Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) salary, United States
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The median annual wage for Occupational Therapy Assistants in the United States was $72,300 in BLS OEWS May 2025. The middle half of workers earned between $61,710 and $79,160.
What does the published range tell you about an offer?
BLS reports wages for Occupational Therapy Assistants (SOC 31-2011) in the United States. The published annual P25 to P75 band is $61,710 to $79,160. Its width is $17,450, calculated from those two observations. These are wages for the mapped occupation, not a separate survey of Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA). Percentiles are not seniority levels. They do not identify a starting rate, a senior rate or what a particular candidate will accept.
Which duties should you settle before setting pay?
For therapy hiring, distinguish inpatient work, outpatient visits, home visits and school assignments. Ask about the caseload, documentation and supervision expected. State licensing, travel between sites and the working calendar belong in the hiring brief; the published occupation does not isolate those terms.
What do the comparison markets show?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ reports an annual median of $74,960 for Occupational Therapy Assistants. The absolute gap is $2,660. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA reports an annual median of $78,090 for Occupational Therapy Assistants. The absolute gap is $5,790. Each linked table retains its own area. These are occupation comparisons, not exact-title offers.
What can the industry rows tell you?
Home Health Care Services (NAICS 621600) has a national annual median of $77,310 for Occupational Therapy Assistants. Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) (NAICS 623100) has a national annual median of $76,780 for Occupational Therapy Assistants. National industry comparisons are not local title estimates. A hospital and an outpatient practice can assign different work even when the SOC is the same.
What changed between the two releases?
Occupational Therapy Assistants (SOC 31-2011) in the United States had an annual median of $68,340 in BLS OEWS May 2024; the BLS OEWS May 2025 median is $72,300. The absolute difference is $3,960. These are separate survey snapshots, not a forecast or a raise to apply to your budget.
Is this base salary or total compensation?
Neither. OEWS includes commissions and production bonuses as well as base rates. It excludes overtime, shift differentials, on-call pay, nonproduction bonuses and employer benefits. Keep sign-on and retention payments separate when they are nonproduction bonuses. Travel per-diem reimbursements and contractor receipts are not a published employee salary. Do not add production pay twice.
What else should you ask about this pay table?
Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) maps to Occupational Therapy Assistants (SOC 31-2011). The published occupation matches Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA). BLS wages are not a specific employer offer. The annual median in the United States is $72,300. Similar titles can share this same SOC and therefore the same figures; that is not evidence that their duties or offers are identical.
Does BLS observe Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) separately?
Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) maps to Occupational Therapy Assistants (SOC 31-2011). The published occupation matches Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA). BLS wages are not a specific employer offer. The annual median in the United States is $72,300. Similar titles can share this same SOC and therefore the same figures; that is not evidence that their duties or offers are identical.
Can you turn the percentile band into junior and senior pay?
The published annual P25 to P75 band is $61,710 to $79,160. Its width is $17,450, calculated from those two observations. BLS percentiles describe the wage distribution, not years of experience. We do not assign an interpolated percentile, seniority premium or pay forecast.
What should you put in the hiring brief?
For therapy hiring, distinguish inpatient work, outpatient visits, home visits and school assignments. Ask about the caseload, documentation and supervision expected. State licensing, travel between sites and the working calendar belong in the hiring brief; the published occupation does not isolate those terms. Tell us which tasks and scheduling terms you can change before using this wage comparison in a search.
What if a wage is missing or marked “or more”?
A missing cell stays unavailable. “Or more” appears only when the actual source marks that cell as top-coded; it is a lower bound, not an exact wage. Exact published numbers remain exact even when above a historical top-code amount. Tools label any fallback to a state or national row.
The COTA national comparison markets use published employment, not geographic proximity. Read the geography and wage definitions.
BLS occupation: Occupational Therapy Assistants.
The published occupation matches Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA). BLS wages are not a specific employer offer.
What does this occupation pay nationally?
BLS publishes five national pay points for Occupational Therapy Assistants, SOC 31-2011, in BLS OEWS May 2025: the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th and 90th percentiles. The range bar and table below show each published point. Percentiles describe the spread of pay across workers, not experience levels. Read the median as a midpoint, not an offer for your vacancy.
- P10 to P90 published range
- P25 to P75 middle range
- P50 median
| Point | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $51,490 |
| 25th percentile | $61,710 |
| Median | $72,300 |
| 75th percentile | $79,160 |
| 90th percentile | $89,780 |
| Mean (average) | $70,710 |
For Occupational Therapy Assistants in the United States, BLS reports a median of $72,300; the middle half of workers earned between $61,710 and $79,160 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
- P10 to P90 published range
- P25 to P75 middle range
- P50 median
| Point | Hourly wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $24.76 |
| 25th percentile | $29.67 |
| Median | $34.76 |
| 75th percentile | $38.06 |
| 90th percentile | $43.16 |
| Mean (average) | $33.99 |
For Occupational Therapy Assistants in the United States, BLS reports a median of $34.76; the middle half of workers earned between $29.67 and $38.06 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
What BLS wages include and exclude
OEWS includes commissions and production bonuses. It excludes overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and employer benefits. It is neither pure base salary nor total compensation.
Included
- Base rates
- Commissions
- Cost-of-living allowances
- Deadheading pay
- Guaranteed pay
- Hazard pay
- Incentive pay
- Longevity pay
- Over-the-road pay (Mileage)
- Piece rates
- Portal-to-portal rates
- Production bonuses
- Tips
Excluded
- Attendance bonuses
- Back pay
- Clothing allowances
- Discount
- Draw
- Holiday bonus
- Holiday premium pay
- Jury duty pay
- Meal and lodging payments
- Merchandise discounts
- Non-production bonuses
- On-call pay
- Overtime pay
- Perquisites
- Profit-sharing payments
- Relocation allowances
- Severance pay
- Shift differentials
- Stock bonuses
- Tool/equipment allowances
- Tuition repayment
- Uniform allowance
- Weekend premium pay
- Year-end bonuses
Employment: 51,290 jobs nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, BLS OEWS May 2025. SOC 31-2011 Occupational Therapy Assistants, United States. Published 2026-05-15. BLS release tables (find this SOC and area). Release notes. Methodology and retrieval dates. CSV
How has published pay changed since the last BLS release?
These are separate BLS estimates, not a wage growth forecast. Survey coverage and area boundaries can change. The table places the published median for Occupational Therapy Assistants in United States from BLS OEWS May 2024 next to BLS OEWS May 2025. A top-coded value is a floor, not an exact median.
| Pay basis | BLS OEWS May 2024 | BLS OEWS May 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| annual | $68,340 | $72,300 |
| hourly | $32.86 | $34.76 |
Prior release: 2024-05, published 2025-04-02. Current release: 2025-05, published 2026-05-15. A top-coded value is a floor, not an exact median.
What does this pay include, and what does it leave out?
OEWS counts base rates, guaranteed pay, commissions and production bonuses. It describes employee wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Employer benefits and self-employed earnings are outside these wage estimates. Compare the regular pay for the duties you need covered.
A BLS occupation can include different settings, shifts and levels; it does not price your exact schedule.
Overtime, shift differentials and on-call pay are excluded. If this job has a call rota or extra shifts, spell out those payments rather than treating the BLS median as the whole package.
Meal and lodging payments and relocation allowances are excluded. A travel per diem for those costs is not part of this wage. Keep it separate from the pay comparison.
Non-production bonuses are excluded. A sign-on or retention payment that is not tied to production should be discussed separately. BLS does not publish an amount to add for that payment.
BLS pay definitions. These notes do not add an estimated bonus or premium.
How does clinical pay compare with management pay here?
These duties map to different BLS occupations. A manager's median is not a promised raise for a clinician. Read the mapping on each page. Each link below opens a related occupation with its own SOC code, published percentiles and source line. Compare the duties before comparing medians, because a title change can mean a different occupation.
Which metro areas publish pay for this occupation?
This table lists every metro area where BLS published a median for Occupational Therapy Assistants in BLS OEWS May 2025. Each row shows the median, the middle half of pay from the 25th to the 75th percentile, employment and the location quotient. Metros without a published median are left out rather than estimated.
| Metro area | Median | 25th to 75th | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $88,250 | $77,100 to $94,750 | 420 | 0.41 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $81,500 | $81,500 to $95,900 | 1,190 | 2.79 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $81,340 | $75,080 to $88,520 | 900 | 0.83 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $81,170 | $77,680 to $91,410 | 1,220 | 0.91 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $80,070 | $76,210 to $85,470 | 400 | 0.70 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $79,240 | $77,680 to $85,680 | 420 | 1.14 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $78,180 | $63,200 to $79,010 | 590 | 0.61 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $78,090 | $76,250 to $91,060 | 1,720 | 0.83 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $76,440 | $65,080 to $76,790 | 940 | 0.99 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $76,080 | $63,780 to $79,550 | 800 | 1.02 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $75,620 | $63,450 to $83,050 | 170 | 0.70 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $75,300 | $60,820 to $80,350 | 850 | 0.96 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $74,960 | $69,830 to $79,930 | 2,200 | 0.70 |
| Northern New Jersey market: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ. Shared metro, not New Jersey-only. | $74,960 | $69,830 to $79,930 | 2,200 | 0.70 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $72,820 | $63,850 to $75,650 | 550 | 1.15 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $72,780 | $64,650 to $77,220 | 450 | 1.00 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $72,630 | $62,780 to $75,440 | 350 | 0.75 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $71,310 | $62,090 to $76,800 | 1,090 | 1.17 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | $71,050 | $63,680 to $78,540 | 400 | 1.11 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $67,840 | $61,730 to $74,250 | 1,710 | 1.15 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $67,460 | $61,090 to $75,200 | 480 | 1.33 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $67,450 | $61,230 to $74,220 | 780 | 1.75 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $67,300 | $60,250 to $73,540 | 440 | 1.87 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $67,290 | $59,190 to $77,990 | 700 | 1.91 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $65,840 | $58,460 to $74,190 | 420 | 1.90 |
| Columbus, OH | $63,480 | $58,030 to $75,300 | 610 | 1.67 |
| Cleveland, OH | $62,700 | $59,370 to $73,980 | 720 | 2.11 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $60,900 | $59,180 to $76,780 | 470 | 0.75 |
How do you find pay for a state or nonmetro area?
Choose a state, metro or nonmetropolitan area below to open the published figures for Occupational Therapy Assistants. If BLS did not publish a median, the guide shows the state or national estimate with a clear fallback label. It does not create a salary page for that missing combination. Every area page names its source row.
Does this pay differ by healthcare industry?
National industry estimates for Occupational Therapy Assistants, SOC 31-2011. Industry names are the names published by BLS. These are not local industry wages. Each row uses the pay basis BLS published for that industry, from the 10th to the 90th percentile, with employment. Cells BLS did not publish stay blank rather than estimated.
| Industry / NAICS | Basis | P10 | P25 | Median | P75 | P90 | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offices of Physicians NAICS 621100 | annual | $38,020 | $47,830 | $61,150 | $78,330 | $84,230 | 800 |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners NAICS 621300 | annual | $52,180 | $61,490 | $70,820 | $77,500 | $84,100 | 20,640 |
| Outpatient Care Centers NAICS 621400 | annual | $47,780 | $58,220 | $63,660 | $80,590 | $91,650 | 470 |
| Home Health Care Services NAICS 621600 | annual | $58,530 | $66,200 | $77,310 | $89,530 | $99,860 | 3,560 |
| Hospitals NAICS 622000 | annual | $50,910 | $60,420 | $67,020 | $77,350 | $84,240 | 8,480 |
| Nursing and Residential Care Facilities NAICS 623000 | annual | $62,220 | $68,640 | $76,180 | $81,810 | $92,810 | 10,980 |
| Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) NAICS 623100 | annual | $62,600 | $70,020 | $76,780 | $82,370 | $93,440 | 9,690 |
| Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities NAICS 623200 | annual | $56,030 | $61,480 | $64,250 | $77,610 | $81,050 | 200 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly NAICS 623300 | annual | $55,990 | $65,930 | $74,080 | $79,930 | $87,850 | 970 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, BLS OEWS May 2025. National industry-specific estimates. A value marked “or more” is top-coded.
Where is published pay highest and lowest for this occupation?
Highest and lowest published numeric medians for Occupational Therapy Assistants, SOC 31-2011. Top-coded medians cannot be ranked exactly and are not placed in this list. The table shows up to ten metros at each end, with employment and location quotient. Location quotient describes employment concentration, not pay. A metro missing here may still publish a capped value.
| Metro | Median | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $97,860 | 290 | 0.36 |
| Modesto, CA | $96,210 | 30 | 0.47 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $95,370 | 160 | 0.42 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $95,190 | 40 | 0.40 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $95,180 | 170 | 0.48 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $88,250 | 420 | 0.41 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $86,440 | 40 | 0.62 |
| Spartanburg, SC | $86,040 | 80 | 1.42 |
| Boulder, CO | $84,860 | 50 | 0.72 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $84,400 | 60 | 0.63 |
| Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | $57,450 | 30 | 1.65 |
| Green Bay, WI | $57,280 | 70 | 1.15 |
| Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $56,180 | 40 | 0.66 |
| Johnstown, PA | $56,120 | 40 | 2.47 |
| Eau Claire, WI | $56,110 | 30 | 1.06 |
| Peoria, IL | $55,210 | 100 | 1.90 |
| Madison, WI | $54,870 | 180 | 1.31 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | $52,560 | 50 | 1.13 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $51,140 | 200 | 1.12 |
| Anchorage, AK | $49,050 | 50 | 0.87 |
How does this pay compare with all wages in each metro?
We divide this occupation's median by the all-occupations median for the same area and pay basis. This is simple arithmetic on BLS rows. It is not a cost-of-living adjustment or a percentile. Location quotient is shown separately. A ratio above one means this occupation's median is higher than the area's all-occupations median.
| Metro | Occupation median | All-occupations median | Median ratio | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | $73,720 | $35,830 | 2.06 times | 1.23 |
| Fort Smith, AR-OK | $80,660 | $39,560 | 2.04 times | 1.19 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $95,190 | $47,470 | 2.01 times | 0.40 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | $72,190 | $36,490 | 1.98 times | 1.51 |
| Modesto, CA | $96,210 | $50,610 | 1.90 times | 0.47 |
| Lubbock, TX | $79,690 | $42,130 | 1.89 times | 1.33 |
| El Paso, TX | $74,640 | $39,510 | 1.89 times | 1.14 |
| Jonesboro, AR | $78,660 | $42,240 | 1.86 times | 4.67 |
| Texarkana, TX-AR | $79,720 | $43,200 | 1.85 times | 1.92 |
| Spartanburg, SC | $86,040 | $47,650 | 1.81 times | 1.42 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, BLS OEWS May 2025. SOC 31-2011 Occupational Therapy Assistants, metropolitan areas listed above. Published 2026-05-15. BLS release tables (find this SOC and area). Release notes. Methodology and retrieval dates. CSV
What do we see when recruiting for this role?
Read the Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) brief alongside the occupation mapping. Required credentials, current duties and the work setting can differ within Occupational Therapy Assistants. A BLS wage is a description of surveyed workers, not an offer recommendation. Compare the actual responsibilities and the candidate's preferences before changing the brief.
Qualitative view from our search work. Not BLS data.
What is the median pay for Occupational Therapy Assistants?
$72,300 nationally (BLS OEWS May 2025). 50% of workers in this occupation earned less than this and 50% earned more. The median covers every setting BLS surveyed, so it is a midpoint of reported pay, not an offer benchmark for your vacancy. Read the mapping note and the percentile range before you set pay.
How much do the best-paid workers earn?
10% of workers in this occupation earned more than $89,780, and 10% earned less than $51,490.
Is this the pay for Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) exactly?
BLS publishes Occupational Therapy Assistants as its own occupation, so this is a direct match. The published occupation matches Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA). BLS wages are not a specific employer offer.
What is the hourly equivalent?
BLS publishes a median hourly wage of $34.76 and an annual median of $72,300. Annual wages generally use 2,080 hours. Published rounding means these two figures need not multiply exactly; we retain both source values.
Where is the median highest?
Among the metro areas listed on this page, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA has the highest published median at $97,860.
How many people work in this occupation?
BLS estimates 51,290 jobs nationally (BLS OEWS May 2025).