Therapy and Assessment Professionals (NOC 314)

What They Do Audiologists and speech-language pathologists diagnose, evaluate, and treat human communication disorders including hearing, speech, language, and voice disorders. Physiotherapists assess patients; provide preventive, diagnostic, and treatment services to restore or maintain function; alleviate pain; and prevent disability or physical dysfunction. Occupational therapists utilize a systematic approach based on evidence and professional reasoning to enable individuals, groups and communities to develop the means and opportunities to identify, engage in, and improve their function in the occupations of life. Occupational therapists use a process involving assessment, intervention and evaluation of progress of the client related to their occupational performance in self-care, work, study, volunteerism and leisure. Occupational therapists may advise on health risks in the workplace, mental health promotion programs, and active living programs for seniors. Occupational therapists deliver direct professional services but may also perform functions as manager, researcher, program developer or educator. Art, dance, music, athletic, and recreational therapists and remedial gymnasts plan and carry out specialized programs to aid in the treatment of mental/physical disabilities.

Where They Find Work —    Top Occupational Areas Health care and social assistance 93% Educational services 5% People in this group work in: Hospitals, day clinics, and extended care facilities Educational, rehabilitation, and public health institutions Recreational centres and prisons Private practice The unionization rate (64%) is above the average (32%) for all occupations. The highest concentrations (per 10,000 people) of are found in Alberta and Prince Edward Island while the lowest concentrations are in New Brunswick and Newfoundland.

Related Occupation(s) Other Technical Occupations in Health Care (Except Dental) (NOC 323) Occupational Therapists (NOC 3143) Physiotherapists (NOC 3142)

Something to Think About To enhance your professional knowledge and broaden your opportunities, consider: Keeping constantly updated in your specialty Improving interpersonal skills Learning business management Finding out about telemedicine

Use the "Where They Find Work" graph to target your worksearch. It may be easier to get into industries with the most people in this field. Want to work in an industry that hires fewer workers in this field? To be more marketable, check out whether you have the most up-to-date knowledge and technology skills for that industry. Check the provincial/territorial or local information (http://www.labourmarketinformation.ca) for opportunities in your area.

What You Need To be a therapy or assessment professional, you need a college or university program in your area of work, a period of supervised training, and credentials such as a licence or membership in a professional association. To be an audiologist or speech-language pathologist, you need a master's degree or equivalent in your chosen area of practice. You may need certification with a professional association and a licence in the province/territory where you'll work. To be a physiotherapist, you must have a professional master's degree in physiotherapy and a period of supervised practical training. To practise, you need a licence or registration in the province/territory where you'll work. To be an occupational therapist, you need a university degree in occupational therapy--an accredited program that includes supervised field work. You also need a licence in the province/territory where you'll work, except in British Columbia. To be an art therapist, you need a graduate degree in art therapy. To be a dance therapist, you must have a bachelor's degree in psychology or dance/movement therapy, or an approved graduate program in dance/movement therapy. To be an athletic therapist, you usually require a bachelor's degree in sports studies or exercise science or a college program in sports injury management. To be a remedial gymnast, you need an approved college program in remedial gymnastics. Most recent entrants have an undergraduate university degree.

Required/Related    Educational Programs* This will let you explore the program(s) of study that lead to this (these) occupation(s). Social Services (C891) Physical Education (U240) Rehabilitation Medicine (U590) *  These educational programs are listed in the order in which they are most likely to supply graduates to this occupation.

Useful Experience/Skills Multidisciplinary teamwork Committee work Interpersonal skills Program development		Useful High School Subjects Biology Chemistry English Physical Education
Depending on your background, this Education, Training, and Experience info will help you to: Choose your high school courses Plan your post-secondary program Choose relevant volunteer work Decide what new skills to learn Read job ads, professional journals, and newspapers for what the industry needs and employers want. Talk to employers and employees to find out the exceptional skills and knowledge that will help you land a job.

Current Conditions Your work prospects are rated GOOD because: Employement grew at an above-average rate. Hourly wages ($26.08) are above the average ($18.07), and the rate of wage growth is also above average. The unemployment rate (2%) is below the 2004 average (7%).

Work Prospects Current   Good   2009   Good

Outlook to 2009 Your work prospects will continue to be GOOD because: The employment growth rate will likely be above average because of ongoing trends--a growing and aging population that requires more health services, technology advances that improve the ability to diagnose/treat diseases, and increased government funding for health care. Although the retirement rate will likely be below average, the number of retiring workers should contribute to job openings. The number of job seekers will likely exceed the number of job openings. This will not be significant enough to have an impact on the work prospects.

Preparing for the Competition You should seek opportunities in business as well as with community agencies.

If you are beginning your career investigation, national outlooks will give you a good overview of trends. Ready to explore an occupation in more detail? Check provincial/territorial or local outlooks (http://www.labourmarketinformation.ca).

What you can expect to make (Average Hourly Earnings ($/hour))
Age Group This Occupation All Occupations 20-24 $20.29 $11.74 25-54 $26.65 $19.76 55+ $27.71 $19.59 Overall Average for Ages (20+) This Occupation All Occupations $26.08 $18.07		Hourly wages ($26.08) are above the national average ($18.07). These earnings are above average for occupations in the health sector and close to the average for all professional occupations. These wages grew at an above-average rate from 2002 to 2004.
Your salary can be affected by your background, the company's size and benefits, and the region and setting (urban or rural). Check out salaries in your own region by seeking info from: Employees/unions/associations Employers/human resource people Training institutions and placement services Company websites Professional/trade journals

Below the average
The unemployment rate (2%) is below the 2004 average (7%). This rate is close to the average for professionnal occupations. A low unemployment rate often means less competition for the jobs available. But you still need to have the required training and experience. A high unemployment rate doesn't necessarily mean you'll have great difficulty getting hired. But it can mean a fluctuating demand for workers, and you may experience bouts of unemployment.		Year This Occupation All Occupations 1991 3% 10% 1992 2% 11% 1993 1% 11% 1994 2% 10% 1995 1% 10% 1996 2% 10% 1997 1% 9% 1998 2% 8% 1999 1% 8% 2000 1% 7% 2001 1% 7% 2002 1% 8% 2003 1% 8% 2004 2% 7%

% of Part-time work is above average
This Occupation All Occupations Full-time 73% 81% Part-time 27% 19%		There were 44,300 workers employed in these occupations in 2004, an increase of 34% since 1997. The percentage of part-time workers (27%) is above the 2004 average (19%) and has stayed about the same since 1997.
When full-time work is difficult to find, look at alternatives such as contract work, consulting, shared positions, and telework.

Average
The percentage of self-employed workers is 20% compared to the 2004 average of 15% and has risen since 1997.		This Occupation All Occupations Self-Employed 20% 15%
Does this occupation have an above-average rate of self-employment? Consider being your own boss if you can't find work with an employer.

Age Group This Occupation All Occupations 20-24 6% 10% 25-54 87% 72% 55+ 7% 12%		The younger-than-average age (38) of worker will likely result in a below-average retirement rate to 2009.
Look at the youngest group. A low percentage means fewer openings for brand-new workers. A high percentage means more openings for brand-new workers. Look at the oldest age group. A high percentage means positions could open up from retirements. This could be significant for both mid-career changers and brand-new workers.

Above average
The percentage of women (94%) is above the 2004 average of 48% and has stayed about the same since 1997.		This Occupation All Occupations Percent Women 94% 48%

This page last modified on: 2007-03-31