Occupational Therapy Assistant Salary in North Carolina (2026)

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupational therapy assistant wages in North Carolina vary by metro area, experience, and specialization. Below you will find detailed salary data and wage percentile breakdowns.

Occupational-Therapy-Assistant Salary in North Carolina

Median Salary $69,390 $33.36/hr
Average Salary $69,270 $33.30/hr
State National Diff
Median Wage $69,390 $72,300 -4.0%
Mean Wage $69,270 $70,710 -2.0%

Salary Range

$55,130 10th pctl
$69,390 Median
$83,360 90th pctl
10th Percentile $55,130 $26.50/hr
25th Percentile $62,110 $29.86/hr
75th Percentile $76,420 $36.74/hr
90th Percentile $83,360 $40.08/hr

Employment & Outlook

Total Employed1,590
Jobs per 1,0000.3

Occupational Therapy Assistants (31-2011) • BLS OEWS, May 2025 • bls.gov/oes

Occupational Therapy Assistant Wages by Metro Area in North Carolina

Occupational Therapy Assistants Wages by Metro Area in North Carolina

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics ( OES data), occupational therapy assistants wages in North Carolina vary by metro area.

Metro AreaEmploymentMedian Annual WageAvg. Annual WageEntry Level
(10th pctile)
Experienced
(90th pctile)
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia450$72,780$70,690$58,430$79,210
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk300$65,730$68,830$57,740$81,260
Raleigh-Cary170$75,620$74,360$57,020$101,430
Winston-Salem90$70,150$71,180$51,140$95,330
Greensboro-High Point80$74,290$71,890$61,420$96,310
Wilmington80$63,440$68,020$48,380$85,670
Asheville70$72,840$68,960$55,550$81,450
Fayetteville70$64,010$66,500$54,350$79,440
Greenville70$64,680$68,380$56,600$84,900
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton70$63,120$65,430$52,560$76,280
Durham-Chapel Hill60$66,230$68,460$47,850$84,420

Wages reflect survey data and vary based on experience, credentials, employer, and local market conditions. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May .

Understanding Wage Percentiles

Wage percentiles show how occupational therapy assistant salaries are distributed across North Carolina. The 10th percentile represents entry-level wages, while the 90th percentile reflects what experienced professionals earn. The median (50th percentile) is the midpoint where half of occupational therapy assistants earn more and half earn less.

These figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and reflect reported wages for North Carolina. Actual earnings depend on employer, certifications, and years of experience.

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About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.

Data sources

Figures on this page are sourced from the federal and state datasets below. Methodology: how we rank and source data.

DataProviderVintage
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMay 2025
Employment ProjectionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics2024-2034
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data SystemNational Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)2024
College Scorecard (school-level outcomes)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release
College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release (updated 2026-06-12)
Occupational licensing requirementsCareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2026-02-22)
Registered apprenticeship programsCareerOneStop / Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2025-10-25)
O*NET occupation profiles (skills, tasks, tools, job zones)U.S. Department of Labor (O*NET / Employment & Training Admin.)O*NET 29.1 (updated 2026-06-13)