Overview
Responsibilities
T-A-S-K
Education
Income & Employability
Video Resources
Related Careers

Description

Assess, plan, and organize rehabilitative programs that help build or restore vocational, homemaking, and daily living skills, as well as general independence, to persons with disabilities or developmental delays. Use therapeutic techniques, adapt the individual's environment, teach skills, and modify specific tasks that present barriers to the individual.

Interests

  • Social
  • Investigative

Learn More about Interests

Work Values

  • Relationships
  • Achievement
  • Working Conditions

Learn More about Work Values

Work Styles

  • Integrity
  • Dependability
  • Concern for Others
  • Cooperation
  • Self-Control

Learn More about Work Styles

Tasks

  • Test and evaluate patients' physical and mental abilities and analyze medical data to determine realistic rehabilitation goals for patients.
  • Complete and maintain necessary records.
  • Plan, organize, and conduct occupational therapy programs in hospital, institutional, or community settings to help rehabilitate persons with disabilities because of illness, injury or psychological or developmental problems.
  • Plan and implement programs and social activities to help patients learn work or school skills and adjust to handicaps.
  • Select activities that will help individuals learn work and life-management skills within limits of their mental or physical capabilities.

Work Activities

  • Documenting/Recording Information
  • Assisting and Caring for Others
  • Getting Information
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates

Detailed Work Activities

  • Documenting/Recording Information - Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
  • Assisting and Caring for Others - Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
  • Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies - Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.

Technology Skills

  • Medical software
  • Computer based training software
  • Word processing software
  • Optical character reader OCR or scanning software
  • Graphics or photo imaging software

Skills

  • Active Listening
  • Monitoring
  • Service Orientation
  • Critical Thinking
  • Instructing

Knowledge

  • Therapy and Counseling
  • Psychology
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Medicine and Dentistry
  • English Language

Most Common Education Level

The “Most Common Education Level” refers to the level of education held by the majority of workers in a given occupation. For example, if the highest percentage of workers in a role have an Associate’s Degree, that suggests this is the typical educational requirement. Knowing this helps you plan how many years of education you may need to pursue that career.

Certificates

Certificate name

Certified Hand Therapist

Certifying Organization

Hand Therapy Certification Commission, Inc.

Type

Specialty

Certifying Organization

American Occupational Therapy Association

Type

Specialty

Certifying Organization

American Occupational Therapy Association

Type

Specialty

Certifying Organization

International Academy of Orthopedic Medicine - US

Type

Advanced

Certifying Organization

American Occupational Therapy Association

Type

Specialty

Income Percentile

The income percentiles show how earnings are distributed within a profession. The 10th percentile means that 10% of workers earned less than that amount. The median (50th percentile) indicates that half of workers earned more, and half earned less. The 90th percentile reflects what the top 10% of earners in the field make.

Income PercentileIncome
Low (10%)$NaN
Median (50%)$NaN
High (90%)$NaN

Income by Experience

This table shows how income typically grows with experience—from entry level (0–2 years), to mid-level (3–7 years), to senior level (8+ years).

ExperienceIncome
Entry Level$50,000
Mid Level$100,000
Senior Level$150,000

Employability

There are currently 150,500 jobs in this career path. Over the next 10 years, that number is expected to increase to 167,300 positions, reflecting a projected growth of 11%.

The Projected Job Growth figure refers to the expected increase or decrease in employment within a specific career field over a certain period of time.

Projected Job Growth of 11%

The career information and data on this site incorporates information from O*NET Web Services by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), with ONET® being a registered trademark of USDOL/ETA. Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA; CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (DOLETA) and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED); and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

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