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Avera Health
Rapid City, South Dakota

Occupational Therapist (OT)

Occupational TherapistIncludes callIncludes weekendsFull-Time

Listed compensation

$70,720 - $106,600

Listing transparency4 of 6 stated

Ask the employer about the work setting and nights and shift pattern.

Employment & setting
Full-Time
Call expectations
Includes call
Weekends
Includes weekends
Posted 1mo ago · Verified live

Job Description

Location

Avera St Mary's Hospital

Worker Type

Regular

Work Shift

Primarily days with possible weekends/evenings/holidays (United States of America)

Pay Range

The pay range for this position is listed below. Actual pay rate dependent upon experience.

$34.00 - $51.25

Position Highlights

THIS POSITION IS LOCATED IN PIERRE, SD!

Sign-On Bonus! New Grads may be eligible for up to $15,000 or $20,000 with 2 or more years of experience.

Student Loan Repayment: This position may be eligible for Avera’s Student Loan Repayment Program, which helps you pay off your loans and save money. Each month an extra payment of $167 (up to $10,000) from Avera will help pay down your principal balance faster.

Able to work in a variety of areas including acute care, TCU/LTC, swing bed, pediatrics, outpatient adult.

You Belong at Avera

Be part of a multidisciplinary team built with compassion and the goal of Moving Health Forward for you and our patients. Work where you matter.

A Brief Overview

Responsible for the daily coordination and delivery of occupational therapy services that focus on conditions and health diagnosis, implementing specific treatment program for individual patients and patient groups according to the principles and practices of occupational therapy and established objectives of the department.

What You Will Do

Demonstrates knowledge of age-specific factors and performs satisfactorily related to patients age infant through geriatrics as noted on unit specific guidelines and competencies.

Develops and implements individualized treatment programs for the patients needing services. Evaluates assigned patients, gathering data from a variety of sources, such as patient records, interviews, observations and team members.

Uses selected activities and/or tasks to promote and maintain health, and to achieve treatment goals. Establishes and modifies intervention goals and strategies for patients/ treatment program based on on-going evaluations.

Provides direct therapy services to patients using various functional settings and strategies.

Plans therapy with in the patient’s individual physical, emotional and intellectual capabilities as indicated and coordinated with the rehabilitation, medical, and nursing care plans.

Prepares documentation as required by the profession and the department, such as evaluation results, individualized treatment plans, progress notes, and other such reports.

Communicates effectively with patient, family, physician, and other disciplinary team members regarding the patient status, progress, and needs.

Establishes rapport and work cooperatively with interdisciplinary team members (including family/physician) throughout the patient’s intervention program.

Enhances professional growth and development through participation in educational programs, current literature, in-service meetings, workshops, etc. Shares new knowledge with co-workers. Evaluates and monitors clinical internship with students affiliating in various universities/colleges.

Participates in program development of the department.

Essential Qualifications

The individual must be able to work the hours specified.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job function satisfactorily including having visual acuity adequate to perform position duties and the ability to communicate effectively with others, hear, understand and distinguish speech and other sounds.

These requirements and those listed above are representative of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the essential job functions.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions, as long as the accommodations do not cause undue hardship to the employer.

Required Education, License/Certification, or Work Experience:

Occupational Therapist - Licensing Board An active license in the state of practice Upon Hire

Preferred Education, License/Certification, or Work Experience:

1-3 years clinical patient care experience

Expectations and Standards

Commitment to the daily application of Avera’s mission, vision, core values, and social principles to serve patients, their families, and our community.

  • Promote Avera’s values of compassion, hospitality, and stewardship.
  • Uphold Avera’s standards of Communication, Attitude, Responsiveness, and Engagement (CARE) with enthusiasm and sincerity.
  • Maintain confidentiality.

Work effectively in a team environment, coordinating work flow with other team members and ensuring a productive and efficient environment.

Comply with safety principles, laws, regulations, and standards associated with, but not limited to, CMS, The Joint Commission, DHHS, and OSHA if applicable.

Benefits You Need & Then Some

Avera is proud to offer a wide range of benefits to qualifying part-time and full-time employees. We support you with opportunities to help live balanced, healthy lives. Benefits are designed to meet needs of today and into the future.

  • PTO available day 1 for eligible hires.
  • Up to 5% employer matching contribution for retirement
  • Career development guided by hands-on training and mentorship

Avera is an Equal Opportunity Employer - Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, Veteran Status, or other categories protected by law. If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request an accommodation for help with your online application, please call 1-605-504-4444 or send an email to talent@avera.org.

Key Responsibilities

The Occupational Therapist is responsible for the daily coordination and delivery of therapy services, including evaluating patients and implementing individualized treatment programs. They must communicate effectively with the interdisciplinary team and maintain accurate documentation of patient progress.

Requirements

Candidates must hold an active Occupational Therapist license in the state of practice. While 1-3 years of clinical experience is preferred, the role is open to new graduates.

Key Skills

Patient evaluationTreatment planningOutpatient careInterdisciplinary collaborationPatient communicationClinical assessmentCare coordination

Occupational Therapist Career Context

Of the 41 active Occupational Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 2% are remote, 71% have no call, 66% require no weekends.

Occupational Therapy pay on WeekdayDoc is up 1.2% vs. the prior quarter (through Aug 2026).

The cost-of-living index for South Dakota is 88.6 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$89k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $100k in an average-cost state. 58.2% of South Dakota clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Location & Logistics

South Dakota has no state income tax, which can significantly increase take-home pay compared to high-tax states. At the posted ~$89k midpoint, that is roughly $4k–$6k a year versus a typical 4–7% state rate.

Top Occupational Therapist Jobs

14 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution14 jobs · 12 employers

5
<$100k
5
$100k-115k
2
$115k-130k
1
$141k
1
$160k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks14 jobs · 12 employers

401k / retirement match
100% this job
CME allowance
64%
Sign-on bonus
36% this job
Loan repayment
21% this job
Relocation assistance
14%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Occupational Therapist

Amedisys · Hayward, California

$129k–$160k
#2

Acute Care Occupational Therapist

Sentara Health · Hampton, Virginia

$96k-$141k
#3

Occupational Therapist, Home Health

$94k-$129k
#4

Occupational Therapist

$106k-$126k
+ 12 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

3.0/ 10
Listing-based score
  • Includes call
  • Includes weekends

Living in Rapid City

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$347k
Typical market rent
$1,484/mo
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
89.2
State income tax
None
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Aug 2026), Zillow market rents (Aug 2026).

BEA 2024 · Rapid City, SD metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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

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About Avera Health

Non-profit Organizations
South Dakota

Benefits & Perks

Sign-On Bonus up to $20,000
Student Loan Repayment up to $10,000
PTO available day 1
Retirement plan with up to 5% employer match
Career development and mentorship