Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a mental health assistant. The best states for people in this position are New York, California, New Jersey, and Minnesota. Mental health assistants make the most in New York with an average salary of $45,934. Whereas in California and New Jersey, they would average $45,572 and $45,316, respectively. While mental health assistants would only make an average of $40,983 in Minnesota, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
Additional Comments
Medicaid and Medicare: In order to be eligible for appointment and to maintain employment, you cannot be listed as an excluded individual or entity on any of the Federal and/or State Medicaid and Medicare exclusion lists (or excluded from any other Federal or Federally assisted program). If you are appointed and subsequently listed as an excluded individual or entity on any of these lists (or excluded from any other Federal or Federally assisted program), you may be terminated from your employment.
Candidates must be willing to work any shift and pass days.
This posting is to advertise the direct care Mental Health Therapy Aide (MHTA) examination. To learn more and apply for the MHTA examination, copy and paste the following link into an internet browser:
https://www.omh.ny.gov/omhweb/employment/mhta.html
All OMH employees receive a generous benefits package including:
- 13 paid vacation days the first year of employment
- 5 paid personal days and 13 paid holidays each year
- Paid sick leave
- Dental, vision and healthcare coverage
- A retirement pension plan
- Access to tuition assistance programs
These positions are eligible for a downstate adjustment of $3,026.
There are 14 positions.
Office of Mental Health (OMH) hospital employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. OMH does not allow for testing in lieu of vaccination.
Background Investigation/Justice Center Review: Prospective appointees will be: 1) Checked against the Staff Exclusion List (SEL) maintained by the Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs. Prospective employees whose names appear on the SEL as having been found responsible for serious or repeated acts of abuse or neglect will be barred from appointment and may have their names removed from the eligible list(s) for the title(s) if applicable. 2) Investigated through a Criminal Background Check (CBC), which includes State and federal Criminal History Record Checks. All convictions must be reported; conviction of a felony or misdemeanor, or any falsified or omitted information on the prospective appointee’s employment application, may bar appointment or result in removal after appointment. Each case will be determined on its own merits, consistent with the applicable provisions of State and federal laws, rules, and regulations. Prospective employees will be fingerprinted in order to obtain a record of their criminal history information, and may be required to pay any necessary fees. 3) Screened against the Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment (SCR). Prospective employees may be required to pay any necessary fees. Additionally, prospective employees whose names are indicated on the SCR may be barred from appointment.Medicaid and Medicare: In order to be eligible for appointment and to maintain employment, you cannot be listed as an excluded individual or entity on any of the Federal and/or State Medicaid and Medicare exclusion lists (or excluded from any other Federal or Federally assisted program). If you are appointed and subsequently listed as an excluded individual or entity on any of these lists (or excluded from any other Federal or Federally assisted program), you may be terminated from your employment.Candidates must be willing to work any shift and pass days.This posting is to advertise the direct care Mental Health Therapy Aide (MHTA) examination. To learn more and apply for the MHTA examination, copy and paste the following link into an internet browser:https://www.omh.ny.gov/omhweb/employment/mhta.htmlAll OMH employees receive a generous benefits package including:These positions are eligible for a downstate adjustment of $3,026.There are 14 positions.Office of Mental Health (OMH) hospital employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. OMH does not allow for testing in lieu of vaccination.
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021
31-2011 Occupational Therapy Assistants
Assist occupational therapists in providing occupational therapy treatments and procedures. May, in accordance with state laws, assist in development of treatment plans, carry out routine functions, direct activity programs, and document the progress of treatments. Generally requires formal training.
National estimates for Occupational Therapy Assistants
Industry profile for Occupational Therapy Assistants
Geographic profile for Occupational Therapy Assistants
National estimates for Occupational Therapy Assistants:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Occupational Therapy Assistants:
Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3) Mean hourly
wage Mean annual
wage (2) Wage RSE (3) 41,980 2.6 % $ 30.56 $ 63,560 0.6 %
Percentile wage estimates for Occupational Therapy Assistants:
Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 75% 90% Hourly Wage $ 22.50 $ 24.46 $ 29.68 $ 36.90 $ 38.56 Annual Wage (2) $ 46,810 $ 50,880 $ 61,730 $ 76,740 $ 80,210
Industry profile for Occupational Therapy Assistants:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Occupational Therapy Assistants are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Occupational Therapy Assistants, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Occupational Therapy Assistants:
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Occupational Therapy Assistants:
Top paying industries for Occupational Therapy Assistants:
Geographic profile for Occupational Therapy Assistants:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Occupational Therapy Assistants are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Occupational Therapy Assistants, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Occupational Therapy Assistants:
State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2) Texas 4,050 0.33 1.11 $ 34.02 $ 70,770 Ohio 3,410 0.66 2.20 $ 29.69 $ 61,760 California 3,200 0.19 0.65 $ 36.10 $ 75,080 Pennsylvania 2,690 0.48 1.62 $ 26.84 $ 55,820 Florida 2,550 0.30 1.00 $ 31.43 $ 65,370
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Occupational Therapy Assistants:
State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2) Ohio 3,410 0.66 2.20 $ 29.69 $ 61,760 Arizona 1,470 0.51 1.71 $ 28.71 $ 59,710 Rhode Island 230 0.50 1.66 $ 29.90 $ 62,190 Pennsylvania 2,690 0.48 1.62 $ 26.84 $ 55,820 Wisconsin 1,280 0.47 1.56 $ 24.88 $ 51,760
Top paying states for Occupational Therapy Assistants:
State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2) Nevada 240 0.18 0.62 $ 37.55 $ 78,100 California 3,200 0.19 0.65 $ 36.10 $ 75,080 Hawaii 80 0.15 0.50 $ 35.25 $ 73,330 New Jersey 640 0.17 0.56 $ 35.03 $ 72,860 Delaware 60 0.13 0.45 $ 34.58 $ 71,930
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Occupational Therapy Assistants:
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Occupational Therapy Assistants:
Top paying metropolitan areas for Occupational Therapy Assistants:
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Occupational Therapy Assistants:
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Occupational Therapy Assistants:
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Occupational Therapy Assistants:
About May 2021 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a “year-round, full-time” hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OEWS estimates and related information:
May 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
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