SalaryExplorer

SOC 31-2012 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Occupational Therapy Aides — Dallas

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX · 1 metro areas compared

$42,790 /year
$20.57per hour
110jobs in area
+9.3%vs US median

In Dallas, TX the median wage for Occupational Therapy Aides is $42,790 a year, which is 9.3% higher than the national figure of $39,160.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $39,16010TH$24,80025TH$33,880MEDIAN$42,79090TH$92,580

How pay has moved

$51,208$21,9432019202020212022202320242025$42,790
$31,600 in 2019 to $42,790 in 2025, +35.4% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

The next ten years

Projected to grow about as fast as average

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
+2.5%
Openings per year
600
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training

Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.

Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX.

Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.

Salary overview

In Dallas, TX the median wage for Occupational Therapy Aides is $42,790 a year, which is 9.3% higher than the national figure of $39,160. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $33,880 and $47,710. The lowest tenth earn under $24,800, while the highest tenth earn more than $92,580.

The area has 110 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 0.94 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Within the state, Houston records the highest median at $41,400. Of the 713 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 566th.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$24,800−36.7%
25th$33,880−13.5%
Median (50th)$42,790+9.3%
75th$47,710+21.8%
90th$92,580+136.4%
Mean$46,320+18.3%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in Texas

Median annual wage for Occupational Therapy Aides, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Houston$41,40070

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Dallas run 3.1% above the national average, so the median of $42,790 buys what $41,503 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way the gap against the national median narrows to 6.0% above the national median in real terms.

Published median

$42,790as reported by BLS

Local price level

103.1US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$41,503US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $42,790 a year, 9.3% above the national median.
  • Published pay spans $24,800 to $92,580 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 110 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Houston, at $41,400.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Occupational Therapy Aides in Dallas, TX?

The median annual wage is $42,790, or $20.57 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.

Is that higher than the national average?

The national median for this occupation is $39,160, so pay in Dallas, TX is 9.3% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.

What do the top earners make?

The top tenth of this occupation in Dallas, TX earns more than $92,580 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $24,800 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.

Which area nearby pays the most?

The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Houston, at $41,400 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 110 jobs in this occupation in Dallas, TX. Self-employed workers are not included.

Source and methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.

Occupational Therapy Aides Salary in Dallas, TX (2025): $42,790 Median | Salary Explorer