Career Possibilities in the Field of Occupational Therapy?

Are you curious about your career possibilities in the field of Occupational Therapy?

Careers in Occupational Therapy are of three selections. The educational and training requirements that you need depend on your chosen career option. If you are not sure about the career differences in this field, read on to get the basic and most important ideas to guide you in your choosing.

What follows are the descriptions that distinguish each career possibility from one another:

Occupational Therapist (OT)

OT's think of treatment strategies to help a person overcome a physical, emotional, psychological or mental disorder, and help them live as normally as possible. They differ from the Psychologists and Psychiatrists in the sense that the they advise the most suitable method for the patient's condition based on the diagnoses of the Psychologists and Psychiatrists. On the other hand, Psychologists and Psychiatrists specialize in diagnosing the patient's condition.

Occupational Therapist have premium salary wages. These salary ranges differ per state, depending on the demand and the median annual salary followed by that particular state. For instance, California employs the highest number of OT's and also give the highest median annual salary. In 2008, the median annual salary for OT's in California is $80,830. Second state that pays the highest is New Jersey with a median annual salary set at $79,620. The states that have the lowest hourly wages include New Hampshire ($26.16) and Maine ($28.72).

Aside from the median salary range per state, another factor to salary difference is the industry where the OT is employed. The different industries that employ occupational therapist and their median annual salary are as follows: Home Health Care Services ($79,110), Employment Services ($78,630), Academic Institutions ($75,260), Nursing Care Facilities ($73,200) and Clinics of Physicians ($71,840).

Occupational Therapist Assistant

OTA's assist the in facilitating everyday treatments. They record the patient's progress and patient's response to the treatment.

Nowadays, the state requires aspirants to attend training and accredited programs offered in Technical Institutions and Occupational Therapy Schools. These include fieldwork to hasten the skills and broaden the knowledge of the students. In some states, passing the licensure test is required before practice. If you are interested to be an OTA, expect a median annual salary of $42,060.

Occupational Therapist Aides (OT Aides)

The job of an Aide is to prepare the materials and equipment needed by the OT and OTA during therapy. OT Aides also do clerical work. If you want to be an Aide, simply finish high school and attend the on-the-job trainings offered by technical schools and colleges as part of their Occupational Therapy Programs. An Aide has a median annual salary of $25,020.