Children's Wisconsin logo
Children's Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Inpatient Occupational Therapist - Casual

Occupational TherapistIncludes callIncludes weekendsPer Diem

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting

Ask the employer about the pay range, the work setting, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 56m ago · Verified live

Job Description

At Children’s Wisconsin, we believe kids deserve the best.

Children’s Wisconsin is a nationally recognized health system dedicated solely to the health and well-being of children. We provide primary care, specialty care, urgent care, emergency care, community health services, foster and adoption services, child and family counseling, child advocacy services and family resource centers. Our reputation draws patients and families from around the country.

We offer a wide variety of rewarding career opportunities and are seeking individuals dedicated to helping us achieve our vision of the healthiest kids in the country. If you want to work for an organization that makes a difference for children and families, and encourages you to be at your best every day, please apply today.

Please follow this link for a closer look at what it’s like to work at Children’s Wisconsin: instagram.com

Essential Functions

Organizational Responsibilities: supports the mission and strategic objectives of the hospital; engages in activities which support teamwork and enhances the image of pediatric Occupational Therapy and Children's Hospital of Wisconsin; takes responsibility to identify opportunities for improvement.

Developmental: Understands and satisfies the needs of the neonatal, pediatric, adolescent and/or adult patient in regard to their growth and development process and as pertains to physical functioning and development.

Participates in weekend/holiday on-call coverage rotation (Inpatient units only).

Patient Evaluation: Provides Occupational Therapy evaluations and re-evaluations. Successfully completes required competencies.

Treatment: Provides Occupational Therapy treatment on a continuing basis.

Case Management: Counsels and trains parents in the area of Occupational Therapy and trains parents to incorporate treatment goals into the home environment. Actively participates in care management meetings.

Documentation: Maintains written records of patient status and progress. Documentation to include but not limited to evaluation and re-evaluation reports, daily treatment notes, plans of care, progress notes, discharge summaries and insurance authorizations.

Insurance/Authorization: Maintains up to date insurance authorization/ approval to treat patients. Works collaboratively with Financial Clearance to obtain authorizations. Submits all clinical requests in a timely fashion to ensure no lapse in care. Connects with insurance reviewers as needed to obtain authorization, perform peer to peer review etc.

Cost Containment: Maximizes use of equipment, supplies and time, participates in hospital efforts to control costs, and pursues third party reimbursement.

Discharge Planning: Makes referrals and monitors progress, by phone, letter, fax of all children evaluated or previously enrolled in therapy.

Education

Master's Degree or equivalent in Occupational therapy required

Experience

1+ years clinical experience in the pediatric field of Occupational Therapy preferred or relevant education

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Knowledge of the principles of neonatal, pediatric, and adolescent growth and development and child/family responses to fear, illness, injury and hospitalization.

Excellent interpersonal, oral and written skills to effectively communicate with patient, family and medical staff in a team environment.

The ability to represent the organization and serve consumers in a professional manner and promote a positive image of the organization and its services.

Licenses and Certifications

BLS-Basic Life Support Healthcare Provider - American Heart Association/American Red Cross/National Safety Council required

NBCOT-National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy - National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy required

License OT-Occupational Therapist (26) - State of Wisconsin required

Clinic Schedule

Commit to two weekend shifts per month (Saturday or Sunday)

Children's Wisconsin is an equal opportunity / affirmative action employer. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment for all employees. We treat everyone with dignity, respect, and fairness. We do not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other status or condition protected by the law.

Certifications/Licenses

BLS-Basic Life Support Healthcare Provider - American Heart Association/American Red Cross/National Safety Council, License OT-Occupational Therapist (26) - State of Wisconsin, NBCOT-National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy - National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy

Key Responsibilities

The Occupational Therapist will provide inpatient evaluations and ongoing treatment for pediatric patients while managing insurance authorizations and discharge planning. They are also responsible for counseling families and participating in care management meetings to support patient progress.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a Master's degree in Occupational Therapy and possess a valid Wisconsin state license along with NBCOT certification. At least one year of clinical experience in pediatrics is preferred, and the role requires BLS certification.

Qualifications

Education
Master's degree (postgraduate degree)

Key Skills

Pediatric careNeonatal developmentAdolescent developmentInterpersonal communication

Occupational Therapist Career Context

The cost-of-living index for Wisconsin is 94.1 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 60.7% of Wisconsin clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 50 active Occupational Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 8% are remote, 38% have no call, 68% require no weekends.

What does the Occupational Therapy market look like in Wisconsin?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed paynot listedOccupational Therapy median $110k (middle half $101k–$122k)23 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost of livingWisconsin index 94.1US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Occupational Therapy listings in Wisconsin168 active9,110 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 8% remote · 38% no call · 68% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedWisconsin occupational therapist listings (all specialties): 15% state a sign-on bonus (median $5k) · 5% offer loan repayment186 active listings, Nov 2026
New Occupational Therapy listings3,267 in the last 30 days1,694 the 30 days before (+93%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Occupational Therapy pay trend+2.9% vs prior quarter—through Oct 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Top contract/1099 Occupational Therapist Jobs

35 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

32 jobs · 29 employers
5
<$100k
15
$100k-120k
5
$120k-140k
6
$140k-160k
1
$166k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

29 jobs
401k / retirement match
90%
CME allowance
55%
Sign-on bonus
34%
Loan repayment
10%
PSLF eligible
7%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Occupational TherapistContract

AvaMed Workforce · Galt, California

$80/hr
#2

Occupational Therapist (OT)

Stanford Health Care · Palo Alto, California

$57.53-$76.22/hr
#3

Occupational Therapist (OT)

$85/eval, $75/visit
#4

Occupational Therapist (OT) – Flexible Schedule

$70-$75/hr
+ 33 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 4.8this job 3.0
Better work-life than 20% of Occupational Therapy listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 8,992 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • Includes call
  • Includes weekends

Living in Milwaukee

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$232k
Typical market rent
$1,443/mo
Residents’ average commute
22 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
96.9
State income tax
Up to 7.7%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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