The Pros and Cons of an Occupational Therapy Assistant Career

The occupational therapy (OT) field is ideal for someone who wants to help others and to have career growth opportunities. It is not without its challenges, however. By weighing the pros and cons of becoming an occupational therapy assistant (OTA), you can feel confident in your career path.

At St. Catherine University, our Online Occupational Therapy Assistant program allows dedicated students to earn their Associate of Applied Sciences degree (AAS) in as few as 16 months. Through a combination of online coursework, skills labs, and fieldwork, students graduate with the knowledge and experience to achieve licensure and hit the ground running in their OTA career.

As you decide whether becoming an OTA is the right choice, make a list of what you want and don’t want from your future career and compare them to our list of OTA pros and cons. First, let’s shed some light on what an occupational therapy assistant does.

What Does an Occupational Therapy Assistant Do?

Occupational therapy assistants play a vital role in the occupational therapy field. In their role, OTAs collaborate with an occupational therapist or an OT team to treat clients with mental or physical disabilities, injuries, or chronic illnesses that impair their activities of daily living (ADLs). These responsibilities can include:

• Guiding clients through everyday tasks with the assistance of therapeutic techniques and devices
• Helping the supervising OT develop tailored treatment plans
• Evaluating and documenting clients’ progress
• Communicating with the OT to make needed adjustments to treatment goals

OTAs also act as the primary educators for clients or their caregivers, answering questions regarding treatment goals, providing instructions for continuing exercises at home, and safety precautions to limit progress setbacks.

As an OTA, your ultimate role is to help each client live the most independent and fulfilling life possible.

Is Occupational Therapy Assistant a Good Career?

When researching potential careers, there’s one indicator of a good career: what the job market looks like. Fortunately, the future is bright for anyone considering a career as an OTA.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that the overall employment of OTAs will increase by 18% from 2024 to 2034. That’s significant when you consider that the national average is only 3% over that same period. Of course, demand varies by state.

While the true reward of being an OTA is knowing you are making a difference, you’ll be happy to know that OTAs regularly appear on the U.S. News and World Report’s list of highest-paying associate degree jobs. According to the BLS, the median annual wage for OTAs is $68,340, though it varies considerably by location.

Pros of Becoming an OTA

Having the security of a role in a growing industry and a decent salary is an excellent incentive, but it’s essential that a career offers more substantial pros to outweigh any cons. Take the time to seriously consider if these pros of becoming an OTA check the boxes of your ideal career.

You Will Make a Difference in People’s Lives

As an OTA, you will make a difference in people’s lives every single day. You will help them to live better, maintain or regain independence, learn new skills, improve mobility, and adapt to or overcome disabilities, among other things.

You Can Work with People of All Ages and in a Variety of Settings

OTAs work within six practice areas:

1. Children and Youth
2. Productive Aging
3. Health and Wellness
4. Mental Health
5. Rehabilitation and Disability
6. Work and Industry

These areas encompass the full spectrum of human life, allowing OTAs to find employment in a variety of settings. As the use of occupational therapy becomes increasingly widespread, OTAs will find themselves working in an ever-greater variety of places.

You Don’t Have to Move to Become an OTA

With St. Kate’s Online OTA program, you can study to become an OTA without needing to relocate, as long as you are willing to travel to one of our learning centers in California, Texas, Minnesota, or Virginia. Our innovative, hybrid online curriculum means that you can complete most of your education on your schedule, where it’s convenient for you, while still getting the hands-on training and experience you need.

It’s Possible to Have a Flexible Schedule

OTAs, like many healthcare support roles, have numerous scheduling options. A quick search of OTA jobs reveals a wide variety of full-time and part-time opportunities. Some jobs, like those in nursing homes and hospitals, may offer fixed schedules, while others vary based on the setting, and needs and the schedules of their clients. Nor are OTA jobs confined to Monday through Friday. Some OTAs work weekends and may even prefer it.

It’s a Steppingstone to Becoming an Occupational Therapist

Becoming an OTA is a great way to experience the field of occupational therapy without needing to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree. For those who plan to return to school later to become an occupational therapist, several OTA-to-OT bridge programs are available to OTAs with experience in the field.

OTAs Get to Work Closely with Occupational Therapists and Other Disciplines

As an OTA, you’ll work closely with not only occupational therapists, allowing you to continue learning after you graduate, but you’ll also cooperate with other healthcare practitioners at work. Depending on the client’s needs and situation, you could work with any number of medical disciplines. For example, you might coordinate care with a physical therapist, physical therapy assistant, speech pathologist, registered nurse, or doctor, among others.

Cons of an OTA Career

No career is without challenges, but it is important to understand what you must overcome before committing to that path. Consider these cons of an occupational therapy career to decide whether OTA is the right role for you.

It’s a Lesser-Known Field

Many people are unfamiliar with occupational therapy, but that’s part of what makes it such a great field to get into right now. The demand for occupational therapy services has never been greater; yet, since occupational therapy is not as well-known as nursing or physical therapy, many people don’t recognize the potential the field holds. This means big opportunities for people who enter the field. Just prepare to give that elevator speech on “What does an occupational therapy assistant do?”

OTA Practice Regulations and Demand Vary by Location

While demand for occupational therapy assistants is growing, particularly in home care settings, demand varies by region. If you have no intentions of moving after school, you’ll want to research opportunities in your area. You might even reach out to local OTs and OTAs to get a feel for what’s available near you.

Also worth considering are the insurance and state practice acts governing what and how much OTAs can do in your state, and how much training is required. For example, each state has different continuing education requirements. While the American Occupational Therapy Association is a great resource, your admissions counselor can also help you.

You May Still Need to Travel for Labs and Fieldwork

Thanks to St. Kate’s unique blend of 80% online and 20% in-person curriculum, much of your OTA education will take place on your time at your home, local library, or favorite coffee shop. However, hands-on learning is also a critical element of your OTA training. If you do not live near one of our learning sites in California, Texas, Minnesota, or Virginia, you’ll need to travel to the once-monthly skills labs and Level I Fieldwork. The hands-on portion of our Online OTA program consists of:

• Skills labs held about once a month on Sundays
• Two, three-day Level I Fieldwork sessions
• Two, eight-week Level II Fieldwork sessions

Additionally, while your fieldwork coordinator will work diligently to find you Level II Fieldwork opportunities near where you live, if nothing can be found in your immediate area, you may be required to commute or even relocate temporarily to complete the required 640 hours of supervised practice. As part of your Level II Fieldwork, you will spend eight weeks in a physical disabilities setting and another eight weeks in an emerging practice setting. This ensures you graduate with a wealth of experience in real-life practice settings.

It Could Take Longer than 16 Months to Earn Your Degree

Our Online OTA program makes it possible to earn your Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in OTA in as few as 16 months. As long as you meet the OTA program requirements, our program is open to students of all educational backgrounds. Please note that the less college experience you have, the longer it will take to complete our program curriculum.

You Still Have to Get Licensed After Graduation

As with many healthcare careers, you can’t begin practicing as an OTA upon graduating. Regardless of your chosen OTA program, you must pass the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) and register with your state’s occupational therapy regulatory body to be licensed as a Certified OTA (COTA). Fortunately, students of St. Kate’s Online Occupational Therapy Assistant program have an advantage. After completing their Level II Fieldwork, St. Kate’s Online OTA students participate in an intensive NBCOT Prep Coaching Program featuring one-on-one coaching sessions and general group study sessions with a licensed practitioner. Our goal is to have 85% of participants pass the NBCOT exam within six months of graduation.

OTAs Are Not in Charge

Depending on your personality and professional aspirations, this could be a pro or a con. Occupational therapy assistants work under the guidance of an occupational therapist, who conducts the client evaluation and assessment, then develops treatment goals and a comprehensive plan for achieving them. Apart from small practices, where the OT may do it all, the OTA then steps in to carry out the plan, keeping the occupational therapist informed of the client’s progress, and coordinating with them throughout the process. This gives OTAs a significant margin of freedom in how they approach and accomplish these goals.

Start Your OTA Journey at St. Kate’s

While understanding the pros and cons of a role is important, ultimately, only you can decide what you want out of a career. If you’re ready to embark on your OTA school journey, St. Kate’s admissions team can help you create an enrollment plan to meet the admissions requirements that aligns with your preferred start date in either January, May, or August. Keep in mind that our university reviews applications on a rolling basis, so applying early is the best way to secure a spot in your ideal program.

Contact one of our dedicated admissions counselors to learn more about the next steps towards an OTA career.