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Health Care Assistant, Occupational / Physical Therapist Assistant, Rehabilitation Services Practitioner, Therapist Assistant
In Canada, the federal government groups and organizes occupations based on a National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. This alis occupation may not reflect the entire NOC group it is part of. Data for the NOC group can apply across multiple occupations.
The NOC system is updated every 5 years to reflect changes in the labour market. Government forms and labour market data may group and refer to an occupation differently, depending on the system used. Here is how this occupation has been classified over time:
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2006 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
Interest in copying information to assist patients as directed by health care professionals
Interest in assisting patients by helping elderly and incapacitated patients to dress and undress, by accompanying patients to treatment rooms and by supporting them in other activities
Interest in handling to prepare and maintain work materials and supplies; and in assisting patients in the use of therapeutic equipment
To identify or change your interest codes, complete the Interests Exercise in CAREERinsite.
The interest code helps you figure out if you’d like to work in a particular occupation.
It’s based on the Canadian Work Preference Inventory (CWPI), which measures 5 occupational interests: Directive, Innovative, Methodical, Objective, and Social.
Each set of 3 interest codes for this NOC group is listed in order of importance.
A code in capital letters means it’s a strong fit for the occupation.
A code in all lowercase letters means the fit is weaker.
To fill in or change the values for your abilities, complete the Abilities Exercise in CAREERinsite.
A Quick Guide
You are born with abilities that help you process certain types of information and turn it into action. These abilities influence which skills you can learn more easily.
The abilities or aptitudes shown for this NOC group come from the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB). The GATB measures 9 aptitudes. It groups them into 3 categories: mental, visual, and physical.
The abilities scores range from 1 to 5, with 5 being stronger.
Occupational therapy (OT) assistants are supervised by occupational therapists. They work with clients who have functional challenges. These may be due to physical or mental illness, injury, developmental delays, social disorders, or aging. Clients range in age from infants to the elderly.
Occupational therapy assistants:
An OT assistant may:
These can be high-stress settings. To avoid injury, they must use proper methods for lifting and moving clients. They are often required to lift equipment weighing up to 20 kilograms.
Though work schedules can vary, most assistants work daytime hours. Evening and weekend work is required in some settings.
Occupational therapy assistants need:
They should enjoy:
This chart shows which job skills are currently in highest demand for this occupational group. It was created using this occupation's 15 most recent Alberta job postings, collected between Nov 24, 2021 and Jun 26, 2022.
Review these skills to learn:
| Personal Suitability: Team player | 13 |
|---|---|
| Personal Suitability: Organized | 13 |
| Personal Suitability: Client focus | 12 |
| Personal Suitability: Effective interpersonal skills | 11 |
| Personal Suitability: Reliability | 11 |
| Personal Suitability: Flexibility | 11 |
| Clean and maintain equipment | 11 |
| Carry out treatment programs, under the direction of physiotherapists and/or occupational therapists, to rehabilitate patients with various injuries or disabilities | 9 |
| Schedule and confirm appointments | 8 |
| Personal Suitability: Initiative | 8 |
Employers generally prefer to hire graduates of related post-secondary diploma programs.
The following schools offer programs or courses that are related to this occupation but are not required to enter the field.
To expand or narrow your search for programs related to this occupation, visit Post-Secondary Programs.
Completing a program does not guarantee entrance into an occupation. Before enrolling in an education program, prospective students should look into various sources for education options and employment possibilities. For example, contact associations and employers in this field.
There is currently no provincial legislation regulating this occupation in Alberta.
Occupational therapy assistants work in:
Some positions involve working as a physical therapist assistant as well as an OT assistant. To learn more see the Physical Therapist Assistant profile.
Prospects for advancement are limited without further education.
Occupational therapy assistants are part of the 2011 National Occupational Classification 3237: Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment. In Alberta, 87% of people employed in this classification work in the following industries:
The employment outlook [pdf] in this occupation will be influenced by a wide variety of factors including:
In Alberta, the 3237: Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment occupational group is expected to have an above-average annual growth of 3.4% from 2019 to 2023. In addition to job openings created by employment turnover, 75 new positions are forecasted to be created within this occupational group each year.
Note
NOC groups often include several related occupations. Although there is labour market data for the larger NOC group, this occupation makes up only a part of that group. It means data for this occupation may be different than the data shown. For example, only some of the new positions to be created will be for this occupation. It also applies to other data for the NOC group such as number of people employed.
Source: Alberta Regional Occupational Demand Outlook
Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boom generation retire over the next few years.
For information about current collective agreements in the public and not-for-profit sectors, see the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA) website.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
Unless otherwise noted, the data shown here is for all industries and all regions in Alberta.
All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production), and other forms of compensation.
To see the full survey data for this NOC group, visit the wage profile.
Other wage sources
To make an informed wage and salary decision, research other wage sources [pdf] to supplement this data.
Good Reliability, represents a CV of between 6.01% and 15.00% and/or fewer than 30 survey observations and/or if survey observations represent less than 50% of all estimated employment for the occupation.
| Wages* | Low (5th percentile) | High (95th percentile) | Average | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting | $15.00 | $34.00 | $20.85 | $19.06 |
| Overall | $17.00 | $41.70 | $25.61 | $23.01 |
| Top | $19.10 | $47.30 | $29.23 | $24.95 |
Swipe left and right to view all data. Scroll left and right to view all data.
* All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production) and other forms of compensation.
Pay brackets for hourly wages
| Educational Services | $46,095 |
|---|---|
| ALL INDUSTRIES | $42,149 |
| Health Care & Social Assistance | $40,825 |
Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) website: www.caot.ca (search term: support personnel)
Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA) website: www.hsaa.ca
Therapy Assistant Association of Alberta (ThAAA) website: thaaa.ca
Get information and referrals about career, education, and employment options from Alberta Supports.
Updated Mar 31, 2018. The information contained in this profile is current as of the dates shown. Salary, employment outlook, and educational program information may change without notice. It is advised that you confirm this information before making any career decisions.