Occupational Therapy Assistants Salary
Occupational Therapy Assistants in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL make a median of $73,130 a year, or about $35.16 an hour. The range runs from $62K at the entry level to $76K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100), that's roughly $73,130 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,709/month, about 33.6% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $73K actually covers in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville’s Regional Price Parity (100). 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 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville
Occupational therapy assistants pay in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville tracks closely to the national median, $73K locally vs. $72K nationwide, a 1% difference. Rent runs $1,709/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 34.3% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 100) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for occupational therapy assistants in metros near Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $71K | $62K |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | $73K | $72K |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | $73K | $72K |
| Jacksonville | $71K | $71K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL
Entry-level occupational therapy assistants (10th percentile) start around $62K. Mid-career wages sit at $73K. Top earners bring in $76K or more, a $14K 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 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville 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 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $73K, rent takes 34.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,709/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,500/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 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new occupational therapy assistants typically earn — is $62K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,728/month. At HUD’s $1,709/month FMR, rent would take 46% 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 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $73K locally vs. $72K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville compare to the national average for occupational therapy assistants?
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville pays $73K median vs. the U.S. average of $72K — that’s +1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100), the purchasing-power equivalent is $73K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do occupational therapy assistants make in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL?
The median is $73,130 a year, that works out to about $35 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $62,130, and experienced occupational therapy assistants can clear $76,080. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $73K enough to live in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,986/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,709/month, which eats 34.3% 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 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville?
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median occupational therapy assistants salary is worth about $73,130 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.