Imagine that your career is like a big pot of homemade chili. If your career – like chili – has all of your favorite ingredients with just the right balance of flavor, you’re going to enjoy it. However, if it’s lacking anything, you won’t be happy with it. You’ll be left wanting something more…something different. So, you start looking for other options that better suit your taste. Turning to a comforting role in healthcare, such as an occupational therapy assistant (OTA), could be the recipe for your success.
It’s a job that has many of the ingredients that people like, which is why it’s so popular.
When you see what it has to offer, you might find that earning a 2-year college degree to begin an in-demand OTA career is right for you. Because it’s an associate degree career, it’s within reach for those who want to start a career that’s all about helping others.
Here are just a few reasons why an OTA is such an extremely popular career choice:
People are often drawn to healthcare because it is so personally fulfilling, and being an OTA is no different. Until recently, becoming an OTA has been one of the best-kept career secrets in healthcare. Now, people are discovering its professional appeal.
OTAs are healthcare professionals that have frequent contact with their clients. Occupational therapy helps clients enjoy more healthy and productive lives. For most OTAs, the opportunity to work with their clients, watch and encourage their progress, and truly making a difference is why they do what they do.
Whether it’s helping someone recovering from a stroke or an auto accident, or working with young people who have Down syndrome or autism, the OTA provides therapy to improve the quality of life for that client.
As an OTA, you will usually be able to work inside, in a professional environment. You will see an assortment of different cases and situations each day, which adds to the variety of the profession. OTAs work directly with clients implementing therapy programs, providing the opportunity to enrich each day with meaningful interactions.
After earning your OTA 2-year college degree, you can anticipate a starting wage of approximately $45,000. According to Salary.com, experienced OTAs can earn a salary of $59,000.
In addition, the profession is showing strong signs of longevity as the USBLS is showing a 31% growth for OTAs through 2028. The population aged 65+ that will double between now and 2050, and the need for therapy providers will keep OTAs in demand for years to come.
If you’re ready to explore becoming an OTA, it’s time to learn more. You can complete an OTA degree and already have two years of experience before those pursuing a four-year degree ever reach graduation. That means half the time in the classroom and you could be earning a living by simply doing what you’ve wanted to do. That really does sound like a recipe for success!
Cleveland University-Kansas City (CUKC) is a nonprofit, private, healthcare-focused university in Overland Park, Kansas. CUKC offers the A.A.S. in Occupational Therapy Assistant degree that can get you started on your OTA career path.
The College of Health Sciences accepts students into the OTA program two times per year, giving you the opportunity to start the program when you’re ready.
The OTA program at CUKC consists of 16 core courses and the 4 to 5 months of fieldwork education OTA employers seek. Concentrated eight-week courses link together classroom training and clinical experience, so you learn and apply concepts, skills, and best practices faster.
To learn more about the OTA 2-year college degree program at CUKC, start the conversation now, or download this new, free eBook: Your Complete Guide to an Occupational Therapy Assistant Career.
