Sharp HealthCare logo
Sharp HealthCare
San Diego, California

Occupational Therapist-Neuro and Hand Therapist- Per Diem- San Diego County Float

Occupational TherapistNo callNo weekendsPer Diem

Listed compensation

$52.36-$75.69/hr

The week · per this posting

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

Posted 1h ago · Verified live

Job Description

Hours: Shift Start Time:

Variable

Shift End Time

Variable

AWS Hours Requirement

8/40 - 8 Hour Shift

Additional Shift Information

Per Diem schedule; opportunity for up 40 hrs per week

Weekend Requirements

No Weekends

On-Call Required

No

Hourly Pay Range (Minimum - Midpoint - Maximum)

$52.360 - $67.570 - $75.690

The stated pay scale reflects the range that Sharp reasonably expects to pay for this position. The actual pay rate and pay grade for this position will be dependent on a variety of factors, including an applicant’s years of experience, unique skills and abilities, education, alignment with similar internal candidates, marketplace factors, other requirements for the position, and employer business practices.

What You Will Do

Performs occupational therapy evaluations of patients with various physical disabilities, conditions, injuries, etc. Designs and implements efficient and effective treatment plans. Develops and implements programs in support of the OT clinic's pursuit to provide the Sharp Experience with a commitment to zero defects and zero harm.

Required Qualifications

  • Bachelor's Degree
  • California Occupational Therapist license - CA Board of Occupational Therapy -REQUIRED
  • AHA Basic Life Support for Healthcare Professional (AHA BLS Healthcare) - American Heart Association -REQUIRED

Preferred Qualifications

experience in all aspects of Occupational Therapy

Essential Functions

Patient Care and Operational Excellence

Delivers efficient and effective patient care by combining clinical expertise with current evidence, best practices, and patient values.

Ensures timely initiation of care and seamless follow-up appointments to adhere to the plan of care. Provides patients with clear pathways to access the required expertise and resources.

Consistently monitors patients’ progress and progresses programs accordingly.

Efficiently uses staffing and clinic resources by streamlining intra- and inter-departmental communication, minimizing waste, and ensuring the timely coordination of care.

Minimize risks to patients by carefully considering co-morbidities, following safety protocols, and ensuring a safe treatment environment.

Demonstrates flexibility by accepting assignment changes and work locations to help maintain efficient departmental operation.

Efficiently fabricates custom static and dynamic splints, ensuring safety and positive outcomes. Adjusts fabrication according to protocols, physician prescriptions, and patient feedback.

Meets department standards for patient access.

Documentation

Documentation follows all SHC policy and procedures for confidentiality and HIPAA guidelines. Documentation meets all third-party payer (Medicare, PPO, Work Comp and HMO) and regulatory requirements.

Completes all notes and billing daily.

Completes all tasks and documentation needs (i. e. utilization management, plan of care, medical necessity reviews) based on department and regulatory requirements.

Professional and Departmental Development

  • Identifies needs for self-development in patient care and departmental operations.
  • Demonstrates initiative in seeking mentorship and peer consultation.

Consistently attends, actively, and positively participates in clinic meetings, rehab department meetings, in-services, and programs related to job responsibilities.

  • Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
  • Competency in the area of hand and upper extremity conditions, splinting techniques and the ability to establish effective rapport/communication with patients.
  • AOTA and OTAC memberships preferred.

Sharp HealthCare is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with disability or any other protected class

Key Responsibilities

Performs occupational therapy evaluations and designs effective treatment plans for patients with physical disabilities or injuries. Ensures operational excellence through timely documentation, billing, and coordination of care within a clinical setting.

Requirements

Requires a Bachelor's degree, a California Occupational Therapist license, and AHA Basic Life Support certification. Candidates should possess competency in hand and upper extremity conditions and splinting techniques.

Qualifications

Education
Bachelor degree
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Patient evaluationTreatment planningHand therapyClinical documentationHIPAA complianceEvidence-based practiceInterdisciplinary communicationRehabilitation

Occupational Therapist Career Context

In California, the Occupational Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$116k (759 salary observations; 2,193 listings), vs ~$97k nationally (5,363 salary observations; 27,244 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 ~$133k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $120k 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
Work-life score7.2 / 10 · top 10% in hand therapist (ot)ranked against 166 Hand Therapist (OT) listingslisting-based score, 0–10
Listed pay$109k–$157kOccupational Therapy median $140k (middle half $104k–$140k)24 comparable listings, Oct 2026
California vs national$116k median in California$97k nationally (+20%)759 state / 5,363 national salary observations
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$120k in purchasing powerCalifornia index 110.7 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Occupational Therapy listings in California920 active9,116 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Oct 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 38% no call · 60% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedCalifornia Occupational Therapist listings: 14% state a sign-on bonus (median $5k) · 5% offer loan repayment976 active listings, Oct 2026
Occupational Therapy pay trend+3.6% vs prior quarter—through Sep 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index (166 Hand Therapist (OT) listings), BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Oct 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Occupational Therapist-Neuro and Hand Therapist- Per Diem- San Diego County Float at Sharp HealthCare a 7.2 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as very good. This places the position in the top 10% in Hand Therapist (OT) — ranked against 166 active Hand Therapist (OT) listings on WeekdayDoc. Contributing factors include no on-call duties, no weekend requirements.

Top contract/1099 Occupational Therapist Jobs

50 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

40 jobs · 34 employers
14
<$125k
12
$125k-140k
6
$140k-155k
5
$155k-170k
3
$170k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

39 jobs · 34 employers
401k / retirement match
90%
CME allowance
46%
Sign-on bonus
28%
Relocation assistance
15%
Loan repayment
13%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Occupational Therapist, OT, Flexible Home Health SchedulePer Diem

Concierge Home Care · Okeechobee, Florida

$65-$75/hr
#2

Occupational Therapist (O/T) - FFS

YAI · Bronx, New York

$71.20 per Hour
#3

Occupational Therapist (O/T) - FFS

$71.20 per Hour
#4

Occupational Therapist PRN

$60-$65/hr
+ 48 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.0this job 7.2
Better work-life than 80% of Hand Therapist (OT) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 166 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • No call
  • No weekends

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.