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Average Occupational Therapy Assistant Salary in Brazil for 2026

An occupational therapy assistant in Brazil earns about 50,660 BRL a year. That's 50% below the national average of 101,120 BRL.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in Brazil sit around 25,660 BRL a year, while the very top stretches to 78,620 BRL. Everything on this page is in Brazilian real (BRL, symbol R$), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.

The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in Brazil, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.


How much does an occupational therapy assistant make in Brazil?

Average salary
50,660 BRL
4,221 BRL per month
Lowest reported
25,660 BRL
2,138 BRL per month
Highest reported
78,620 BRL
6,551 BRL per month

A typical occupational therapy assistant working in Brazil brings home around 4,221 BRL a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 25,660 BRL, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 78,620 BRL for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.

The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior occupational therapy assistant working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around.


How occupational therapy assistant pay ranges in Brazil

A good way to think about salary in Brazil is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all occupational therapy assistants in Brazil earn less than 49,820 BRL a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".

Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 35,300 BRL (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 60,840 BRL (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of occupational therapy assistants sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 25,660 BRL. The highest stretch to 78,620 BRL, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.

25,660
Low
49,820
Median
78,620
High
35,300
25th
60,840
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in BRL

Occupational therapy assistant pay by experience in Brazil

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for an occupational therapy assistant in Brazil, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical occupational therapy assistant salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    31,660 BRL
  • 2-5 Years
    +32% from previous
    41,900 BRL
  • 5-10 Years
    +22% from previous
    51,120 BRL
  • 10-15 Years
    +24% from previous
    63,480 BRL
  • 15-20 Years
    +9% from previous
    69,180 BRL
  • 20+ Years
    +6% from previous
    73,100 BRL

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 0 - 2 Years to 2 - 5 Years, where pay rises by about 32%. That is the point at which a occupational therapy assistant typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.


Occupational therapy assistant pay by education in Brazil

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving occupational therapy assistant pay in Brazil. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.

Below is the average occupational therapy assistant salary in Brazil broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • Certificate or Diploma
    38,060 BRL
  • Bachelor's Degree
    +76% from previous
    66,960 BRL

Occupational therapy assistant gender pay gap in Brazil

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and Brazil is no exception. Male occupational therapy assistants in Brazil earn an average of 48,940 BRL a year, while female occupational therapy assistants earn around 55,140 BRL. That works out to a 11% gap in favour of women, even when comparing people doing the same work.

A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.

Occupational Therapy Assistant gender pay gap

11%

Men earn this much less than women on average in Brazil.

Women 55,140 BRL
Men 48,940 BRL

Pay raises for an occupational therapy assistant in Brazil

Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.

A typical worker doing this role in Brazil sees a raise of about 11% every 16 months, which works out to roughly 8% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.

Across all jobs in Brazil, the national average raise is around 9% every 16 months.

By industry

Industries with the highest pay raises in Brazil:

  • Banking
  • Energy
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Travel
  • Construction
  • Education

By experience level

Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.

  • Junior Level
    3% - 5%
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior Level
  • Top Management

Occupational therapy assistant bonus rates in Brazil

Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.

52%

52% of occupational therapy assistants in Brazil reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes an occupational therapy assistant a moderate-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.

Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 5% of base salary. The remaining 48% of occupational therapy assistants reported no bonus at all over the same period.

Which careers pay bonuses in Brazil

Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.

  • Finance
  • Architecture
  • Sales
  • Business Development
  • Marketing / Advertising
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Insurance
  • Customer Service
  • Human Resources
  • Construction
  • Transport
  • Hospitality

Occupational therapy assistant: public vs private sector pay

Public-sector pay in Brazil is about 7% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.

Public vs private pay gap

7%

Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in Brazil on average.

Public sector 106,500 BRL
Private sector 99,460 BRL

Occupational therapy assistant salary by city in Brazil

Occupational therapy assistant pay is not even across Brazil. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities in the dataset, followed by the full location table.

  • Brasilia
  • Sao Paulo
  • Rio de Janeiro
  • Curitiba
  • Belo Horizonte
  • Fortaleza
  • Salvador
  • Manaus
  • Recife
  • Goiania
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
BrasiliaCity58,440 BRL57,320 BRL27,620-89,120 BRL
Sao PauloCity57,900 BRL52,820 BRL29,640-86,740 BRL
Rio de JaneiroCity56,460 BRL62,420 BRL27,300-92,400 BRL
CuritibaCity56,060 BRL54,180 BRL28,660-83,100 BRL
Belo HorizonteCity54,560 BRL58,240 BRL26,500-89,800 BRL
FortalezaCity53,320 BRL59,480 BRL27,380-87,520 BRL
SalvadorCity52,820 BRL50,660 BRL29,540-80,540 BRL
ManausCity52,820 BRL52,820 BRL25,660-83,420 BRL
RecifeCity51,340 BRL48,160 BRL26,280-78,160 BRL
GoianiaCity50,340 BRL52,380 BRL23,260-77,860 BRL
Joao PessoaCity49,700 BRL50,540 BRL22,420-76,280 BRL
TeresinaCity49,360 BRL44,780 BRL24,860-75,040 BRL
CuiabaCity49,360 BRL51,080 BRL22,660-76,540 BRL
BelemCity49,200 BRL53,160 BRL22,660-80,340 BRL
Porto AlegreCity48,920 BRL48,640 BRL23,260-77,400 BRL
Sao LuisCity48,740 BRL49,300 BRL22,340-74,940 BRL
SantosCity48,340 BRL43,220 BRL25,680-71,700 BRL
NatalCity48,340 BRL49,820 BRL19,940-75,040 BRL
CampinasCity47,720 BRL46,840 BRL25,940-71,280 BRL
Vale do AcoCity47,540 BRL48,200 BRL22,540-73,040 BRL
MaceioCity46,880 BRL45,720 BRL26,020-75,260 BRL
MaringaCity45,560 BRL48,200 BRL19,060-69,540 BRL
MacapaCity45,260 BRL45,000 BRL22,400-72,700 BRL
Petrolina and JuazeiroCity44,780 BRL44,780 BRL21,980-69,040 BRL
AracajuCity43,800 BRL45,200 BRL23,660-69,540 BRL
LondrinaCity43,760 BRL41,560 BRL23,080-67,120 BRL
VitoriaCity42,960 BRL43,260 BRL24,280-68,900 BRL


Occupational Therapy Assistant in Brazil: FAQs

  • How much does an occupational therapy assistant make per month in Brazil?

    An occupational therapy assistant in Brazil earns about 4,221 BRL a month before tax, based on an annual average of 50,660 BRL.

  • What's the salary range for an occupational therapy assistant in Brazil?

    Entry-level occupational therapy assistants in Brazil start near 25,660 BRL. Top-end pay reaches around 78,620 BRL. The middle 50% of earners sit between 35,300 and 60,840 BRL.

  • Is the median occupational therapy assistant salary in Brazil higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 49,820 BRL, lower than the average of 50,660 BRL. Half of occupational therapy assistants in Brazil earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for occupational therapy assistants in Brazil?

    Men working as an occupational therapy assistant in Brazil earn around 11% less than women on average (48,940 vs 55,140 BRL a year).

  • Do occupational therapy assistants in Brazil get bonuses?

    About 52% of occupational therapy assistants in Brazil reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 5% of base salary.

  • Do occupational therapy assistants earn more in the public or private sector in Brazil?

    In Brazil, the public sector pays an occupational therapy assistant about 7% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do occupational therapy assistants in Brazil get a pay raise?

    An occupational therapy assistant in Brazil sees a raise of around 11% every 16 months, equivalent to roughly 8% a year.