Occupational Therapy Assistants Salary
Occupational Therapy Assistants in Fort Smith, AR-OK make a median of $80,660 a year, or about $38.78 an hour. The range runs from $66K at the entry level to $100K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 85.89), which stretches that salary to about $93,911 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $937/month, or 18.4% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $81K actually covers in Fort Smith, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Fort Smith’s Regional Price Parity (85.89). 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 Fort Smith
Fort Smith sits well above the national pay line for occupational therapy assistants, local pay runs about 12% higher than the U.S. median of $72K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $937/month, 18.1% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 85.89 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 14% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Combined with manageable housing costs, Fort Smith offers a genuinely strong financial position for occupational therapy assistantss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for occupational therapy assistants in metros near Fort Smith, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway | $79K | $88K |
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers | $81K | $89K |
| Jonesboro | $79K | $92K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $81K | $79K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Fort Smith, AR-OK
Entry-level occupational therapy assistants (10th percentile) start around $66K. Mid-career wages sit at $81K. Top earners bring in $100K or more, a $34K 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 Fort Smith numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare Support
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a occupational therapy assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Fort Smith?
Yes — at the median salary of $81K, rent takes 18.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $937/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for occupational therapy assistants in Fort Smith?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new occupational therapy assistants typically earn — is $66K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,366/month. At HUD’s $937/month FMR, rent would take 21% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is occupational therapy assistant a high-paying job in Fort Smith?
Local pay is 12% above the national median — $81K here vs. $72K nationally.
How does Fort Smith compare to the national average for occupational therapy assistants?
Fort Smith pays $81K median vs. the U.S. average of $72K — that’s +12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 85.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $94K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do occupational therapy assistants make in Fort Smith, AR-OK?
The median is $80,660 a year, that works out to about $39 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $65,970, and experienced occupational therapy assistants can clear $99,780. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $81K enough to live in Fort Smith?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,179/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $937/month, which eats 18.1% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a occupational therapy assistants salary go in Fort Smith?
Fort Smith has a Regional Price Parity of 85.89 (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 $93,911 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.