Kind of off topic..COTA

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My newly certified COTA friend just told me that after gaining experience she will make almost as much as some NP's do. I really do not know much about her occupation, but do know that she earned an Associates. Do COTA's really make that much? I am not saying a person of this occupation does not deserve to be well paid (I would go crazy from boredom and repitition), but THAT much after two years of schooling? NP school sounds icky now, lol.

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What's COTA?

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Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant :)

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Specializes in Emergency.

According to Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant Salary | Salary.com the median salary of a COTA is $53k.

Same site Nurse Practitioner Salary | Salary.com NP median salary is $95k.

I'm sure if she gets a job paying the top dollar for her profession and finds someone making in the bottom 10 percentile of the NP scale she will make almost as much as that individual.

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That makes more sense!

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Specializes in Outpatient Psychiatry.

I graduated high school with a guy who became a PTA. He was very intelligent and equally had as much common sense. When he finished his associate's degree, that quickly yielded a high paying job, I was still slaving away at my first bachelor's degree in uselessness. I used to give him heck about being a PT "assistant." He put down his beer one day, at the ripe age of 21, and said, "I make $54,000 a year and have nights and weekends off. Don't you have homework tonight?" He went back to drinking his beer while I tried to wish my ecology paper away.

That, btw, in our hometown was a HUGE sum of money.

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From what I gather, OTAs and PTAs make that much out of the gate and generally stay I'm that ballpark. Nurses may make bit more but we have to have the years of experience to hit what is the "average" nursing salary. If that makes sense.

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Specializes in Outpatient Psychiatry.
From what I gather, OTAs and PTAs make that much out of the gate and generally stay I'm that ballpark. Nurses may make bit more but we have to have the years of experience to hit what is the "average" nursing salary. If that makes sense.

It makes total sense, and I'd bet Will's salary is the same 12 years later excluding employer-sponsored COLA.

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Specializes in Home Health, Podiatry, Neurology, Case Mgmt.

When I worked at Fort Knox at the hospitals the COTA's made mid to high 50's per year (in KY), while the Occupatitional Therapists made 75K starting up to the 100's with experience. BSN RN's made about 50K range as well so seems close. My mom is a Respiratory Therapist and after graduating with her Associates and CRT she hit the floor making $25/hr, with a second certification of RRT (no more school just an additional two tests for certification) she would hit the $30's/hr starting out, while as a BSN RN my first floor job in the hospital was $23.50- INCLUDING shift diff! =) She is stuck between $25/hr and $32/hr unless she takes on a travel position though and that is with almost 6yrs of experience. (these rates were from OHIO and Northern FL)

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