’s progress and will report it to the Occupational Therapist.

Many Occupational Therapy Assistants also complete basic clerical duties like scheduling appointments, answering phone calls and emails, collecting patients’ medical history and ordering medical supplies.

Occupational Therapy Assistant skills and qualifications

A good Occupational Therapy Assistant will need certain skills and qualifications. Candidates often learn these skills through life experience or work experience. They include the following:

  • Compassion
  • Attention to detail
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Physical strength
  • Ability to maintain confidentiality
  • Communication skills

Occupational Therapy Assistant salary expectations

The average salary for an Occupational Therapy Assistant is $29.09 per hour. This salary may vary based on geographic location, specific requirements of the role and the candidate’s education and experience level.

Occupational Therapy Assistant salary expectations

2025-10-0113.1035.6369.00HOURLY
  • Common salary: 35.63 HOURLY
  • Typical salaries range from 13.10 - 69.00 HOURLY
  • Find more information on Indeed Salaries

*Indeed data – 2025-10-01

Occupational Therapy Assistant education and training requirements

Required education for an Occupational Therapy Assistant includes an Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) recognized associate degree. This degree usually takes about two years to complete, and the course combines classroom study with clinical fieldwork. Most states require an Occupational Therapy Assistant to have a license. Depending on the state the position is in, it is either called a license, registration, authorization or certification. But regardless of the title, an Occupational Therapy Assistant must be accredited by ACOTE and must have passed the Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant exam.

Occupational Therapy Assistant experience requirements

Job experience for this position may vary. It can include a certain number of years in the workforce working with a certain age group like children, young adults or older people. It could also include experience in administration, planning events and activities, designing programs or other similar experiences. The type or length of experience will vary depending on the independence level required of the Occupational Therapy Assistant.

Job description samples for similar positions

If you’re writing a job description for a related position to an Occupational Therapy Assistant, see our job description for a similar role:

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Frequently asked questions about Occupational Therapy Assistants

Three individuals are sitting at a table with a laptop, a disposable coffee cup, notebooks, and a phone visible. Two are facing each other, while the third’s back is to the camera. The setting appears to be a bright room with large windows.

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Job Description Examples

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