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Occupation AtlasOccupational Therapy Assistants

O*NET · 31-2011.00

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.

Also called Acute Care Occupational Therapy Assistant (Acute Care OT Assistant) · Acute Care OT Assistant · Certified Occupational Assistant · Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant (COTA) · Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) · Certified Travel OTA · Certified Travel OTA (Certified Travel Occupational Therapist Assistant) · COTA
26 more

Home Health COTA · Home Health COTA (Home Health Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant) · Independent Living Specialist · Licensed Occupational Therapist Assistant (LOTA) · Licensed Occupational Therapy Assistant (LOTA) · LOTA · Nursing Facility COTA · Nursing Facility COTA (Nursing Facility Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant) · Occupational Therapist Assistant (OTA) · Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) · Occupational Therapy Technician · OTA · Registered Therapist Assistant · Rehab Therapy Tech · Rehabilitation Assistant · Rehabilitation COTA · Rehabilitation COTA (Rehabilitation Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant) · Rehabilitation Therapy Technician (Rehab Therapy Tech) · School Based Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (School Based COTA) · School Based COTA · School COTA · School COTA (School Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant) · SNF COTA · SNF COTA (Skilled Nursing Facility Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant) · Travel COTA · Travel COTA (Travel Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant)

Job Zone 3 — Medium Preparation NeededHolland code SCR35 skills on file

Compare with another occupationCompare with Medical Assistants

Job Zone

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5

Zone 3: Medium Preparation Needed

Medium preparation. Vocational training, related on-the-job experience, or an associate degree, with one to two years of training that combines experience and informal instruction.

Job Zone is O*NET's rating of how much education, experience and training an occupation typically needs — a property of the work, not of anyone doing it.

Occupational interest profile

SCRSocial · Conventional · Realistic — the three strongest interests, in order

  • S Social6.10
  • C Conventional4.21
  • R Realistic3.53
  • I Investigative3.48
  • A Artistic2.06
  • E Enterprising1.14

RIASEC (Holland) interests on O*NET's 0–7 scale: what the work draws on, not what any individual prefers. Hover a row for what each dimension means.

Education and experience

The education level respondents say the job requires, and the most common answer for experience and training.

  • Some College Courses5%
  • Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree92%
  • Bachelor's Degree3%
Related work experience
Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year (39%)
On-site or in-plant training
Up to and including 1 month (40%)
On-the-job training
Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month (40%)

Typically associated skills

All 35 O*NET skills, most important first. Importance (1–5) says how much a skill matters here; level (0–7) says how much of it the work calls for, with O*NET's example of a nearby level. Neither is a proficiency rating of a person.

  • Active Listeningbasic3.93.9Level 4 looks like: Answer inquiries regarding credit references
  • Social Perceptiveness3.93.9Level 4 looks like: Be aware of how a coworker's promotion will affect a work group
  • Speakingbasic3.93.5Level 4 looks like: Interview applicants to obtain personal and work history
  • Service Orientation3.93.3Level 4 looks like: Make flight reservations for customers using an online booking site
  • Reading Comprehensionbasic3.63.9Level 4 looks like: Understand an email from management describing new personnel policies
  • Time Management3.52.9Level 2 looks like: Keep a monthly calendar of appointments
  • Critical Thinkingbasic3.43.4Level 4 looks like: Evaluate customer complaints and determine appropriate responses
  • Monitoringbasic3.43.1Level 4 looks like: Monitor a meeting and revise the agenda to ensure important topics are discussed
  • Writingbasic3.33.4Level 4 looks like: Write an email to staff outlining new directives
  • Active Learningbasic3.33.3Level 4 looks like: Determine the impact of new menu changes on a restaurant's purchasing requirements
  • Instructing3.33.3Level 4 looks like: Instruct a coworker in how to operate a software program
  • Learning Strategiesbasic3.33.3Level 4 looks like: Identify an alternative approach to help trainees who are having difficulties
Show the other 23

Tasks

21 core · 1 supplemental

What people in this occupation do, as O*NET records it, core tasks first by importance (1–5).

  1. Maintain and promote a positive attitude toward clients and their treatment programs.4.8
  2. Monitor patients' performance in therapy activities, providing encouragement.4.8
  3. Instruct, or assist in instructing, patients and families in home programs, basic living skills, or the care and use of adaptive equipment.4.8
  4. Implement, or assist occupational therapists with implementing, treatment plans designed to help clients function independently.4.8
  5. Report to supervisors, verbally or in writing, on patients' progress, attitudes, and behavior.4.8
  6. Observe and record patients' progress, attitudes, and behavior and maintain this information in client records.4.7
  7. Select therapy activities to fit patients' needs and capabilities.4.7
  8. Aid patients in dressing and grooming themselves.4.7
  9. Attend continuing education classes.4.7
  10. Evaluate the daily living skills or capacities of clients with physical, developmental, or mental health disabilities.4.6
  11. Work under the direction of occupational therapists to plan, implement, or administer educational, vocational, or recreational programs that restore or enhance performance in individuals with functional impairments.4.6
  12. Communicate and collaborate with other healthcare professionals involved with the care of a patient.4.6
Show the other 10
  1. Alter treatment programs to obtain better results if treatment is not having the intended effect.4.5
  2. Assemble, clean, or maintain equipment or materials for patient use.4.5
  3. Design, fabricate, or repair assistive devices or make adaptive changes to equipment or environments.4.4
  4. Transport patients to and from the occupational therapy work area.4.4
  5. Attend care plan meetings to review patient progress and update care plans.4.3
  6. Teach patients how to deal constructively with their emotions.4.2
  7. Demonstrate therapy techniques, such as manual or creative arts or games.4.2
  8. Order any needed educational or treatment supplies.4.0
  9. Perform clerical duties, such as scheduling appointments, collecting data, or documenting health insurance billings.3.8
  10. Assist educational specialists or clinical psychologists in administering situational or diagnostic tests to measure client's abilities or progress.3.7

Knowledge

Bodies of knowledge the work draws on.

  • Customer and Personal Service4.75.6
  • Psychology4.35.4Level 4 looks like: Understand the impact of alcohol on human responses
  • Education and Training3.94.5Level 4 looks like: Lead a quality improvement seminar
  • English Language3.73.5Level 4 looks like: Edit an article for a news website
  • Therapy and Counseling3.74.6Level 4 looks like: Provide job counseling to the unemployed
  • Public Safety and Security3.42.7
  • Administrative3.13.6Level 4 looks like: Type 30 words per minute
  • Sociology and Anthropology3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Write an article about cultural differences
Show all 33
  • Computers and Electronics3.03.3Level 4 looks like: Use a computer to format a document
  • Medicine and Dentistry3.02.6
  • Administration and Management2.92.1Level 1 looks like: Approve a reimbursement request
  • Law and Government2.71.7Level 1 looks like: Describe the length of a U.S. presidential term
  • Personnel and Human Resources2.51.9Level 1 looks like: Fill out a medical claim form
  • Philosophy and Theology2.52.4Level 1 looks like: Watch a TV show on family values
  • Biology2.42.1Level 1 looks like: Feed domestic animals
  • Engineering and Technology2.31.8Level 1 looks like: Install a door lock
  • Foreign Language2.31.7Level 1 looks like: Say "please" and "thank you" in a foreign language
  • Mathematics2.21.6Level 1 looks like: Add two numbers
  • Communications and Media2.11.9Level 1 looks like: Write a thank you note
  • Mechanical2.01.7Level 1 looks like: Replace the filters in a furnace
  • Telecommunications1.91.0Level 1 looks like: Send an email
  • Transportation1.91.0Level 1 looks like: Ride a train to work
  • Physics1.71.1Level 1 looks like: Use a crowbar to pry open a box
  • Chemistry1.60.9Level 1 looks like: Use a common household bug spray
  • Economics and Accounting1.60.8Level 1 looks like: Answer billing questions from credit card customers
  • Geography1.61.0Level 1 looks like: Know the capital of the United States
  • Building and Construction1.50.7Level 1 looks like: Choose the proper type of wood for adding a deck onto a house
  • Design1.51.1Level 1 looks like: Draw a straight line 4 3/16 inches long
  • Sales and Marketing1.50.9Level 1 looks like: Sell cakes at a bake sale
  • Production and Processing1.4—
  • Fine Arts1.3—
  • Food Production1.3—
  • History and Archeology1.3—

Abilities

Enduring capacities the work calls for.

  • Oral Comprehension4.04.1Level 4 looks like: Understand a coach's oral instructions for a sport
  • Oral Expression4.04.1Level 4 looks like: Give instructions to a lost motorist
  • Problem Sensitivity3.84.0Level 4 looks like: Notice from a subtle difference in a client's mood that something is bothering them
  • Written Expression3.83.8Level 4 looks like: Write a job recommendation for a subordinate
  • Written Comprehension3.63.9Level 4 looks like: Understand an apartment lease
  • Near Vision3.53.3Level 2 looks like: Read indicators on the dashboard of a car
  • Deductive Reasoning3.43.6
  • Information Ordering3.43.3Level 2 looks like: Follow the correct steps to make change
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  • Speech Clarity3.43.0Level 4 looks like: Make stadium-wide announcements during a sporting event
  • Inductive Reasoning3.33.1Level 4 looks like: Determine the prime suspect based on crime scene evidence
  • Speech Recognition3.33.1Level 4 looks like: Identify a former customer's voice over the phone
  • Fluency of Ideas3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Think of as many ideas as possible for the name of a new company
  • Static Strength3.13.0Level 4 looks like: Pull a 40-pound sack of fertilizer across the lawn
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness3.02.9Level 2 looks like: Light a candle
  • Category Flexibility3.03.1Level 3 looks like: Classify flowers according to size, color, and smell
  • Finger Dexterity3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Put coins in a parking meter
  • Manual Dexterity3.02.8
  • Selective Attention3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Answer a business call with coworkers talking nearby
  • Trunk Strength3.02.6Level 2 looks like: Sit up in an office chair
  • Originality2.93.1Level 4 looks like: Redesign job tasks to be interesting for employees
  • Time Sharing2.92.8Level 3 looks like: Watch street signs while driving at 30 miles an hour
  • Extent Flexibility2.82.6Level 2 looks like: Reach to adjust the radio in a car
  • Far Vision2.82.9Level 2 looks like: Read a roadside billboard
  • Multilimb Coordination2.82.6Level 2 looks like: Row a boat
  • Perceptual Speed2.82.9Level 2 looks like: Sort mail according to ZIP codes with no time pressure
  • Visualization2.62.6Level 2 looks like: Imagine how to place paper in a printer so that the letterhead comes out on top
  • Flexibility of Closure2.52.6Level 2 looks like: Detect that your phone is ringing while at a concert
  • Gross Body Coordination2.42.0Level 2 looks like: Get in and out of a truck
  • Memorization2.42.5Level 1 looks like: Remember the number on your bus to be sure you get back on the right one
  • Auditory Attention2.32.1Level 2 looks like: Listen to a lecture while people nearby are talking
  • Control Precision2.32.5Level 2 looks like: Adjust a room light with a dimmer switch
  • Dynamic Strength2.32.1Level 2 looks like: Use pruning shears to trim a bush
  • Speed of Closure2.32.1Level 3 looks like: Recognize a song after hearing only the first few notes
  • Stamina2.32.3Level 1 looks like: Walk 1/4 mile
  • Response Orientation2.11.5Level 2 looks like: When a doorbell and phone ring at the same time, quickly select which to answer first
  • Wrist-Finger Speed2.11.4Level 2 looks like: Use a screwdriver to twist in a screw
  • Depth Perception2.01.8Level 2 looks like: Merge a car into traffic on a city street
  • Gross Body Equilibrium2.02.0Level 2 looks like: Stand on a ladder
  • Mathematical Reasoning2.02.0Level 1 looks like: Determine how much 20 oranges will cost when they are priced at 5 for 4 dollars
  • Number Facility2.02.1Level 3 looks like: Calculate a discounted price
  • Reaction Time2.01.5Level 2 looks like: Start to slow down the car when a traffic light turns yellow
  • Speed of Limb Movement2.01.1Level 2 looks like: Saw through a thin piece of wood
  • Visual Color Discrimination2.01.8Level 1 looks like: Separate laundry into colors and whites
  • Hearing Sensitivity1.91.8Level 2 looks like: Notice a doorbell ringing
  • Rate Control1.90.9Level 1 looks like: Ride a bicycle alongside a jogger
  • Explosive Strength1.50.8
  • Spatial Orientation1.50.6
  • Sound Localization1.1—
  • Dynamic Flexibility1.0—
  • Glare Sensitivity1.0—
  • Night Vision1.0—
  • Peripheral Vision1.0—

Work activities

Kinds of activity the work is made of.

  • Assisting and Caring for Others4.85.4Level 4 looks like: Help a medical patient find in-home assistance or healthcare
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.84.7Level 4 looks like: Report the results of a sales meeting to a supervisor
  • Documenting/Recording Information4.84.2Level 4 looks like: Document the results of a crime scene investigation
  • Thinking Creatively4.64.5Level 4 looks like: Adapt popular music for a high school marching band
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships4.55.1Level 4 looks like: Maintain good working relationships with almost all coworkers and clients
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge4.45.1Level 4 looks like: Keep current on changes in maintenance procedures for repairing sports cars
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.23.8Level 4 looks like: Select the location for a major retail store
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings4.25.1Level 4 looks like: Test electrical circuits
Show all 41
  • Performing General Physical Activities4.24.1Level 4 looks like: Paint the outside of a house
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events4.13.9Level 4 looks like: Judge the suitability of food products for an event
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others4.13.5Level 4 looks like: Interpret how foreign tax laws apply to U.S. exports
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work4.14.8Level 4 looks like: Plan and adjust a personal to-do list according to changing demands
  • Getting Information4.04.1Level 4 looks like: Review a budget
  • Working with Computers4.03.6Level 4 looks like: Write software for keeping track of parts in inventory
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards3.93.4Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a complicated insurance claim for compliance with policy terms
  • Handling and Moving Objects3.95.0Level 4 looks like: Arrange books in a library
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies3.83.5Level 4 looks like: Develop the plan to complete the merger of two organizations over a 3-year period
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public3.83.9Level 4 looks like: Sell shoes in a crowded shoe store
  • Scheduling Work and Activities3.63.5Level 4 looks like: Prepare the work schedule for salesclerks in a large retail store
  • Training and Teaching Others3.63.8Level 4 looks like: Teach a social sciences course to high school students
  • Communicating with People Outside the Organization3.53.4Level 4 looks like: Present information to potential clients about available services
  • Developing and Building Teams3.53.0Level 4 looks like: Lead an assembly team in an automobile plant
  • Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others3.53.5Level 4 looks like: Get two subordinates to agree about vacation schedules
  • Coaching and Developing Others3.43.4Level 4 looks like: Provide on-the-job training for administrative workers
  • Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others3.43.3Level 4 looks like: Organize the cleanup crew after a major sporting event
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials3.42.6
  • Processing Information3.43.5Level 4 looks like: Calculate the adjustments for insurance claims
  • Providing Consultation and Advice to Others3.23.4Level 4 looks like: Recommend a new software package to increase operational efficiency
  • Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates3.12.6
  • Analyzing Data or Information3.02.6
  • Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People3.02.9
  • Controlling Machines and Processes2.42.3Level 1 looks like: Operate a cash register
  • Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information2.42.5Level 1 looks like: Estimate the size of household furniture to be shipped
  • Monitoring and Controlling Resources2.32.3Level 1 looks like: Work as a server responsible for keeping track of utensils
  • Performing Administrative Activities2.22.0Level 1 looks like: Complete routine paperwork
  • Selling or Influencing Others2.11.8Level 1 looks like: Convince a coworker to assist with an assignment
  • Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment1.80.9Level 1 looks like: Specify the lighting for a work area
  • Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment1.81.6Level 1 looks like: Make simple, external adjustments to a door hinge with ordinary hand tools
  • Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment1.71.1Level 1 looks like: Use display settings to adjust a television picture
  • Staffing Organizational Units1.70.8Level 1 looks like: Work in a position that has minimal staffing requirements
  • Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment1.50.6Level 1 looks like: Drive a car

Work context

The conditions most characteristic of the work, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale.

  • Contact With Others4.9
  • Exposed to Disease or Infections4.9
  • Physical Proximity4.8
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.7
  • Frequency of Decision Making4.7
  • Time Pressure4.7
  • Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals4.6
  • Freedom to Make Decisions4.6
  • Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.6
  • Health and Safety of Other Workers4.5

Technology

33 tools

Software used in this work. In demand: among the tools job postings for this occupation name most. Hot: often named in job postings across the economy.

Hot (9)

  • eClinicalWorks EHR software
  • Facebook
  • Microsoft Access
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Windows
  • Microsoft Word
Other tools (24)
  • Billing software
  • Bookkeeping software
  • BrainTrain Captain's Log
  • BrainTrain IVA+Plus
  • BrainTrain SmartDriver
  • Client caseload management software
  • Database software
  • dBASE
  • Email software
  • Fifth Walk BillingTracker
  • FileMaker Pro
  • Financial record software
  • Graphics software
  • Laboratory information system LIS
  • Language arts educational software
  • Math educational software
  • Patient documentation software
  • Scheduling software
  • Screen reader software
  • SpectraSoft DocuPRO
  • Text scanning software
  • TheraClin Systems iMAPR
  • Visual Health Information VHI PC-Kits
  • Web browser software

Related occupations

O*NET's own list of the occupations most related to this one, closest first.

  1. Occupational Therapy Aides
  2. Physical Therapist Assistants
  3. Physical Therapist Aides
  4. Psychiatric Technicians
  5. Respiratory Therapists
  6. Acute Care Nurses
  7. Radiation Therapists
  8. Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
  9. Medical Assistants
  10. Massage Therapists

ESCO equivalents

From the official ESCO–O*NET crosswalk, strongest match first. A broader occupation takes in this one; a narrower one is a part of it.

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. ESCO occupations and skills are from the European Commission's ESCO classification, and the occupation crosswalk is the official ESCO–O*NET mapping by the ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA. This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission. BlissPoint Analytics has modified all or some of this information: skill, task and descriptor ratings are rounded to one decimal, and ESCO occupations show Job Zone and interests copied from a crosswalked O*NET occupation. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.