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Lurie Children's Hospital
Chicago, Illinois

Occupational Therapist NICU PRN

Occupational TherapistPer Diem

Listed compensation

$37-$60.5/hr

Listing transparency2 of 6 stated

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

Employment & setting
Per Diem
Call expectations
Not specified
Weekends
Not specified
Posted 22m ago · Verified live

Job Description

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago provides superior pediatric care in a setting that offers the latest benefits and innovations in medical technology, research and family-friendly design. As the largest pediatric provider in the region with a 140-year legacy of excellence, kids and their families are at the center of all we do. Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago is ranked in all 10 specialties by the U. S. News & World Report.

Day (United States of America)

Location

Silver Cross Hospital

Job Description

General Summary:

The Level I staff member assumes responsibility and accountability for a designated group of patients and organizes, performs and modifies therapy programs based upon a thorough evaluation of each patient and best practice methods.

This is an as-needed position to support both the NICU at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox and at Lurie Children's Hospital in downtown Chicago.

Essential Job Functions

Evaluates each assigned patient in terms of current or potential problems which pertain to the employee's discipline, meeting or exceeding established clinical pathways and protocols for best practice. Seeks guidance in this area as appropriate.

Establishes age specific plan of care and functional goals based on evaluation results, and regularly incorporates other disciplines, patient/family, into treatment planning, documenting the patient/family/caregiver's understanding of goals, explaining rationale and methods necessary to carry out treatments. Seeks guidance in this area as appropriate.

Consistently re-evaluates effectiveness of ongoing treatment plan, instituting appropriate changes in care plan. Seeks guidance in this area as appropriate.

Assesses educational needs of the patient, family, caregiver and provides education to meet those needs.

Participates in clinics, rounds, meetings, in-services, departmental process improvement projects and conferences, as assigned.

Collaborates and communicates appropriately with families, physicians, other rehabilitation staff, nurse case managers, and others within and outside the Children's Hospital of Chicago Medical Center system.

Upgrades own knowledge in pediatric care. Actively participates in in-services, including planning educational activities for the team as assigned.

  • Completes mandatory training including core competencies in a timely manner.
  • Meets required departmental productivity standards.
  • Complies with all department and institution policies and procedures.
  • Participates in supervision/instruction of students as assigned.
  • Participates in orientation of new staff and support staff as assigned.
  • Supports organizational change initiatives; adapting to a rapidly changing health care environment.

Performs job functions adhering to service principles with customer service focus of innovation, service excellence and teamwork to provide the highest quality care and service to our patients, families, co-workers and others.

Other job functions as assigned.

Education and Experience

  • Successful graduation from an accredited Occupational Therapy program.
  • Current License or proof of eligibility and submission for license in the State of Illinois.
  • Certification in CPR from the American Heart Association by having completed the BLS AED Heartsaver Course.

Education

Bachelor's Degree (Required)

Pay Range

$37.00-$60.50 Hourly

At Lurie Children’s, we are committed to competitive and fair compensation aligned with market rates and internal equity, reflecting individual contributions, experience, and expertise. The pay range for this job indicates minimum and maximum targets for the position. Ranges are regularly reviewed to stay aligned with market conditions. In addition to base salary, Lurie Children’s offer a comprehensive rewards package that may include differentials for some hourly employees, leadership incentives for select roles, health and retirement benefits, and wellbeing programs. For more details on other compensation, consult your recruiter or click the following link to learn more about our benefits.

Benefit Statement

For full time and part time employees who work 20 or more hours per week we offer a generous benefits package that includes:

  • Medical, dental and vision insurance
  • Employer paid group term life and disability
  • Employer contribution toward Health Savings Account
  • Flexible Spending Accounts
  • Paid Time Off (PTO), Paid Holidays and Paid Parental Leave
  • 403(b) with a 5% employer match

Various voluntary benefits

  • Supplemental Life, AD&D and Disability
  • Critical Illness, Accident and Hospital Indemnity coverage
  • Tuition assistance
  • Student loan servicing and support
  • Adoption benefits
  • Backup Childcare and Eldercare

Employee Assistance Program, and other specialized behavioral health services and resources for employees and family members

  • Discount on services at Lurie Children’s facilities
  • Discount purchasing program

There’s a Place for You with Us

At Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and its affiliates (collectively “Lurie Children’s”), we embrace and celebrate diversity and equity in a serious way. We are committed to building a team with a variety of backgrounds, skills, and viewpoints — recognizing that diverse identities strengthen our workplace and the care we can provide to the Chicago community and beyond. We treat everyone fairly, appreciate differences, and make meaningful connections that foster belonging and allyship. This is a place where you can be your best, so we can give our best to the patients and families who trust us with their care.

Lurie Children’s and its affiliates are equal employment opportunity employers. We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, pregnancy, protected veteran status, order of protection status, protected genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

For questions about how to request an accommodation please contact: employeehealth@luriechildrens.org

AI Notice

Lurie Children’s utilizes certain AI-enabled features within our recruiting platform to support candidate engagement and assist recruiters in identifying and prioritizing applicants whose experience aligns with job requirements. All employment decisions are made by individuals.

It is a civil rights violation with respect to recruitment, hiring, promotion, or employment for an employer to use artificial intelligence that has the effect of subjecting employees to discrimination on the basis of protected classes under the Illinois Human Rights Act or to use zip codes as a proxy for protected classes.

For questions about the use of artificial intelligence in this process or any additional support, please contact: peoplequestions@luriechildrens.org

Key Responsibilities

The occupational therapist is responsible for evaluating patients, developing age-specific treatment plans, and modifying therapy programs based on clinical pathways. They must collaborate with families, physicians, and other healthcare staff to provide high-quality pediatric care.

Requirements

Candidates must have successfully graduated from an accredited Occupational Therapy program and hold or be eligible for an Illinois state license. A Bachelor's degree and current American Heart Association BLS AED certification are required.

Qualifications

Education
Bachelor degree

Key Skills

NICU carePatient evaluationPatient educationCollaborationDocumentation

Occupational Therapist Career Context

In Illinois, the Occupational Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$90k (91 salary observations; 174 listings), vs ~$96k nationally (5,208 salary observations; 15,532 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2026-01-01 through 2026-09-01; these are not the modal's selected comparable-job medians.

Of the 44 active Occupational Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 5% are remote, 25% have no call, 68% require no weekends.

Occupational Therapy pay on WeekdayDoc is up 5.1% vs. the prior quarter (through Aug 2026).

The cost-of-living index for Illinois is 100.0 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$101k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $101k in an average-cost state. 62.6% of Illinois clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Occupational Therapist Jobs

43 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution24 jobs

6
<$110k
8
$110k-120k
6
$125k
3
$130k-140k
1
$146k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks32 jobs · 26 employers

401k / retirement match
75% this job
CME allowance
72%
Sign-on bonus
16%
Relocation assistance
9%
Loan repayment
6% this job

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

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Work-life snapshot

3.0/ 10
Listing-based score

Living in Chicago

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$356k
Typical market rent
$2,342/mo
Residents’ average commute
33 min
State income tax
Up to 5%
Sources & methodology

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

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

Lurie Children's Hospital logo

About Lurie Children's Hospital

Hospitals and Health Care
Chicago, IL
5,001-10,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Medical, dental and vision insurance
Employer paid group term life and disability
Employer contribution toward Health Savings Account
Flexible Spending Accounts
Paid Time Off (PTO), Paid Holidays and Paid Parental Leave
403(b) with a 5% employer match
Tuition assistance
Student loan servicing and support