Occupational Therapy Assistants vs Occupational Therapy Aides AI Risk

Job 1

Job 2

Job 1

Job 2

medium risk

Occupational Therapy Assistants

64 shared · 7 different

core competencies

low risk

Occupational Therapy Aides

Side-by-Side Comparison

Occupational Therapy Aides leads 3–2

Metric	Occupational Therapy Assistants	Occupational Therapy Aides
Risk Score	26.7%	24.2%
Risk Tier	Medium Risk	Low Risk
Risk Percentile	24th	17th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)	3 / 15	5 / 15
Median Salary	$68,340	$37,370
Employment	48K	5K

Skill Comparison

Sorted by largest difference

Education and Training

Performing General Physical Activities

Psychology

Therapy and Counseling

Medicine and Dentistry

Public Safety and Security

Systems AnalysisAI-Augmented

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Occupational Therapy Assistants

34%

total discount

Occupational Therapy Aides

32%

total discount

Task Risk Comparison

Tasks sorted by AI automation risk — higher means more automatable

Occupational Therapy Assistants

3 of 15 at risk

86%Report to supervisors, verbally or in writing, on patients' progress, attitudes, and behavior.

84%Observe and record patients' progress, attitudes, and behavior and maintain this information in client records.

74%Attend continuing education classes.

47%Select therapy activities to fit patients' needs and capabilities.

45%Alter treatment programs to obtain better results if treatment is not having the intended effect.

Occupational Therapy Aides

5 of 15 at risk

84%Perform clerical, administrative, and secretarial duties, such as answering phones, restocking and ordering supplies, filling out paperwork, and scheduling appointments.

80%Report to supervisors or therapists, verbally or in writing, on patients' progress, attitudes, attendance, and accomplishments.

78%Assist educational specialists or clinical psychologists in administering situational or diagnostic tests to measure client's abilities or progress.

68%Observe patients' attendance, progress, attitudes, and accomplishments and record and maintain information in client records.

53%Prepare and maintain work area, materials, and equipment and maintain inventory of treatment and educational supplies.

Wage Comparison

Occupational Therapy Aides earns -$30,970(-45%) vs Occupational Therapy Assistants

Occupational Therapy AssistantsOccupational Therapy Aides

10th

$49,070$27,970

25th

$59,950$34,840

Median

$68,340$37,370

75th

$77,340$44,190

90th

$86,930$65,580

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Occupational Therapy Assistants2028–2035

Occupational Therapy Aides2028–2035

20242030203520402045

Occupational Therapy Aides has a longer runway before significant displacement, projected 0 years later than Occupational Therapy Assistants.

Risk-Adjusted Salary

Salary weighted by displacement risk: salary × (1 − risk%)

Occupational Therapy Assistants

$50,093

from $68,340

Occupational Therapy Aides

$28,338

from $37,370

After adjusting for AI risk, Occupational Therapy Assistants offers $21,756 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

Unique to Occupational

Combined Protection Strategy

Regardless of which path you choose, focus on these protective factors

Creativity

Regulatory Barriers

Fine Manipulation

Decision Complexity

Occupational Therapy AssistantsOccupational Therapy Aides

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