Occupational Therapy Aides Salary
Occupational Therapy Aides in Pittsburgh, PA make a median of $37,100 a year, or about $17.84 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $38K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.67), which stretches that salary to about $39,189 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,299/month, about 50.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $37K actually covers in Pittsburgh, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Pittsburgh’s Regional Price Parity (94.67). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Pittsburgh
Occupational therapy aides pay in Pittsburgh tracks closely to the national median, $37K locally vs. $39K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,299/month, which is 50.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.67 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for occupational therapy aides in metros near Pittsburgh, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $40K | $39K |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $46K | $41K |
| Cleveland | $39K | $41K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Pittsburgh, PA
Entry-level occupational therapy aides (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $37K. Top earners bring in $38K or more, a $2K 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 annually. We'll email you when Pittsburgh numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare Support
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a occupational therapy aide afford a 2BR apartment alone in Pittsburgh?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $37K, rent takes 50.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,299/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 Pittsburgh?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new occupational therapy aides typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,483/month. At HUD’s $1,299/month FMR, rent would take 52% 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 Pittsburgh?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $37K locally vs. $39K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Pittsburgh compare to the national average for occupational therapy aides?
Pittsburgh pays $37K median vs. the U.S. average of $39K — that’s -5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.67), the purchasing-power equivalent is $39K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do occupational therapy aides make in Pittsburgh, PA?
The median is $37,100 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,910, and experienced occupational therapy aides can clear $37,580. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $37K enough to live in Pittsburgh?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,559/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,299/month, which eats 50.8% 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 Pittsburgh?
Pittsburgh has a Regional Price Parity of 94.67 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median occupational therapy aides salary is worth about $39,189 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.