Occupational Therapy Assistant Salary
Rehabilitative services are an important part of the health care field. When a patient comes in with an impairment of any type, be it physical, developmental, emotional or mental, you wil help them to improve their quality of life while helping them to perform day to day activities.
A treatment plan will be developed and you will work to help the client learn techniques to make life easier. You will also be responsible for documenting all billing to health insurance companies. If you wish to obtain a career in this field and earn an occupational therapy assistant salary, you will find that there are many job opportunities to do so.
Occupational Therapy Assistant Salary
The median annual wage of an occupational therapist assistant was $48,230 as of May 2008. Those who worked in home health care services made the most with an average median annual wage of $53,090 while those who worked in elementary or secondary schools could expect an occupational therapy assistant salary of $41,850.
Occupational Therapy Assistant Training and Education
In order to obtain work as an occupational therapy assistant, you must first attend an accredited program. As of 2009, 135 programs were accredited by the Accreditation Council of Occupational Therapy Education. Completion of one of these programs allows you to sit for a certifying exam that is nationally recognized.
You will be required to study basic medical terminology, mental health and other courses to fulfill your educational requirements. In addition, 16 weeks of supervised fieldwork must be completed. This will be done in either a community or clinical setting.
Occupational Therapy Assistant License and Certification
Currently forty states require that you be licensed, registered or certified. The same requirements apply if you wish to work in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico or Guam. Your State licensing board can provide more information about what will need to be done.
In addition, some states require additional items before you may work in an early intervention program or a school. The State licensing board can provide information on this. Voluntary certification is also offered through the Certifying Occupational Therapy program. Continuing education will be required to maintain this certification.
Job Growth Outlook For Occupational Therapy Assistants
The job growth outlook for occupational therapy assistants is one of the brightest in the healthcare industry. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth is expected to hit around 31% for occupational therapy assistants which is much faster than the average in the US. These figures are projected for between 2008-2018.
Because of the increasing aging of the baby boomer generation, more occupational therapists will be needed. On top of that, in an effort to cut costs, more more assistants will be used in occupational therapy, delegating more responsibility to them. If there’s one thing you can count on moving forward is for operations of all kinds to try and cut costs, therefore most assistant jobs in the medical field are expected to incur great growth as jobs are delegated to lower level workers in order to save money.
There are many great online options for education, certification and training so be sure to do some further research. Good luck!
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