Occupational Therapy Assistants Salary
Occupational Therapy Assistants in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC make a median of $66,230 a year, or about $31.84 an hour. The range runs from $48K at the entry level to $84K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.57), that's roughly $67,879 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,711/month, about 38.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $66K get you in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Durham-Chapel Hill’s Regional Price Parity (97.57). 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 assistants
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What this looks like in Durham-Chapel Hill
Occupational therapy assistants pay in Durham-Chapel Hill tracks closely to the national median, $66K locally vs. $72K nationwide, a 8% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,711/month, which is 39.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.57) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for occupational therapy assistants in metros near Durham-Chapel Hill, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $73K | $75K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $76K | $77K |
| Winston-Salem | $70K | $76K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $74K | $80K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
Entry-level occupational therapy assistants (10th percentile) start around $48K. Mid-career wages sit at $66K. Top earners bring in $84K or more, a $37K 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 Durham-Chapel Hill numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a occupational therapy assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Durham-Chapel Hill?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $66K, rent takes 39.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,711/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/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 Durham-Chapel Hill?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new occupational therapy assistants typically earn — is $48K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,871/month. At HUD’s $1,711/month FMR, rent would take 60% 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 Durham-Chapel Hill?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $66K locally vs. $72K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does Durham-Chapel Hill compare to the national average for occupational therapy assistants?
Durham-Chapel Hill pays $66K median vs. the U.S. average of $72K — that’s -8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $68K — below the national median.
How much do occupational therapy assistants make in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
The median is $66,230 a year, that works out to about $32 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $47,850, and experienced occupational therapy assistants can clear $84,420. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $66K enough to live in Durham-Chapel Hill?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,333/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,711/month, which eats 39.5% 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 Durham-Chapel Hill?
Durham-Chapel Hill has a Regional Price Parity of 97.57 (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 $67,879 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.