Occupational Therapist Job Description (2026): Duties, Skills and Salary
An occupational therapist helps patients recover or build the skills needed for daily activities after injury, illness or developmental delay: dressing, cooking, writing, returning to work. They evaluate a patient's abilities, set goals with them, run therapy sessions, and adjust the plan as progress happens or stalls.
OTs work in hospitals, outpatient clinics, schools, home health and skilled nursing facilities, treating everything from stroke recovery to pediatric sensory processing. The work is hands-on and relationship-heavy, and documentation for insurance and compliance takes up a real share of the day alongside direct patient care.
Occupational Therapist job description template
Copy it, replace everything in [brackets] and cut what doesn't apply. Keep the requirements to what the job really needs.
Template · replace the [brackets]
Occupational Therapist
[Company] · [City and office days, or remote with the countries or time zones you hire in] · [Full-time]
About [Company]
[Two or three sentences on what your company does, who it serves and why this team matters now.]
About the role
[Company] is hiring an occupational therapist to provide care for [patient population] at [facility/clinic]. You'll evaluate patients, build and run treatment plans, and document progress for the care team and payers.
What you'll do
- Evaluate new patients and set functional goals based on diagnosis and history.
- Design and deliver individualized treatment plans for [patient population].
- Run therapy sessions using [modalities, e.g. therapeutic exercise, adaptive equipment training].
- Document evaluations, progress notes and discharge summaries per [EHR/payer] requirements.
- Communicate with physicians, families and other care team members on patient progress.
- Recommend adaptive equipment and home or workplace modifications.
- Supervise occupational therapy assistants or students as assigned.
- Keep caseload and scheduling on track to meet productivity and compliance targets.
What you'll bring
- Master's or doctoral degree in occupational therapy from an accredited program.
- Active state OT license, or eligibility to obtain one in [state].
- NBCOT certification.
- [X]+ years of clinical experience, or completed fieldwork for new graduates.
- Strong documentation skills for insurance and regulatory compliance.
- Clear communication with patients, families and multidisciplinary care teams.
Nice to have
- Experience with [population, e.g. pediatrics, geriatrics or hand therapy].
- Certification in a specialty area such as CHT or SIPT.
- Experience with [EHR system].
- Bilingual ability relevant to the patient population served.
What we offer
- [Pay range: e.g. $X–$Y base salary, plus bonus or equity if offered]
- [Continuing education allowance, license renewal reimbursement, flexible scheduling]
- [Health cover, retirement or pension plan, paid time off, parental leave]
- [Work authorization: whether you can sponsor a visa or hire through an employer of record]
[Our process: a recruiter call to confirm license status, a clinical interview with the therapy team, a facility tour or shadow shift, and a reference and credential check.]
[Your equal opportunity statement, and how candidates can ask for adjustments during the process]
Put the pay range in the ad. Several US states, including California, Colorado, New York and Washington, require it in job postings, and the EU Pay Transparency Directive gives applicants the right to know the starting pay or its range before the interview.
Occupational Therapist duties by seniority
What the job usually looks like at each level. Pitch the ad at one level and say which in the title.
Junior
- Treats a standard caseload under supervision or mentorship.
- Builds documentation speed and accuracy on common diagnoses.
- Learns facility-specific protocols and equipment.
Mid-level
- Manages a full independent caseload across common diagnoses.
- Trains new therapists and occupational therapy assistants.
- Takes on more complex cases within their scope.
Senior
- Handles the most complex or specialized cases in the department.
- Leads clinical quality initiatives or precepts students and new hires.
- May move into clinical supervision, program development or education.
Occupational Therapist career path
- OT Fieldwork / New Grad
- Occupational Therapist
- Senior Occupational Therapist
- Clinical Supervisor or OT Manager
Entry requires a graduate degree, licensure and supervised fieldwork, so most people enter straight after their program. From there, therapists specialize in a population or setting, move into supervision or clinical education, or open a private practice.
Similar roles
- Physical Therapist job description
Focuses on movement, strength and pain rather than daily living skills.
- Speech-Language Pathologist job description
Treats communication and swallowing rather than functional daily tasks.
- Nurse Practitioner job description
Diagnoses and manages medical treatment rather than rehabilitation therapy.
- Social Worker job description
Coordinates care and resources rather than delivering hands-on therapy.
Occupational Therapist job description FAQ
What does an occupational therapist do?
Evaluates patients' ability to perform daily activities, then builds and delivers treatment plans to help them regain or build those skills after injury, illness or developmental delay. The role includes significant documentation for insurance and compliance.
What's the difference between an OT and a physical therapist?
Physical therapists focus on movement, strength and pain, often after surgery or injury. Occupational therapists focus on the skills needed for daily activities like dressing, cooking or returning to work, which can overlap with PT but has a different goal.
What licenses does an occupational therapist job description need to mention?
State licensure and NBCOT certification should be listed as requirements, along with the degree level expected. If the role supervises assistants or students, that should be stated too.