Recreational Therapists vs Occupational Therapy Assistants AI Risk

Job 1

Job 2

Job 1

Job 2

low risk

Recreational Therapists

57 shared · 22 different

core competencies

medium risk

Occupational Therapy Assistants

Side-by-Side Comparison

Recreational Therapists leads 4–1

Metric	Recreational Therapists	Occupational Therapy Assistants
Risk Score	22.7%	26.7%
Risk Tier	Low Risk	Medium Risk
Risk Percentile	13th	24th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)	2 / 11	3 / 15
Median Salary	$60,280	$68,340
Employment	15K	48K

Skill Comparison

Sorted by largest difference

Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates

Scheduling Work and Activities

Coaching and Developing Others

Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others

Administration and Management

Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others

Thinking Creatively

Processing Information

Psychology

Performing Administrative Activities

Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work

Developing Objectives and Strategies

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Recreational Therapists

36%

total discount

Occupational Therapy Assistants

34%

total discount

Task Risk Comparison

Tasks sorted by AI automation risk — higher means more automatable

Recreational Therapists

2 of 11 at risk

86%Prepare and submit reports and charts to treatment team to reflect patients' reactions and evidence of progress or regression.

52%Develop treatment plan to meet needs of patient, based on needs assessment, patient interests, and objectives of therapy.

47%Develop discharge plans for patients.

45%Obtain information from medical records, medical staff, family members and the patients themselves to assess patients' capabilities, needs and interests.

43%Counsel and encourage patients to develop leisure activities.

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.

Wage Comparison

Occupational Therapy Assistants earns +$8,060(+13%) vs Recreational Therapists

Recreational TherapistsOccupational Therapy Assistants

10th

$39,520$49,070

25th

$48,230$59,950

Median

$60,280$68,340

75th

$77,680$77,340

90th

$96,600$86,930

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Recreational Therapists2028–2035

Occupational Therapy Assistants2028–2035

20242030203520402045

Recreational Therapists 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%)

Recreational Therapists

$46,615

from $60,280

Occupational Therapy Assistants

$50,093

from $68,340

After adjusting for AI risk, Occupational Therapy Assistants offers $3,479 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

Unique to Recreational

Unique to Occupational

Combined Protection Strategy

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

Creativity

Social Intelligence

Fine Manipulation

Regulatory Barriers

Recreational TherapistsOccupational Therapy Assistants

Find transitions from Recreational Therapists Find transitions from Occupational Therapy Assistants