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Active Health Services
San Diego, California

Per Diem Occupational Therapist

Occupational TherapistPer Diem

Listed compensation

$80-$100/hr

The week · per this posting

Schedule not stated in this posting — no days, weekends, call or nights given.

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

Posted 44m ago · Verified live

Job Description

Benefits

  • Company parties
  • Competitive salary
  • Dental insurance
  • Health insurance

Vision Insurance

The occupational therapist contracted through the Organization is responsible for the implementation of standards of care for occupational therapy services and for adherence to all conditions outlined in the Service Agreement.

Essential Job Functions/Responsibilities

1. Evaluates patient's functional status (muscle function, endurance, visual coordination, written and verbal communication skills, self-care ability, work capacity, etc.). Evaluates home environment for hazards or barriers to more independent living. Identifies equipment needs. Participates in the development of the total plan of care.

2. For patients who plan to return to work, the occupational therapist may perform work capacity evaluation and may refer to specialized vocational training in accordance with Organization policy.

3. Develops treatment program and establishes goals for improved function. Communicates plan of care to referring physician and other Organization professionals.

4. May teach new skills or retrain patient in once familiar daily activities that have been lost due to illness or injury, in accordance with Organization policy.

5. May fabricate splints and instruct patient in the use of various types of adaptive equipment to improve function.

6. May train patient in the use of prosthetic and/or orthotic devices.

7. Maintains appropriate clinical records, clinical notes, and reports to the physician any changes in the patient's condition. Submits these records in accordance with Organization policy.

8. Maintains contact/communication with other personnel involved in the patient's care to promote coordinated, efficient care.

9. Attends and contributes to in-services, case conferences, and other meetings as required by Organization policy to ensure coordinated and comprehensive plans of care for the patients of the Organization.

10. Identifies patient and family/caregiver needs for other home health services and refers as appropriate.

11. Instructs patient's family/caregiver and other Organization health care personnel in patient's treatment regime when indicated and appropriate.

12. Supervises Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants according to organization policy and state regulations.

13. When therapy is the only skilled service, instructs, supervises and evaluates home health aide care every two (2) weeks.

14. Participates in discharge planning for patient.15. Participation in Quality Assurance/Performance Improvement Program and Home Health Agency sponsored training.

Qualifications

1. Graduate of an occupational therapy curriculum accredited jointly by the Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation of the American Medical Association and the American Occupational Therapy Association.

2. Registered with the National Registration Examination of the American Occupational Therapy Association.

3. 1 year of clinical experience as an occupational therapist.

4. Demonstrates good verbal and written communication, and organization skills.

5. Possesses and maintains current CPR Certification.

6. Must be a licensed driver with an automobile that is insured and in accordance with state/organization requirements and is in good working order.

Key Responsibilities

The occupational therapist evaluates patient functional status and develops comprehensive treatment plans to improve daily living skills. They also coordinate care with other health professionals and supervise certified occupational therapy assistants.

Key Skills

Patient evaluationTreatment planningAdaptive equipment trainingSplint fabricationClinical documentationCare coordinationSupervisionOrganizational skills

Occupational Therapist Career Context

In California, the Occupational Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$117k (770 salary observations; 2,292 listings), vs ~$97k nationally (5,263 salary observations; 28,727 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2026-01-01 through 2026-11-01; 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 ~$187k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $169k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

What does the Occupational Therapy market look like in California?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$166k–$208kOccupational Therapy median $146k (middle half $146k–$146k)18 comparable listings, Nov 2026
California vs national$117k median in California$97k nationally (+20%)770 state / 5,263 national salary observations
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$169k in purchasing powerCalifornia index 110.7 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Occupational Therapy listings in California887 active9,020 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 10% remote · 42% no call · 62% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedCalifornia occupational therapist listings (all specialties): 15% state a sign-on bonus (median $5k) · 5% offer loan repayment945 active listings, Nov 2026
New Occupational Therapy listings3,210 in the last 30 days1,611 the 30 days before (+99%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Occupational Therapy pay trend+4.4% 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

50 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

31 jobs
7
<$125k
14
$125k-140k
6
$140k-155k
4
$155k-170k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

34 jobs
401k / retirement match
82%
CME allowance
62%
Sign-on bonus
24%
Relocation assistance
15%
Loan repayment
12%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Home Care Occupational Therapist- 1099 (Eastern Suffolk County)Per Diem

US Physical Therapy · Selden, New York

$65-$90/hr
#2

Occupational Therapist - $80 to 90 per hour - Part Time

Boston Speech Therapy · Boston, Massachusetts

$80-$90/hr
#3

Occupational Therapist (O/T) - FFS

$71.20 per Hour
#4

Occupational Therapist (O/T) - FFS

$71.20 per Hour
+ 48 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 8,995 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

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About Active Health Services

Home Health Care Services
San Diego, California

Benefits & Perks

Company parties
Competitive salary
Dental insurance
Health insurance
Vision insurance

Living in San Diego

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$1.00M
Typical market rent
$3,004/mo
Residents’ average commute
24 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
111.9
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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