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Child Serve
Johnston, Iowa

Inpatient Occupational Therapist (PRN-Flexible Hours)

Occupational TherapistPer Diem

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting

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

Ask the employer about the pay range, the work setting, call expectations and time off.

Posted 1h ago · Verified live

Job Description

ChildServe’s talented, multi-disciplinary team of therapists specializes in pediatric rehab and works together to create plans specific to each child’s need. In the role of Occupational Therapist (PRN), you will use play, therapeutic activities, and special techniques to develop motor sensory, visual, attention and decision-making skills so children can be successful in their world. This position is supporting our Inpatient unit in Johnston.

Schedule: PRN, Flexible Schedule as Needed

What You’ll Do

Compliance & Professional Standards: Maintains timely, accurate documentation; follows ChildServe policies, AOTA ethics, and regulatory requirements; maintains licensure and required continuing education.

Patient & Family Collaboration: Communicates effectively with families and interdisciplinary teams to develop, adjust, and explain individualized therapy plans and progress.

Clinical Care Delivery: Completes assessments, develops and follows individualized plans of care, provides interventions, and recommends appropriate referrals, equipment, and follow-up.

Team Support & Development: Supervises assistants and students, contributes to staff training, and meets required clinical competencies and education expectations.

What You'll Need

  • A degree from an AOTA approved occupational therapy program.
  • Experience with pediatrics preferred.
  • Experience with autism and motor impairment preferred.
  • Ability to communicate effectively in reading, writing, and speaking the English language.
  • Ability to lift up to 50 lbs, be mobile within the assigned work area, and frequently bend, lift, reach, and stand.

Make a Difference Every Day at ChildServe

ChildServe partners with families to help children with special healthcare needs live a great life.

ChildServe is a leading pediatric healthcare provider with Iowa’s only children's specialty hospital, offering a variety of services and programs to meet each child’s unique needs.

ChildServe’s four key specialty areas include: complex medical care, pediatric rehabilitation, autism and behavioral health, and community-based services. With a coordinated approach to care delivery, services are interwoven and streamlined, so families can address their child’s needs in one location.

Established in 1928, ChildServe proudly provides more than 30 pediatric specialty services to nearly 6,000 children in Iowa each year.

ChildServe is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. To request assistance with the application process, please email careers@childserve.org. ChildServe is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Key Responsibilities

The Occupational Therapist will provide pediatric rehabilitation services by developing and implementing individualized care plans to improve motor, sensory, and cognitive skills. They will also collaborate with families and interdisciplinary teams while maintaining accurate clinical documentation and supervising assistants.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a degree from an AOTA-approved occupational therapy program and possess the ability to perform physical tasks such as lifting up to 50 lbs. Experience with pediatrics, autism, and motor impairment is preferred.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure

Key Skills

Patient AssessmentCare PlanningInterdisciplinary CollaborationMotor Sensory DevelopmentVisual Skill DevelopmentAttention Skill DevelopmentDecision-making Skill DevelopmentSupervision

Occupational Therapist Career Context

The cost-of-living index for Iowa is 87.8 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 59.8% of Iowa clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 50 active Occupational Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 2% are remote, 48% have no call, 76% require no weekends.

What does the Occupational Therapy market look like in Iowa?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed paynot listedOccupational Therapy median $110k (middle half $101k–$122k)24 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost of livingIowa index 87.8US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Occupational Therapy listings in Iowa63 active9,070 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 2% remote · 48% no call · 76% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedUS occupational therapist listings (all specialties): 14% state a sign-on bonus (median $8k) · 7% offer loan repayment1,000 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

37 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

30 jobs · 28 employers
5
<$100k
13
$100k-120k
5
$120k-140k
6
$140k-160k
1
$166k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

28 jobs
401k / retirement match
93%
CME allowance
57% this job
Sign-on bonus
29%
Loan repayment
18%
PSLF eligible
11%

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
+ 35 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 4.8this job 2.8
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.

Living in Johnston

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$339k
Typical market rent
$1,356/mo
Residents’ average commute
20 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
91.7
State income tax
Up to 6%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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