Occupational Therapy Careers

Job Outlook for Occupational Therapists:
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of occupational therapists is expected to increase much faster than the average for all occupations through 2016.

How Much Do Occupational Therapists Earn?:
The median annual earnings for occupational therapists in the following industries:

• Home Health Care - 67,600
• Nursing homes and assisted living - $64,750
• Private offices of physical, occupational and speech therapists, and audiologists - $62,290
• Hospitals - $61,610
• School Districts - $54,260

A Day in the Life of an Occupational Therapist
On a typical day an occupational therapist will:

• Assist clients to preform activities of all types
• Use physical exercises to help clients increase strength, mobility, and dexterity
• Use activities to help clients improve visual acuity and the ability to discern patterns
• Use computer programs to help clients improve decision-making, abstract-reasoning, problem-solving, memory, sequencing, coordination, and perceptual skills
• Design, research, suggest, or make special equipment needed at home or at work

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Occupational Therapist (OT)

Occupational therapists (OTs) help people who have are are mentally, physically, developmentally, or emotionally disabled to improve their ability and skills to perform tasks in their daily living and working lives. They also help people to develop, recover, or maintain daily living and work skills.

OTs develop treatment plans for their clients. To become an occupational therapist one must first earn a master’s degree or a doctorate degree from an accredited occupational therapist program. Then, an OT, mustpass a licensing exam. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Median earnings for occupational therapists were $60,470 in 2006.

Occupational Therapist Assistant (OTA)

Occupational therapist assistants carry out the treatment plans that an occupational therapists develops for clients. They make sure clients are correctly perform tasks. They track and report on the client’s progress for occupational therapists.

Occupational therapy assistants must earn an associate degree or a certificate from an accredited community college or technical school. Training includes clinical fieldwork. Most states require occupational therapist assistants pass a national certification exam. to Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupational therapist assistants earned a median salary of $42,060 in 2006.

Occupational Therapist Aide

Occupational therapist aides prepare equipment and materials for occupational therapists and occupational therapist assistants for use during the treatment of clients. They perform clerical duties and participate in job training. They must earn a high school diploma or GED. to Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupational therapist aides earned a median salary of $25,020 in 2006.

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Occupational Therapy Job Description
Occupational therapists (OTs) help people who have are are mentally, physically, developmentally, or emotionally disabled to improve their ability and skills to perform tasks in their daily living and working lives. They also help people to develop, recover, or maintain daily living and work skills.

Occupational Therapy Employment Facts
In 2006 there were about 99,000 occupational therapists working in the United States. Most OTs worked in hospitals. Others worked in offices of other health practitioners, schools, and nursing care facilities. Almost one in ten of all occupational therapists held more than one job.

Occupational Therapy Educational Requirements
An OT must hold a master’s degree at minimum, or a more advanced degree in occupational therapy to work as an occupational therapist.

Other Requirements for Occupational Therapists
In the United States occupational therapists must be licensed in order to practice. To obtain a license, OT applicants must graduate from an accredited educational program and pass a national certification examination.

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Medical assistants help doctors and nurses with various medical and administrative duties. They may work in doctors’ offices, hospitals, or other health care facilities. Because there are so many different types of medical assistant – occupational therapy assistant and hospice care assistant, for example – this is a field that offers many choices in terms of a career path.

The duties and responsibilities of a medical assistant include checking patients into the facility, taking “vitals” like blood pressure and temperature, and updating and filing medical records and charts. Some medical assistants are also tasked with giving shots or helping out with insurance coding.

Most medical assistants work forty hours per week, five days a week. However, if the medical officer you’re working in has expanded hours and is open in the evening or on weekends, you’ll probably have to work these hours as well.

Medical assistants often have considerable variety in what they do because workers in this field are trained to perform both clinical and administrative tasks. CMAs can work almost anywhere they choose, but all medical assistants have unlimited choice when it comes to the medical specialty they want to work in.

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