The median Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant salary is $36.00 per hour, or $74,880 per year, based on 3,390 job postings across 100 states. Compare pay by location, employer, shift, and contract type.
$36.00
Median hourly
$74,880
Annual salary
$30-$49
Pay range
100
States tracked
Salary guide
A typical Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant earns $36.00/hr, with most posted roles landing between $32.50 and $40.00/hr.
Recent posted pay is up, with the last 30 days showing +1.4% movement versus the prior period.
Location matters: San Rafael, CALIFORNIA is currently among the highest-paying cities, while Cañon City, COLORADO sits near the lower end.
30-day market pulse
Compare the most recent 30 days of job postings against the previous 30 days. Use this as a quick read on whether pay and hiring volume are moving together.
Posted pay
+1.4%
Current median: $36.50/hr
Prior period: $36.00/hr
Job openings
+34%
1,301 recent postings
Previous period: 971 postings
Daily pay signal
$39.75/hr latest
Year-over-year
Building
We are collecting enough historical Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant postings to show a reliable year-over-year pay comparison.
Pay is moving up even though posting volume changed. Recent listings are showing a median of $36.50/hr, up from $36.00/hr.
Pay range
The middle band is usually the most useful offer benchmark. The 10th and 90th percentiles show the broader market floor and ceiling.
Entry / low
$30.00
$62,400/yr
Median
$36.00
$74,880/yr
Top earners
$48.50
$100,880/yr
MARKET TRENDS
Month-over-month median hourly pay and posting volume.
| Month | Median Hourly | Postings |
|---|---|---|
Apr 2026Current | $36.50/hr | 1,257 |
Mar 2026 | $36.00/hr | 1,015 |
Feb 2026 | $35.50/hr | 361 |
Jan 2026 | $35.00/hr | 383 |
Dec 2025 | $35.50/hr | 289 |
Nov 2025 | $33.00/hr | 85 |
BY LOCATION
See how pay varies across the country. Ranked by job volume.
33 postings · 9 companies
$32.50
$30-$35
5 postings · 3 companies
$40.00
$40-$43
76 postings · 35 companies
$35.00
$33-$48
9 postings · 4 companies
$33.00
$33-$36
432 postings · 186 companies
$43.00
$39-$48
123 postings · 61 companies
$33.50
$32-$38
91 postings · 17 companies
$35.00
$32-$38
7 postings · 4 companies
$37.50
$35-$40
Estimated from national data
~$35.00
—
217 postings · 89 companies
$36.50
$33-$45
35 postings · 14 companies
$33.00
$31-$36
10 postings · 5 companies
$35.00
$34-$35
6 postings · 6 companies
$37.50
$32-$40
104 postings · 31 companies
$32.50
$29-$37
17 postings · 9 companies
$32.50
$30-$34
20 postings · 7 companies
$32.50
$31-$34
29 postings · 13 companies
$34.00
$33-$37
5 postings · 4 companies
$32.50
$32-$36
19 postings · 11 companies
$32.50
$31-$35
Estimated from national data
~$34.16
—
135 postings · 27 companies
$35.50
$36-$37
132 postings · 44 companies
$36.50
$34-$38
27 postings · 20 companies
$33.50
$30-$35
57 postings · 19 companies
$31.50
$31-$36
Estimated from national data
~$36.52
—
30 postings · 13 companies
$35.00
$31-$37
5 postings · 1 companies
$33.00
$33-$35
12 postings · 2 companies
$30.00
$30-$31
26 postings · 14 companies
$36.00
$34-$40
35 postings · 6 companies
$34.00
$32-$35
130 postings · 30 companies
$36.00
$35-$39
29 postings · 12 companies
$36.00
$31-$38
181 postings · 78 companies
$33.50
$31-$38
41 postings · 17 companies
$33.00
$31-$37
Estimated from national data
~$38.16
—
83 postings · 29 companies
$32.50
$30-$36
14 postings · 9 companies
$31.50
$31-$34
31 postings · 14 companies
$36.50
$36-$41
46 postings · 17 companies
$33.50
$31-$36
14 postings · 9 companies
$33.00
$33-$36
23 postings · 17 companies
$34.00
$32-$40
Estimated from national data
~$36.05
—
19 postings · 16 companies
$32.00
$31-$35
139 postings · 54 companies
$37.50
$35-$47
26 postings · 14 companies
$30.50
$30-$36
Estimated from national data
~$32.75
—
42 postings · 12 companies
$34.00
$32-$37
84 postings · 45 companies
$40.00
$37-$43
5 postings · 2 companies
$27.00
$27-$29
20 postings · 10 companies
$28.50
$29-$33
Estimated from national data
~$38.63
—
Est.Estimated values are based on national averages.
BY CITY
See which cities offer the highest and lowest Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant salaries.
San Rafael
California · 12 postings
$52.00/hr
Oakland
California · 10 postings
$47.50/hr
Fresno
California · 15 postings
$43.50/hr
Stockton
California · 17 postings
$42.50/hr
Los Angeles
California · 27 postings
$39.00/hr
Cañon City
Colorado · 19 postings
$30.50/hr
Orlando
Florida · 10 postings
$32.00/hr
Colorado Springs
Colorado · 20 postings
$32.00/hr
New York
New York · 13 postings
$32.50/hr
Glendale
Arizona · 10 postings
$32.50/hr
BY EMPLOYER
See which companies pay the most and least for Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant positions.
Tiny Steps Therapy, Llc
6 postings
$110.00/hr
Suru In Home Physical Therapy
7 postings
$67.50/hr
Personal-touch Home Care
7 postings
$65.00/hr
Snap Health
8 postings
$65.00/hr
Achieve Beyond Pediatric Therapy And Autism Services
10 postings
$65.00/hr
Cortex Health
12 postings
$26.50/hr
Renewal Rehab
54 postings
$28.50/hr
Fox Rehabilitation
10 postings
$28.50/hr
Presbyterian Healthcare Services
8 postings
$29.00/hr
Trilogy Health Services
5 postings
$29.50/hr
RELATED POSITIONS
| Job Title | Postings | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Occupational Therapy Assistant | 499 | $35.00/hr |
| Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant | 294 | $34.50/hr |
| Occupational Therapy Assistant (cota) | 199 | $34.00/hr |
| Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant (cota) | 198 | $36.50/hr |
| Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant | 178 | $37.50/hr |
| Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (cota) | 174 | $37.50/hr |
| Occupational Therapy Assistant - Ft | 54 | $28.50/hr |
| Cota | 43 | $36.00/hr |
| Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant Cota | 43 | $36.00/hr |
| Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant - Ft | 33 | $35.00/hr |
PAY FACTORS
How shift type, contract length, and employment type impact Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant salaries.
FAQ
The median Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant salary is $36.00 per hour, or $74,880 annually. Pay ranges from $30.00/hr (10th percentile) to $48.50/hr (90th percentile) depending on location, experience, and employer.
Based on 3,390 job postings, the highest paying states for Certified Occupational Therapist Assistants include California, Alaska, Washington. Pay rates vary based on cost of living, demand, and state regulations.
There are currently 3,390 Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant job postings across 100 states, from 925 different healthcare employers.
Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant pay varies based on geographic location, years of experience, certifications, shift differentials (nights/weekends), employment type (travel vs. staff), facility type, and specialized skills. Travel contracts typically pay higher hourly rates.
Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant pay is currently trending upward. Over the past 30 days, median hourly rates increased 1.4%.
Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant pay varies by specialty and setting. Travel positions typically pay $4.00 to $12.50 more per hour than staff positions. Night shifts and weekend differentials also increase earnings.
Pay varies significantly by location. Top paying cities like San Rafael offer $52.00/hr, while lower cost areas may pay around $30.50/hr. However, rural areas often offer signing bonuses and housing stipends to attract talent.
Entry-level Certified Occupational Therapist Assistants typically earn around $30.00 to $32.50 per hour ($62,400 to $67,600 annually). With experience, pay increases toward the median of $36.00/hr.
DATA METHOD
Source
Based on 3,390 active postings with listed compensation for Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant. We prioritize postings with explicit hourly or annual pay and exclude rows without usable compensation signals from salary percentiles.
Range
Percentiles show the spread of posted pay, not a guaranteed offer or take-home pay after taxes. State and city views use available market observations and label estimated values when direct samples are limited.
Freshness
Current dataset window: 2025-11-01 to 2026-04-30. Recent trend cards compare the latest posting window with the prior period so short-term pay movement is separated from the full historical median.
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