Occupational Therapy Assistants
Machines can already do 21% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 49%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Occupational Therapy Assistants in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 21% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 0% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2036, and 49% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 51,290 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $72,300 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 83% for contact with people.
- Also called: Acute Care Occupational Therapy Assistant (Acute Care OT Assistant), Certified Occupational Assistant, Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant (COTA), Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA).
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implement, or assist occupational therapists with implementing, treatment plans designed to help clients function independently | 27% | 3% to 30% | |
| Observe and record patients' progress, attitudes, and behavior and maintain this information in client records | 10% | 60% to 90% | |
| Instruct, or assist in instructing, patients and families in home programs, basic living skills, or the care and use of adaptive equipment | 7% | 3% to 30% | |
| Monitor patients' performance in therapy activities, providing encouragement | 7% | 25% to 55% | |
| Aid patients in dressing and grooming themselves | 7% | 3% to 30% | |
| Report to supervisors, verbally or in writing, on patients' progress, attitudes, and behavior | 4% | 50% to 78% | |
| Select therapy activities to fit patients' needs and capabilities | 4% | 35% to 65% | |
| Evaluate the daily living skills or capacities of clients with physical, developmental, or mental health disabilities | 4% | 3% to 30% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills occupational therapy assistants use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Occupational Therapists46% of tasks by 2035 · US median $100,330
- Low Vision Therapists, Orientation and Mobility Specialists, and Vision Rehabilitation Therapists44% of tasks by 2035 · US median $100,330
- Physical Therapists41% of tasks by 2035 · US median $102,760
- Nurse Midwives45% of tasks by 2035 · US median $134,040
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Occupational Therapy Assistants?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2036. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of occupational therapy assistants?
Machines can do 21% of the tasks of occupational therapy assistants today and 49% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 31-2011.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Occupational Therapy Assistants: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/occupational-therapy-assistants/