Mercy Medical Center Merced logo
Mercy Medical Center Merced
Merced, California

Occupational Therapist

Occupational TherapistFull-Time

Listed compensation

$49.38-$66.46/hr

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 1mo ago

Job Description

Where You’ll Work

Founded in 1873, Dignity Health - Mercy Medical Center is a 186-bed, acute care, nonprofit hospital located in Merced, California. Serving over 150,000 patients annually, the hospital offers a full complement of services including a Level II NICU, heart care, the Mercy Cancer Center, and a family birth center.

Additionally, Merced Medical Center has been recognized as an LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality High Performer by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation and is a Joint Commission-certified Primary Stroke Center.

One Community. One Mission. One California

Job Summary and Responsibilities

As our Occupational Therapist, you will provide essential in-home occupational therapy services under a physician's orders. Your role involves evaluating home safety, assessing functional needs, and implementing tailored treatment to promote independence.

Every day, you will evaluate home safety, assess the functional needs of patients with physical disabilities, and then develop, plan, and implement individualized occupational therapy treatment procedures.

To be successful, you will demonstrate strong skills in assessment, treatment planning, and implementation for in-home care. Excellent communication for patient education and a commitment to promoting independence and safety are essential.

Provides ongoing evaluation, treatment, planning, and direct or consultative therapist services to patients, including assessment and patient teaching under the scope of practice as an Occupational Therapist. Patients include, but are not limited to, pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric patients.

Bases upon the treatment diagnosis of the patient, associated with age of patient, past medical history and/or other diagnoses present, objectively and quantifiably assess a baseline level of physical functions for each patient referred

Based upon the initial assessment of the patient, identify functional needs and establish appropriate long and short-term functional treatment goals

Demonstrates satisfactory ability to apply technical skills into the planning of effective treatment programs

Demonstrates satisfactory ability to establish effective rapport with patients, family members, significant others, and visitors

Respect the personal dignity of each patient and hone the confidentiality of all information relative to the patient-therapist relationship.

Demonstrate satisfactory ability to channel the patient's motivational forces toward the achievement of therapeutic goals

Utilizes therapeutic equipment including electrotherapeutic equipment which, when used appropriately and correctly, is not hazardous

  • Job Requirements
  • Required
  • Occupational Therapist: CA, upon hire and
  • American Heart Association Basic Life Support - CPR, upon hire and
  • Driver's License: CA, upon hire and
  • Auto Insurance, upon hire

Key Responsibilities

The Occupational Therapist will provide in-home therapy services by evaluating patient functional needs and home safety. They are responsible for developing and implementing individualized treatment plans to promote patient independence and safety.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a valid California Occupational Therapist license and American Heart Association Basic Life Support certification. A valid driver's license and auto insurance are also required for in-home visits.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure

Certifications

BLS

Key Skills

Home safety evaluationPatient assessmentFunctional needs assessmentRehabilitationClinical documentation

Occupational Therapist Career Context

In California, the Occupational Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$117k (932 salary observations; 2,030 listings), vs ~$97k nationally (6,625 salary observations; 25,396 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2026-01-01 through 2026-10-01; these are not the modal's selected comparable-job medians.

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$120k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $109k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 40 active Occupational Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 43% have no call, 60% require no weekends.

Occupational Therapy pay on WeekdayDoc is up 1.5% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Occupational Therapist at Mercy Medical Center Merced a 6.4 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the Above average in Occupational Therapy — ranked against 9,297 active Occupational Therapy listings on WeekdayDoc.

Top Occupational Therapist Jobs

24 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution24 jobs · 15 employers

1
$90k
7
$95k-105k
7
$105k-110k
4
$110k-140k
5
$140k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks23 jobs · 15 employers

401k / retirement match
91%
CME allowance
57%
Sign-on bonus
43%
Loan repayment
13%
PSLF eligible
9%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Home Health Occupational TherapistPer Diem

Ace Home Health Care & Hospice · San Jose, California

$154k-$207k
#2

Occupational Hand Therapist II, Ambulatory

Sutter Health · Yuba City, California

$122k-$171k
#3

Occupational Therapist (Home Health)

$130k-$160k
#4

Occupational Therapist Matawan NJ

$140k
+ 22 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 4.8this job 6.4
Better work-life than 70% of Occupational Therapy listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 9,297 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in Merced

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$373k
Typical market rent
$2,028/mo
Residents’ average commute
29 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
98.3
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Aug 2026), Zillow market rents (Aug 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

BEA 2024 · Merced, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.

Mercy Medical Center Merced logo

About Mercy Medical Center Merced

Hospitals and Health Care
Merced, CA
11-50 employees