Occupational Therapy Assistant Salary Information in California

The average annual salaries for occupational therapy assistants in the state of California are shown in Table 1. The comparison of the salary statistics of occupational therapy assistants amongst California areas is shown in Table 2. The salary statistics are based on the national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2022 and published in April 2023 [1].

Table 1 & 2. Annual Salary of Occupational Therapy Assistants in California (2022 Survey)

Percentile bracketAverage annual salary
10th Percentile Wage
$64,590
25th Percentile Wage
$74,080
50th Percentile Wage
$80,150
75th Percentile Wage
$86,080
90th Percentile Wage
$98,480

Table 1 shows the average annual salary for occupational therapy assistants in California in 5 percentile scales. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) is $98,480. The median (50th percentile) annual salary is $80,150. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent is $64,590.

Median salary trend (2012 to 2022)

The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of occupational therapy assistants from 2012 to 2022.

YearMedian SalaryYearly Growth10-Year Growth
2022
$80,150
4.03% 15.86%
2021
$76,920
3.32% -
2020
$74,370
3.66% -
2019
$71,650
2.04% -
2018
$70,190
1.72% -
2017
$68,980
-1.39% -
2016
$69,940
2.34% -
2015
$68,300
-0.95% -
2014
$68,950
1.45% -
2013
$67,950
0.75% -
2012
$67,440
- -

Table 3. Median Annual Salary of Occupational Therapy Assistants in California Cities (2022 Survey)

Table 3 shows the median annual salary of occupational therapy assistants in some California cities and metropolitan areas. We note that the median annual salary of occupational therapy assistants in state of California ranges from $52,290 to $93,550. The highest paying area for occupational therapy assistants in California is San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont with a median annual salary of $93,550. The second highest paying city/area in California State is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (mean annual salary $90,850). The lowest paying area is Oakland-Fremont-Hayward with a median annual salary of $52,290.

Cities/Areas Median Annual Salary
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont
$93,550
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara
$90,850
Santa Rosa-Petaluma
$85,940
San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos
$84,980
Bakersfield-Delano
$83,470
Modesto
$82,360
Salinas
$82,310
Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Roseville
$81,980
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura
$79,260
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
$78,620
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario
$77,560
Stockton
$76,410
Visalia-Porterville
$74,820
Fresno
$73,390
Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine
$72,680
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale
$71,310
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana
$70,510
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City
$69,810
Oakland-Fremont-Hayward
$52,290