Occupational Therapy Assistant Salary by State

Occupational therapy assistant salary can fluctuate from state to state. There are many reasons to why salary can be different from state to state. How in demand services are in a given state will often dictate the wages. Another thing to consider is the going average wages for health care professionals within a given state. Average wages tend to be state wide, and if in similar careers to that of an occupational therapy assistant are paying higher than the average, chances are that it will be the same for this career. Cost of living has a direct factor on wages within a state, often jobs will be offering larger amounts of money in big city centers where the cost of living is higher than in a rural setting. In the United States, the average occupational therapy assistant salary ranges anywhere from just over $33 000 per year to $62 000 per year. This is a huge gap, and for those interested in earning the most money as an occupational therapy assistant, relocation may be an option for you.

It is important to examine all the factors before choosing to relocate, such as your own cost of living, amenities, taxes, and a whole host of other factors. You could be earning over $60 000 average occupational therapy assistant salary in Maryland, but not living up to the standards of the $45 000 average occupational therapy assistant salary earned in Arkansas. Another thing to note is the ability to earn stronger wages. In the chart we have provided below, we have broken down the number of occupational therapist assistants employed in a state, the average salary in each state, the average wage of the lowest 25% of earners, the highest 25% of earners, as well as the top 10%. The top 10% represents those who have gained experience and work within some of the higher paying occupational therapy industries. Those that take their work seriously, and have strong work performance reviews year after year have a chance at earning quite a high salary, as high as $90 000 per year in the state of Texas!

Occupational Therapy Assistant Salary by State

All occupational therapy assistant statistics are provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2010 report.

State	# Employed	Average Salary	Lowest 25%	Highest 25%	Highest 10%
Alabama	300	49,030	43,720	56,620	62,240
Arizona	200	50,690	44,480	58,860	66,860
Arkansas	120	45,820	27,920	61,110	69,170
California	2,030	60,090	51,670	71,120	79,300
Colorado	350	38,310	25,620	48,730	57,820
Connecticut	540	55,110	48,220	61,940	69,740
Delaware	70	56,140	50,200	63,780	69,120
Florida	1,290	58,150	50,610	67,370	73,900
Georgia	420	52,770	45,770	61,140	69,420
Hawaii	50	42,830	38,560	47,540	52,020
Idaho	70	53,040	48,730	59,070	65,140
Illinois	1,420	50,730	40,090	62,520	70,610
Indiana	1,000	51,200	43,820	58,570	66,410
Iowa	330	44,740	38,980	51,520	57,440
Kansas	220	52,220	45,860	60,140	68,030
Kentucky	310	51,610	45,340	57,400	65,650
Louisiana	230	52,140	43,070	61,310	69,210
Maine	150	43,100	38,600	47,290	54,930
Maryland	500	61,660	50,720	73,480	85,710
Massachusetts	1,270	48,760	40,360	57,280	65,540
Michigan	740	43,820	34,980	52,070	59,720
Minnesota	630	36,850	28,500	44,500	49,290
Mississippi	220	46,550	35,330	56,880	69,400
Missouri	780	50,930	44,780	57,630	65,380
Montana	30	39,510	34,650	45,510	49,290
Nebraska	110	46,200	33,570	57,830	67,940
Nevada	200	64,470	53,540	67,880	84,220
New Hampshire	130	48,750	39,990	57,590	62,710
New Jersey	370	62,160	54,140	70,440	79,320
New Mexico	170	49,910	39,600	60,110	66,630
New York	1,950	45,390	36,890	53,440	60,650
North Carolina	880	52,910	44,620	62,220	69,580
North Dakota	90	41,060	35,040	45,430	52,080
Ohio	2,490	50,860	43,160	59,010	66,380
Oklahoma	540	44,050	26,720	57,930	67,590
Oregon	150	51,200	47,510	56,370	59,460
Pennsylvania	1,940	46,550	37,810	55,540	64,040
Rhode Island	160	51,140	45,320	57,290	62,100
South Carolina	430	41,590	25,880	54,380	64,450
South Dakota	40	33,350	30,570	36,790	38,860
Tennessee	840	49,840	40,910	59,350	70,740
Texas	1,950	62,410	49,340	73,040	92,740
Utah	100	45,630	38,380	54,580	59,510
Virginia	590	58,480	47,460	69,570	83,130
Washington	330	52,940	45,230	60,460	67,420
West Virginia	160	47,750	42,290	54,540	59,260
Wisconsin	740	45,690	38,550	51,240	58,530

Tips to find the top occupational therapy assistant salary

Take the Certification offered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). This certification shows professionalism, as continuing education courses are required to renew the certification, which must be done every 3 years.
Build a strong occupational therapy assistant resume that highlights your experience and education. If you are a certified occupational therapy assistant, be sure to include the continuing education classes and seminars you have attended to show your commitment to the career.
Strive for strong work performance reviews, even if your current job does not meet your salary expectations. A strong reference with good work performance reviews will lead you to a higher salary.
Be consistent. The saying goes ¨90% of success is showing up¨, be consistent with your work schedule, be reliable to your employers. Companies, agencies and clinics do not mind offering extra salary to keep employees they see as consistent, professional and problem free.

Now that you have an overview of the salary expectations in each state in the Nation, you can decide which options will meet your financial means. Whether it is relocation to another state, or upgrading education to earn a higher salary.