Occupational Therapy Aides Salary
Occupational Therapy Aides in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA make a median of $39,820 a year, or about $19.15 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $49K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 113.57), so that salary is closer to $35,062 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,601/month, about 94.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $40K get you in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim’s Regional Price Parity (113.57). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About occupational therapy aides
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What this looks like in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
Occupational therapy aides pay in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim tracks closely to the national median, $40K locally vs. $39K nationwide, a 2% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,601/month, which is 93.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 14% above the national average (BEA RPP 113.57), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for occupational therapy aides in metros near Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $45K | $39K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $69K | $64K |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas | $37K | $37K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
Entry-level occupational therapy aides (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $40K. Top earners bring in $49K or more, a $13K spread from bottom to top.
Occupational Therapy Aides pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Occupational Therapy Aides salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | $66K | +69% | 250 |
| New York | $46K | +18% | 250 |
| Washington | $46K | +17% | 190 |
| Nebraska | $45K | +15% | 90 |
| Connecticut | $45K | +15% | 110 |
| New Jersey | $44K | +14% | N/A |
| California | $43K | +11% | 330 |
| New Mexico | $43K | +10% | 50 |
| Massachusetts | $40K | +3% | 90 |
| Colorado | $40K | +2% | 40 |
| District of Columbia | $40K | +1% | N/A |
| Michigan | $39K | -0% | 60 |
| Missouri | $39K | -1% | 110 |
| Indiana | $38K | -2% | N/A |
| Georgia | $38K | -3% | 200 |
| Texas | $37K | -5% | 410 |
| Pennsylvania | $37K | -5% | 320 |
| Wisconsin | $37K | -6% | 40 |
| Nevada | $36K | -7% | 100 |
| Ohio | $36K | -7% | 200 |
| Oklahoma | $35K | -11% | 90 |
| Maryland | $33K | -15% | N/A |
| Idaho | $33K | -17% | 120 |
| South Carolina | $32K | -18% | 50 |
| Louisiana | $29K | -27% | 70 |
| Tennessee | $28K | -29% | 40 |
| Mississippi | $24K | -38% | 50 |
Showing 1–10 of 27 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track occupational therapy aides salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a occupational therapy aide afford a 2BR apartment alone in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $40K, rent takes 93.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,601/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for occupational therapy aides in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new occupational therapy aides typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,189/month. At HUD’s $2,601/month FMR, rent would take 119% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is occupational therapy aide a high-paying job in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $40K locally vs. $39K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim compare to the national average for occupational therapy aides?
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim pays $40K median vs. the U.S. average of $39K — that’s +2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 113.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $35K — below the national median.
How much do occupational therapy aides make in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?
The median is $39,820 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,480, and experienced occupational therapy aides can clear $49,130. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $40K enough to live in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,772/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,601/month, which eats 93.8% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a occupational therapy aides salary go in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim has a Regional Price Parity of 113.57 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median occupational therapy aides salary is worth about $35,062 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do occupational therapy aides get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.