SOC 31-2012 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Occupational Therapy Aides — District of Columbia
District of Columbia · 1 metro areas compared
The median wage for Occupational Therapy Aides in District of Columbia is $39,620 per year, close to the national median of $39,160 for the same occupation.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
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 District of Columbia.
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
The median wage for Occupational Therapy Aides in District of Columbia is $39,620 per year, close to the national median of $39,160 for the same occupation. Pay ranges from under $39,610 at the tenth percentile to more than $45,840 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $39,620 to $45,840.
Among the 27 states with published data for this occupation, District of Columbia ranks 11th by median wage. Washington leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $45,840. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 441st of 465 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $39,610 | +1.1% |
| 25th | $39,620 | +1.2% |
| Median (50th) | $39,620 | +1.2% |
| 75th | $45,840 | +17.1% |
| 90th | $45,840 | +17.1% |
| Mean | $42,480 | +8.5% |
Highest-paying metro areas in District of Columbia
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $45,840 | 100 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in District of Columbia run 9.9% above the national average, so the median of $39,620 buys what $36,051 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way the gap against the national median narrows to 7.9% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$39,620as reported by BLSLocal price level
109.9US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$36,051US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $39,620 a year, 1.2% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $39,610 to $45,840 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- It ranks 11th of 27 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Washington, at $45,840.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Occupational Therapy Aides in District of Columbia?
The median annual wage is $39,620, or $19.05 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 District of Columbia is 1.2% 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 District of Columbia earns more than $45,840 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $39,610 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 Washington, at $45,840 per year.
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.
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