What they do
Job duties for occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and speech-language pathologists, quoted from the What They Do sections of the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Assistant and aide duties are kept separate, as BLS lists them.
Quoted from official pages checked November 10, 2026. Confirm current requirements, fees, and dates on those sites. This page is not legal advice and does not guarantee eligibility, certification, or licensure.
Occupational therapists
BLS duties list and the important qualities BLS names.
Occupational therapy assistants
BLS duties for assistants, with aide duties listed separately.
Physical therapists
BLS duties list and the important qualities BLS names.
Physical therapist assistants
BLS duties for assistants, with aide duties listed separately.
Speech-language pathologists
BLS duties list and the important qualities BLS names.
BLS has no separate handbook profile for speech-language pathology assistants, so there is no SLPA duties page here. ASHA’s own description of the assistant role is quoted on how to become an SLPA.
What a licensee may do in a given state is set by that state’s practice act, not by BLS. These pages do not draw scope-of-practice lines.