Occupational Therapy Assistants Salary
Occupational Therapy Assistants in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY make a median of $51,140 a year, or about $24.59 an hour. The range runs from $42K at the entry level to $68K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.84), that's roughly $53,360 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,343/month, about 40.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $51K get you in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Buffalo-Cheektowaga’s Regional Price Parity (95.84). 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 assistants
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What this looks like in Buffalo-Cheektowaga
Pay for occupational therapy assistants in Buffalo-Cheektowaga runs about 29% below the U.S. median of $72K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,343/month, which is 39.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 95.84) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for occupational therapy assistantss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for occupational therapy assistants in metros near Buffalo-Cheektowaga, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $75K | $67K |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh | $72K | $65K |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $62K | $62K |
| Rochester | $62K | $64K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY
Entry-level occupational therapy assistants (10th percentile) start around $42K. Mid-career wages sit at $51K. Top earners bring in $68K or more, a $26K spread from bottom to top.
Occupational Therapy Assistants pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Occupational Therapy Assistants salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | $82K | +13% | 710 |
| California | $82K | +13% | 3,840 |
| Texas | $82K | +13% | 5,610 |
| Nevada | $80K | +10% | 220 |
| Arkansas | $79K | +9% | 730 |
| Delaware | $79K | +9% | 220 |
| Washington | $78K | +7% | 720 |
| New Mexico | $77K | +7% | 300 |
| Oregon | $77K | +6% | 250 |
| Georgia | $76K | +5% | 1,060 |
| Colorado | $75K | +4% | 710 |
| Massachusetts | $75K | +4% | 1,410 |
| New Jersey | $75K | +4% | 1,080 |
| Virginia | $75K | +4% | 1,130 |
| South Carolina | $74K | +2% | 830 |
| Arizona | $73K | +2% | 1,120 |
| Montana | $73K | +1% | 60 |
| Connecticut | $73K | +1% | 820 |
| Hawaii | $73K | +1% | 60 |
| Florida | $72K | -1% | 3,910 |
| Pennsylvania | $72K | -1% | 2,560 |
| North Carolina | $69K | -4% | 1,590 |
| New York | $69K | -5% | 2,230 |
| New Hampshire | $68K | -6% | 150 |
| Rhode Island | $67K | -8% | 300 |
| Indiana | $67K | -8% | 1,490 |
| Oklahoma | $67K | -8% | 1,000 |
| District of Columbia | $66K | -8% | 60 |
| Louisiana | $66K | -9% | 760 |
| Utah | $66K | -9% | 280 |
| Missouri | $66K | -9% | 1,470 |
| Idaho | $65K | -10% | 210 |
| Kentucky | $65K | -10% | 500 |
| Kansas | $65K | -10% | 660 |
| Minnesota | $65K | -10% | 540 |
| Maine | $64K | -11% | 250 |
| Iowa | $64K | -11% | 400 |
| Illinois | $64K | -11% | 2,470 |
| Michigan | $63K | -13% | 1,250 |
| Nebraska | $63K | -13% | 210 |
| Wyoming | $63K | -13% | 80 |
| Ohio | $63K | -13% | 3,890 |
| Tennessee | $62K | -14% | 1,300 |
| Alabama | $62K | -14% | 750 |
| Mississippi | $62K | -15% | 420 |
| North Dakota | $61K | -16% | 130 |
| West Virginia | $60K | -17% | 340 |
| Wisconsin | $60K | -17% | 1,050 |
| South Dakota | $56K | -22% | 100 |
| Alaska | $54K | -26% | 60 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track occupational therapy assistants salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Buffalo-Cheektowaga numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a occupational therapy assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $51K, rent takes 39.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,343/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for occupational therapy assistants in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new occupational therapy assistants typically earn — is $42K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,515/month. At HUD’s $1,343/month FMR, rent would take 53% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is occupational therapy assistant a high-paying job in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
Local pay runs 29% below the national median — $51K here vs. $72K nationally.
How does Buffalo-Cheektowaga compare to the national average for occupational therapy assistants?
Buffalo-Cheektowaga pays $51K median vs. the U.S. average of $72K — that’s -29%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.84), the purchasing-power equivalent is $53K — below the national median.
How much do occupational therapy assistants make in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?
The median is $51,140 a year, that works out to about $25 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $41,920, and experienced occupational therapy assistants can clear $67,760. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $51K enough to live in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,410/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,343/month, which eats 39.4% 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 assistants salary go in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
Buffalo-Cheektowaga has a Regional Price Parity of 95.84 (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 assistants salary is worth about $53,360 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do occupational therapy assistants 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.