Employment Outlook
Occupational therapy is a health and rehabilitation profession that provides services to individuals of all ages whose abilities to cope with tasks of living are impaired by physical injury or illness, psychological and social disability, or developmental disabilities.
The occupational therapist designs the rehabilitation process individually for each client and, through evaluation and treatment, seeks to achieve restoration or improvement of impaired functions.
The goal of occupational therapy is to assist clients in achieving a maximum level of independent living by developing and enhancing the capacities that remain after disease, accident, deformity or disability.
Occupational Therapists
- Employment is projected to increase much faster than the average through 2014, as rapid growth in the number of middle-aged and elderly individuals increases the demand for therapeutic services.
- Beginning in 2007, a master’s degree or higher in occupational therapy will be the minimum educational requirement.
- Occupational therapists are increasingly taking on supervisory roles, allowing assistants and aides to work more closely with clients under the guidance of a therapist, in an effort to reduce the cost of therapy.
- More than a quarter of occupational therapists work part time.
Occupational Therapist Assistants and Aides
- Employment is projected to increase much faster than the average through 2014, reflecting growth in the number of individuals with disabilities or limited function who require therapeutic services.
- Occupational therapist assistants generally must complete an associate degree or a certificate program; in contrast, occupational therapist aides usually receive most of their training on the job.
- In an effort to control rising health care costs, third-party payers are expected to encourage occupational therapists to delegate more hands-on therapy work to lower-paid occupational therapist assistants and aides.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics