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Occupational therapy assistant salary in New York

Updated November 2, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Published by Humblebee.

$68,530median pay per year in New York, or $32.95 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $49,050lowest 10% earn less
  2. $57,25025th percentile
  3. $68,530median
  4. $77,73075th percentile
  5. $83,200top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[2]US median for this job, $72,300[3]

Occupational therapy assistants in New York had a median pay of $68,530 a year in May 2025[1]. That was $3,770 below the US median[6].

Jobs in NY
2,230[4]
Rank by median pay
23 of 50[5]
Compared with US median
−5.2%[6]

How much do occupational therapy assistants make in New York?

The median pay for occupational therapy assistants in New York was $68,530 a year, or $32.95 an hour[1]. Half of these workers earned more and half earned less. The US median was $72,300[3], so New York is $3,770 lower[6]. New York had the 23rd highest median among the 49 states and DC with a published figure[5]. Compared with all jobs in the state, the median here was $8,860 higher than the $59,670 all-jobs median[7][8].

The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $49,050 a year, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $83,200[2]. The middle half fell between $57,250 and $77,730[2]. The average wage was $67,620 a year[9].

Among the metro areas in or partly in New York, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ had the highest median at $74,960[10]. Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh came in at $71,640 and Buffalo-Cheektowaga at $51,140[11]. OEWS counts wage and salary workers only. It leaves out the self-employed and business owners, plus bonuses and the cost of benefits such as health insurance[12].

New York vs US pay

Pay for occupational therapy assistants in New York next to the national figures[1][3].

NYUS
Median per year$68,530[1]$72,300[3]
Median per hour$32.95[1]$34.76[3]
Lowest 10% earn less than$49,050[2]$51,490[13]
Top 10% earn more than$83,200[2]$89,780[13]
Jobs2,230[4]51,290[3]

Pay by metro area in New York

Metro areas in New York with the most jobs for occupational therapy assistants, and the median pay in each[11]. A metro area that crosses state lines is counted as a whole.

Metro areaMedian per yearJobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ[11]$74,9602,200
Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY$51,140200
Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY$71,640110
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY$62,20090
Rochester, NY$62,33090
Syracuse, NY$60,32060
Utica-Rome, NY$64,88040

Pay in nearby states

Median pay for occupational therapy assistants in the states that border New York, highest first[14].

StateMedian per yearJobs
Massachusetts[14]$75,0401,410
New Jersey$74,9601,080
Connecticut$72,780820
Pennsylvania$71,5902,560

Median pay for occupational therapy assistants in every state

Job outlook and training

Across the US, jobs for occupational therapy assistants are projected to grow 21.5% from 2025 to 2035[15]. BLS does not publish this projection by state. The typical education for entry is: associate's degree[16].

How to become one: steps, training and duties

Frequently asked questions

How much does an occupational therapy assistant make in New York?
The median pay was $68,530 a year in May 2025[1]. The average was $67,620[9].
How much does an occupational therapy assistant make an hour in New York?
The median was $32.95 an hour[1]. The 10th percentile was $23.58 an hour and the 90th percentile was $40.00[17].
Which city in New York pays occupational therapy assistants the most?
Of the 7 metro areas in or partly in New York with a published median, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ had the highest, at $74,960 a year[10].
Is New York a good state for occupational therapy assistants?
New York had the 23rd highest median pay for this job out of 49 states and DC with a published figure[5]. Its median was $3,770 below the US median[6].
What do you need to become an occupational therapy assistant in New York?
This is a US figure, not a New York one. Across the US, the typical entry education is an associate's degree, with no related work experience and no on-the-job training[16].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Occupational Therapy Assistants in New York was $68,530 per year and $32.95 per hour. Half of these workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Occupational Therapy Assistants in New York: 10th percentile $49,050, 25th percentile $57,250, 75th percentile $77,730, 90th percentile $83,200. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less, the 90th means 10% earned more. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Occupational Therapy Assistants in the US as a whole was $72,300 per year and $34.76 per hour, with about 51,290 jobs nationwide. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 2,230 people worked as Occupational Therapy Assistants in New York (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS OEWS, May 2025: New York had the 23rd highest median annual wage for Occupational Therapy Assistants out of the 49 states and DC with a published median. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  6. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Occupational Therapy Assistants in New York ($68,530) was $3,770 (5.2%) lower than the US median ($72,300). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  7. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Occupational Therapy Assistants in New York was $8,860 higher than the median for all occupations in the state ($59,670). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in New York was $59,670. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Occupational Therapy Assistants in New York was $67,620 per year and $32.51 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS, May 2025: of the 7 metro areas in or partly in New York with a published median for Occupational Therapy Assistants, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ had the highest median annual wage, $74,960. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. Metro areas with the most jobs in this occupation, with median annual wage, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Occupational Therapy Assistants in the US: 10th percentile $51,490, 25th percentile $61,710, 75th percentile $79,160, 90th percentile $89,780. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, median annual wage for Occupational Therapy Assistants in states that border New York (highest first): Massachusetts $75,040; New Jersey $74,960; Connecticut $72,780; Pennsylvania $71,590. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS Employment Projections (US, not by state): employment of Occupational Therapy Assistants is projected to grow 21.5% nationwide from 2025 to 2035, with about 8,100 openings a year on average. All occupations are projected to grow 3.5%. BLS Employment Projections
  16. BLS Employment Projections (US, not by state), typical path into Occupational Therapy Assistants: education needed for entry: Associate's degree; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: None. BLS Employment Projections
  17. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Occupational Therapy Assistants in New York: 10th percentile $23.58, 25th percentile $27.52, 75th percentile $37.37, 90th percentile $40.00. BLS OEWS, May 2025

State figures cover only New York. Job outlook and entry requirements are national (US) figures: BLS does not publish them by state in our sources. Figures labelled “CareerFacts calculation” are simple differences between the BLS numbers shown.