Occupational Therapy Aides
Under close supervision of an occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant, perform only delegated, selected, or routine tasks in specific situations. These duties include preparing patient and treatment room.
AI Impact Summary
Occupational Therapy Aides faces low AI displacement risk with a score of 24/100. This occupation has higher AI displacement risk than 17% of all analyzed occupations. Of 15 analyzed tasks, 3 are highly automatable, particularly routine cognitive tasks. Strong protective factors — including social intelligence, creativity, or regulatory barriers — significantly reduce effective risk.
Skill Impact Analysis
AI-Vulnerable Skills (6)
High reliance on Information Ordering is a risk area. Consider developing complementary AI-resistant skills to maintain value.
Reading Comprehension is AI-vulnerable but has moderate importance in this role. AI tools may handle this; focus on higher-value skills.
Memorization is AI-vulnerable but has moderate importance in this role. AI tools may handle this; focus on higher-value skills.
Mathematics is AI-vulnerable but has moderate importance in this role. AI tools may handle this; focus on higher-value skills.
Mathematics is AI-vulnerable but has moderate importance in this role. AI tools may handle this; focus on higher-value skills.
Programming is AI-vulnerable but has moderate importance in this role. AI tools may handle this; focus on higher-value skills.
AI-Resistant Skills (11)
Adaptability/Flexibility is AI-resistant — strengthening this skill provides durable career protection.
Service Orientation is AI-resistant — strengthening this skill provides durable career protection.
Leadership is AI-resistant — strengthening this skill provides durable career protection.
Social Perceptiveness is AI-resistant — strengthening this skill provides durable career protection.
Coordination is AI-resistant — strengthening this skill provides durable career protection.
Persuasion is AI-resistant — strengthening this skill provides durable career protection.
Instructing is AI-resistant — strengthening this skill provides durable career protection.
Complex Problem Solving is AI-resistant — strengthening this skill provides durable career protection.
AI-Augmented Skills (7)
Recommended Courses
Courses matched to Occupational Therapy Aides skill gaps, ranked by relevance to your displacement risk profile.
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Upskill to Reduce Risk
Courses addressing your most AI-vulnerable skills
SQL Fundamentals Skill Track
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AI-Augmentation Tools
Learn to work alongside AI and boost your productivity
Creative Writing Specialization
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Strengthen Your Edge
Double down on skills AI can't replicate
Customer Service Fundamentals
by Knowledge Accelerators
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We may earn a commission when you enroll through our links, at no extra cost to you. This helps fund the Takeover Tracker.
Risk reduction and salary impact are estimates based on skill gap analysis, course relevance, and labor market data. Actual results vary by individual circumstance.
Education & Training
Percentage of workers at each education and training level
Education Level
Prior Experience Needed
Work experience required to enter this job
Training Provided After Hiring
How long it typically takes to learn on the job
How AI Impacts Each Task
15 tasks analyzed
Observe patients' attendance, progress, attitudes, and accomplishments and record and maintain information in client records.
Encourage patients and attend to their physical needs to facilitate the attainment of therapeutic goals.
Report to supervisors or therapists, verbally or in writing, on patients' progress, attitudes, attendance, and accomplishments.
Supervise patients in choosing and completing work assignments or arts and crafts projects.
Manage intradepartmental infection control and equipment security.
Evaluate the living skills and capacities of physically, developmentally, or emotionally disabled clients.
Prepare and maintain work area, materials, and equipment and maintain inventory of treatment and educational supplies.
Transport patients to and from the occupational therapy work area.
Instruct patients and families in work, social, and living skills, the care and use of adaptive equipment, and other skills to facilitate home and work adjustment to disability.
Demonstrate therapy techniques, such as manual and creative arts and games.
Assist occupational therapists in planning, implementing, and administering therapy programs to restore, reinforce, and enhance performance, using selected activities and special equipment.
Adjust and repair assistive devices and make adaptive changes to other equipment and to environments.
Perform clerical, administrative, and secretarial duties, such as answering phones, restocking and ordering supplies, filling out paperwork, and scheduling appointments.
Assist educational specialists or clinical psychologists in administering situational or diagnostic tests to measure client's abilities or progress.
Accompany patients on outings, providing transportation when necessary.
| Task | AI Capability | Risk | Time % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Observe patients' attendance, progress, attitudes, and accomplishments and record and maintain information in client records. | 47.65Observed | 68.3% | 10% | |
| Encourage patients and attend to their physical needs to facilitate the attainment of therapeutic goals. | 0Estimated | 15.0% | 15% | |
| Report to supervisors or therapists, verbally or in writing, on patients' progress, attitudes, attendance, and accomplishments. | 77Estimated | 80.0% | 5% | |
| Supervise patients in choosing and completing work assignments or arts and crafts projects. | 5Estimated | 17.0% | 8% | |
| Manage intradepartmental infection control and equipment security. | 35Estimated | 47.0% | 5% | |
| Evaluate the living skills and capacities of physically, developmentally, or emotionally disabled clients. | 25Estimated | 37.0% | 5% | |
| Prepare and maintain work area, materials, and equipment and maintain inventory of treatment and educational supplies. | 50Estimated | 53.0% | 10% | |
| Transport patients to and from the occupational therapy work area. | 0Estimated | 9.0% | 8% | |
| Instruct patients and families in work, social, and living skills, the care and use of adaptive equipment, and other skills to facilitate home and work adjustment to disability. | 10Estimated | 19.0% | 8% | |
| Demonstrate therapy techniques, such as manual and creative arts and games. | 10Estimated | 19.0% | 5% | |
| Assist occupational therapists in planning, implementing, and administering therapy programs to restore, reinforce, and enhance performance, using selected activities and special equipment. | 20Estimated | 23.0% | 8% | |
| Adjust and repair assistive devices and make adaptive changes to other equipment and to environments. | 5Estimated | 11.0% | 4% | |
| Perform clerical, administrative, and secretarial duties, such as answering phones, restocking and ordering supplies, filling out paperwork, and scheduling appointments. | 87Estimated | 84.0% | 5% | |
| Assist educational specialists or clinical psychologists in administering situational or diagnostic tests to measure client's abilities or progress. | 72Estimated | 78.0% | 2% | |
| Accompany patients on outings, providing transportation when necessary. | 0Estimated | 9.0% | 2% |
Protective Factors
Total protective discount: 31.6%
Essential Soft Skills
Traits that are hard for AI to replicate
Wage & Employment (2024)
Median Wage
$37,370
per year
Mean Wage
$41,850
per year
Employment
5K
workers
Wage Range
$27,970 - $65,580
10th - 90th pct
Wage Distribution
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Recommendations
Skills to Develop
These skills are at risk from AI automation. Occupational Therapy Aides professionals should diversify beyond them.
- Information Ordering
High reliance on Information Ordering is a risk area. Consider developing complementary AI-resistant skills to maintain value.
- Reading Comprehension
Reading Comprehension is AI-vulnerable but has moderate importance in this role. AI tools may handle this; focus on higher-value skills.
- Memorization
Memorization is AI-vulnerable but has moderate importance in this role. AI tools may handle this; focus on higher-value skills.
- Mathematics
Mathematics is AI-vulnerable but has moderate importance in this role. AI tools may handle this; focus on higher-value skills.
- Mathematics
Mathematics is AI-vulnerable but has moderate importance in this role. AI tools may handle this; focus on higher-value skills.
Skills to Leverage
These human-centric skills remain difficult for AI to replicate. Double down here.
- Adaptability/Flexibility
Adaptability/Flexibility is AI-resistant — strengthening this skill provides durable career protection.
- Service Orientation
Service Orientation is AI-resistant — strengthening this skill provides durable career protection.
- Leadership
Leadership is AI-resistant — strengthening this skill provides durable career protection.
- Social Perceptiveness
Social Perceptiveness is AI-resistant — strengthening this skill provides durable career protection.
- Coordination
Coordination is AI-resistant — strengthening this skill provides durable career protection.
Tools to Adopt
AI can amplify these skills. Learn the tools that augment rather than replace your work.
- Writing
Writing will be enhanced by AI. Develop expertise in using AI tools for this skill to increase productivity.
- Critical Thinking
Critical Thinking will be enhanced by AI. Develop expertise in using AI tools for this skill to increase productivity.
- Monitoring
Monitoring will be enhanced by AI. Develop expertise in using AI tools for this skill to increase productivity.
- Active Learning
Active Learning will be enhanced by AI. Develop expertise in using AI tools for this skill to increase productivity.
- Judgment and Decision Making
Judgment and Decision Making will be enhanced by AI. Develop expertise in using AI tools for this skill to increase productivity.
Score History
Risk score over 2 scoring runs
overall change