Occupational Therapy Assistant Salary in Texas: $81,288 (2026)

Quick Answer:Across Texas's 109 metropolitan areas, the average median occupational therapy assistant pay sits at $81,288/year heading into 2026 — a figure projected from 2025 BLS OEWS wage data for SOC 31-2011. Because Texas sits at BEA RPP 96.0 (4% below the U.S. baseline), that statewide median translates to roughly $84,675 in nationally-comparable purchasing power. Highest-paying metros: Port Arthur ($84,503), San Marcos ($83,401), Beaumont ($82,610).

Occupational Therapy Assistant Salary in Texas - 2025 BLS Data Infographic — Texas occupational therapy assistant salary overview (2026)

$81,288

Avg Median Salary

$39.08

Avg Hourly Rate

6,454

Metro Employed

109

Cities

In Texas, occupational therapy assistants can expect an average median salary of $81,288 in 2026, which is notably higher than the national median of $74,332, reflecting a 9.4% advantage. Port Arthur leads with the highest salary at $86,878, while Laredo presents the lowest figure at $65,891, resulting in a salary gap of $20,987. This disparity can be attributed to factors such as local demand for services, cost of living, and the availability of healthcare facilities. Texas has specific state licensing requirements that occupational therapy assistants must meet, along with defined scope of practice laws, which can influence job desirability and salary levels. The job market demonstrates a stable outlook with a projected annual growth rate of 2.81%, indicating a steady demand for occupational therapy assistants. As the total employment of occupational therapy assistants in Texas is approximately 6,454, cities like San Marcos ($85,745), Beaumont ($84,931), Round Rock ($84,376), and Austin ($83,790) also offer competitive salaries, underlining the diverse opportunities across the state. Overall, Texas presents a dynamic landscape for occupational therapy assistants, supported by a growing job market and varied salary potential.

Texas Occupational Therapy Assistant Salary Range

Entry Level (10th %ile)

$62,784

avg across 109 cities

Median

$81,288

state average

Top Earners (90th %ile)

$97,312

avg across 109 cities

Overall salary range in Texas: $35,881 (lowest entry-level) to $110,100 (highest top earner)

Texas vs National Average

Texas

$81,288

National Median

$74,332

Texas occupational therapy assistants earn 9.36% more than the national median (+$6,956/year difference).

Texas Occupational Therapy Assistant Salary Distribution (2026)

Occupational Therapy Assistant salaries in Texas range from $62,784 (entry-level, 10th percentile) to $97,312 (top earners, 90th percentile), with a median of $81,288. The Texas median is $6,956 above the US national median of $74,332. The average hourly rate is $39.08/hr. Approximately 6,454 occupational therapy assistants are employed across 109 cities.

2019 BLS Actual

$65,335

2025 BLS Actual

$79,066

2026 Current Est.

$81,288

2019–2027 Growth

+27.9%

Salary Trajectory for Occupational Therapy Assistants in Texas (2019–2027)

2019–2025: actual BLS OEWS data for this metro area. 2026+: CAGR 2.81% projection.

BLS Actual Estimated Projected

Year	Annual Salary	Status
2019	$65,335	Actual
2020	$67,994	Actual
2021	$75,153	Actual
2022	$76,190	Actual
2023	$73,310	Actual
2024	$75,998	Actual
2025	$79,066	Actual
2026(current)	$81,288	Estimated
2027	$83,572	Projected

Based on 7 years of BLS OEWS data for the Texas metropolitan area, the median occupational therapy assistant salary grew 21.0% from $65,335 (2019) to $79,066 (2025). At a 2.81% compound annual growth rate, salaries are projected to reach $83,572 by 2027 — a total increase of $18,237 (27.91%) from 2019.

Note: Historical values (2019–2025) are actual BLS OEWS figures for the Texas metropolitan area, sourced from annual Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys. 2026–2026 figures are current estimates, and 2027 values are projections, calculated using a 2.81% CAGR derived from 7-year BLS historical data. Actual salaries may vary based on employer, experience, certifications, and local market conditions.

Top 5 Highest Paying Cities in Texas

Port Arthur

12 employed · $41.77/hr

$86,878

+6.88% vs avg

San Marcos

13 employed · $41.23/hr

$85,745

+5.48% vs avg

Beaumont

70 employed · $40.84/hr

$84,931

+4.48% vs avg

Round Rock

26 employed · $40.57/hr

$84,376

+3.80% vs avg

Austin

1,190 employed · $40.29/hr

$83,790

+3.08% vs avg

Lowest Paying Cities in Texas

City	Median Salary	vs State Avg	Hourly
Laredo	$65,891	-18.94%	$31.68
Tomball	$71,828	-11.64%	$34.53
Murphy	$72,405	-10.93%	$34.81
Horizon City	$72,894	-10.33%	$35.05
Stephenville	$73,212	-9.94%	$35.20

Best Value Cities for Occupational Therapy Assistants in Texas

When adjusted for local cost of living, these Texas cities offer the most purchasing power for occupational therapy assistants.

City	Nominal Salary	CoL Index	Adjusted Salary
Texarkana	$81,960	84.012	$97,557
Beaumont	$84,931	90.046	$94,320
Port Arthur	$86,878	96	$90,498
Lubbock	$81,929	91.317	$89,719
San Marcos	$85,745	96	$89,318

Adjusted salary = nominal salary × (100 / CoL index). CoL index: 100 = national average. Lower index = lower cost of living.

Salary by Experience Level in Texas

Experience Level	Estimated Annual	Est. Hourly	Description
Entry Level (0-2 years)	$62,784	$30.18	10th percentile, new graduates
Mid Career (3-7 years)	$81,288	$39.08	50th percentile, median salary
Experienced (7+ years)	$97,312	$46.78	90th percentile, top earners

Estimates based on BLS percentile data averaged across Texas metro areas. Individual pay varies by employer, certifications, and specialization.

All 109 Cities in Texas

#	City	Median Salary	Hourly	Entry (P10)	Top (P90)	Employed
1	Port Arthur	$86,878	$41.77	$61,900	$105,498	12
2	San Marcos	$85,745	$41.23	$60,796	$104,191	13
3	Beaumont	$84,931	$40.84	$59,321	$97,269	70
4	Round Rock	$84,376	$40.57	$56,747	$110,100	26
5	Austin	$83,790	$40.29	$83,790	$98,595	1,190
6	Houston	$83,626	$40.21	$63,629	$96,713	900
7	Dallas	$83,451	$40.12	$55,774	$97,875	1,220
8	Fort Worth	$82,907	$39.86	$58,855	$109,290	219
9	The Woodlands	$82,625	$39.73	$59,343	$104,890	21
10	Pasadena	$82,532	$39.67	$59,462	$104,367	32
11	New Braunfels	$82,174	$39.51	$56,340	$100,443	15
12	Irving	$82,087	$39.47	$54,710	$103,740	51
13	Texarkana	$81,960	$39.41	$64,133	$89,414	40
14	Lubbock	$81,929	$39.39	$62,652	$97,269	70
15	Plano	$81,816	$39.34	$54,351	$102,547	57
16	Arlington	$81,765	$39.31	$54,067	$105,436	83
17	San Antonio	$81,467	$39.17	$65,367	$96,508	420
18	Garland	$81,390	$39.13	$53,492	$109,710	43
19	Frisco	$81,100	$38.99	$52,778	$108,706	38
20	Conroe	$79,438	$38.19	$56,803	$96,515	15
21	Waco	$79,338	$38.14	$62,611	$93,434	50
22	Richardson	$79,290	$38.12	$52,829	$97,627	24
23	Carrollton	$79,278	$38.11	$52,800	$102,930	20
24	Grand Prairie	$79,145	$38.05	$52,424	$102,281	43
25	Amarillo	$78,876	$37.92	$55,867	$90,730	90
26	Galveston	$78,564	$37.77	$54,679	$96,547	10
27	DeSoto	$78,508	$37.74	$54,549	$101,351	9
28	Killeen	$78,434	$37.71	$51,734	$97,269	90
29	Missouri City	$78,428	$37.70	$54,443	$101,285	12
30	San Angelo	$78,405	$37.69	$57,011	$100,031	22
31	Abilene	$78,285	$37.64	$56,659	$102,343	26
32	Longview	$78,208	$37.60	$56,165	$97,351	50
33	Midland	$78,171	$37.58	$56,163	$99,260	27
34	Sugar Land	$78,094	$37.55	$56,305	$99,010	21
35	Allen	$78,088	$37.55	$56,212	$98,786	19
36	League City	$78,018	$37.51	$55,820	$98,761	22
37	Cedar Park	$77,983	$37.49	$53,343	$99,610	12
38	Georgetown	$77,956	$37.47	$53,039	$99,728	12
39	Baytown	$77,925	$37.46	$53,286	$94,677	16
40	Denton	$77,880	$37.44	$55,818	$98,306	33
41	Wylie	$77,869	$37.43	$52,840	$94,497	10
42	Cleburne	$77,858	$37.43	$57,354	$94,512	7
43	Mesquite	$77,848	$37.42	$55,746	$98,202	21
44	College Station	$77,796	$37.40	$35,881	$91,593	40
45	Temple	$77,790	$37.40	$57,775	$97,400	14
46	Pharr	$77,789	$37.40	$52,975	$98,979	18
47	McKinney	$77,778	$37.39	$55,276	$97,975	44
48	Pearland	$77,619	$37.32	$55,153	$97,255	19
49	Burleson	$77,566	$37.29	$56,729	$91,076	11
50	Odessa	$77,468	$37.25	$54,891	$96,965	17
51	Pflugerville	$77,466	$37.25	$52,239	$98,123	16
52	Cedar Hill	$77,432	$37.23	$56,406	$93,395	8
53	Tyler	$77,395	$37.21	$51,415	$94,318	70
54	Flower Mound	$77,243	$37.13	$57,912	$97,395	12
55	Kyle	$77,193	$37.11	$57,796	$97,035	13
56	Del Rio	$77,104	$37.07	$55,537	$89,433	9
57	Coppell	$76,922	$36.98	$55,182	$96,326	8
58	Forney	$76,801	$36.92	$54,892	$91,394	6
59	El Paso	$76,737	$36.89	$62,015	$91,953	130
60	Rowlett	$76,722	$36.89	$54,143	$95,707	15
61	The Colony	$76,606	$36.83	$54,430	$90,591	9
62	Anna	$76,576	$36.82	$54,358	$95,405	4
63	Wichita Falls	$76,542	$36.81	$73,489	$98,800	50
64	Corpus Christi	$76,521	$36.80	$50,994	$83,471	80
65	Huntsville	$76,491	$36.78	$54,155	$94,942	11
66	Mission	$76,468	$36.76	$52,770	$98,167	22
67	Mansfield	$76,250	$36.66	$55,293	$94,191	18
68	Weatherford	$76,236	$36.65	$53,553	$89,431	9
69	Euless	$76,201	$36.63	$55,492	$94,032	14
70	Weslaco	$76,150	$36.61	$53,352	$93,857	9
71	Hurst	$76,114	$36.59	$53,267	$89,242	9
72	Grapevine	$76,021	$36.55	$55,078	$96,231	12
73	Leander	$76,002	$36.54	$54,725	$93,399	11
74	Little Elm	$75,998	$36.54	$52,994	$88,881	12
75	Lancaster	$75,931	$36.51	$52,838	$93,353	8
76	North Richland Hills	$75,878	$36.48	$54,751	$93,003	17
77	Duncanville	$75,865	$36.48	$52,681	$93,141	8
78	McAllen	$75,792	$36.44	$50,521	$91,449	120
79	Victoria	$75,792	$36.44	$68,605	$95,418	60
80	Copperas Cove	$75,719	$36.41	$58,585	$92,679	7
81	Friendswood	$75,706	$36.39	$58,236	$92,640	8
82	Harlingen	$75,540	$36.31	$53,202	$90,957	14
83	Seguin	$75,391	$36.24	$57,714	$91,459	7
84	Rockwall	$75,288	$36.20	$57,546	$91,322	12
85	Corinth	$75,209	$36.16	$56,831	$85,656	6
86	Schertz	$75,142	$36.13	$54,856	$90,678	6
87	Corsicana	$75,079	$36.10	$56,508	$85,079	6
88	San Juan	$75,026	$36.07	$56,920	$93,158	9
89	Kingsville	$75,019	$36.07	$56,905	$90,298	5
90	Prosper	$75,002	$36.06	$56,862	$90,429	7
91	Sachse	$74,813	$35.96	$56,413	$89,841	5
92	Bastrop	$74,802	$35.96	$55,822	$86,982	6
93	Socorro	$74,673	$35.90	$56,003	$91,863	5
94	Eagle Pass	$74,534	$35.83	$55,436	$88,974	5
95	Keller	$74,424	$35.78	$55,492	$88,635	7
96	Sherman	$74,418	$35.78	$55,477	$88,616	9
97	Lufkin	$74,339	$35.74	$55,290	$88,186	8
98	Haltom City	$74,333	$35.74	$55,198	$88,122	11
99	Nacogdoches	$74,333	$35.74	$55,198	$88,168	7
100	Benbrook	$74,272	$35.71	$54,516	$89,795	6
101	Brownsville	$74,219	$35.69	$55,219	$88,077	80
102	University Park	$74,201	$35.68	$54,342	$89,575	5
103	Edinburg	$73,970	$35.56	$52,022	$92,079	22
104	Fredericksburg	$73,736	$35.45	$57,195	$88,138	5
105	Stephenville	$73,212	$35.20	$58,174	$82,160	6
106	Horizon City	$72,894	$35.05	$57,306	$85,389	6
107	Murphy	$72,405	$34.81	$56,183	$86,394	5
108	Tomball	$71,828	$34.53	$54,776	$82,357	5
109	Laredo	$65,891	$31.68	$48,208	$84,962	50

More Texas Salary Data

Hourly Rates

Explore occupational therapy assistant hourly pay in Texas cities.

Port Arthur →San Marcos →Beaumont →

Entry Level

Starting salaries for new occupational therapy assistants.

Port Arthur →San Marcos →Beaumont →

Senior / Experienced

Top earner salaries for experienced occupational therapy assistants.

Port Arthur →San Marcos →Beaumont →

Compare Cities in Texas

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View all comparisons →

Explore More Occupational Therapy Assistant Salary Data

National OverviewMedian salary & full US data Entry-Level SalariesStarting pay & new grad earnings Hourly Pay RatesPer-hour rates & part-time income Highest Paying StatesTop states ranked by salary

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do occupational therapy assistants make in Texas in 2026?

The average median occupational therapy assistant salary in Texas is $81,288/year across 109 metro areas, based on estimated 2026 (projected from 2025 BLS data). Salaries range from $65,891 in Laredo to $86,878 in Port Arthur. This makes Texas one of the higher-paying states, at 9.36% above the national median of $74,332. The state employs approximately 6,454 occupational therapy assistants.

What is the highest paying city for occupational therapy assistants in Texas?

Port Arthur offers the highest occupational therapy assistant salary in Texas at $86,878/year ($41.77/hr), based on estimated 2026 (projected from 2025 BLS data). The top 3 highest-paying cities are Port Arthur ($86,878), San Marcos ($85,745), Beaumont ($84,931). Higher pay in these metros is typically driven by cost of living, demand for occupational therapy services, and competition among employers for licensed occupational therapy assistants.

How does Texas occupational therapy assistant pay compare to the national average?

Texas's average occupational therapy assistant salary of $81,288 is 9.36% above the national median of $74,332 in 2026. The state employs approximately 6,454 occupational therapy assistants across 109 metropolitan areas. When comparing salaries, consider cost-of-living differences — a lower nominal salary in an affordable area may provide better purchasing power than a higher salary in an expensive metro.

What is the entry-level occupational therapy assistant salary in Texas?

Entry-level occupational therapy assistants (10th percentile) in Texas earn approximately $62,784/year on average, based on estimated 2026 (projected from 2025 BLS data). Starting salaries range from $35,881 in lower-paying areas to $83,790 in the highest-paying metros. New graduates should expect salaries at the lower end and can typically reach the area median within 3–5 years of clinical experience.

How many occupational therapy assistants are employed in Texas?

Texas employs approximately 6,454 occupational therapy assistants across 109 metropolitan areas, based on the latest BLS data. This makes Texas one of the larger employers of occupational therapy assistants nationally. Demand continues to grow as the occupational therapy field expands and the population ages.

Which Texas city offers the best value for occupational therapy assistants?

When adjusted for cost of living, Texarkana offers the highest purchasing power for occupational therapy assistants in Texas, with an adjusted salary of $97,557 (nominal: $81,960, CoL index: 84.012). This means your dollar goes 19% further compared to the national average, making it an attractive option for maximizing real income.

Written by Jordan Lee, MS, OTR/L

Career Analyst

Jordan Lee has 10 years of experience as an occupational therapist. Their specialty is working with children with developmental disorders. They have worked in various healthcare settings including schools and rehabilitation facilities.

Clinically reviewed by Maria Gonzalez, COTA/LData verified by Samuel Chen, OTR/L

Methodology & Data Source

Statewide salary figures on this page are 2026 projections based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2026 release. A 2.81% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), derived from 6-year national BLS wage trends, was applied to each metro area's reported salary to estimate current 2026 occupational therapy assistant compensation across Texas. State averages are employment-weighted across 109 metro areas — larger metro areas with more occupational therapy assistantscontribute proportionally more to the average, producing figures that better reflect typical compensation. Individual pay varies by city, employer, certifications, and experience.

Data Sources & Methodology

Source: BLS, OEWS, 7-year dataset (2019–2025). Per-city data from annual BLS metropolitan area surveys.

2026 figures are projected from 2025 BLS data using a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.81%, derived from historical BLS wage trends for occupational therapy assistants (SOC 31-2011).

Compiled and verified by Jordan Lee, MS, OTR/L, a licensed occupational therapy assistant with 10+ years of clinical experience. · View source data at BLS.gov

Last verified: June 10, 2026

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