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Cedars-Sinai
Los Angeles, California

Occupational Therapist - NICU

Occupational TherapistIncludes callFull-Time

Listed compensation

$48.13-$77.01/hr

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about weekend coverage, nights and shift pattern, benefits and time off.

Posted 5mo ago

Job Description

When the work you do every single day has a crucial impact on the lives of others, every effort, every detail, and every second matters.

This shared culture of passion and dedication pulses through Cedars-Sinai, and it’s just one of the many reasons we’ve achieved our six-consecutive Magnet designation for nursing excellence.

From working with a team of premier healthcare professionals to using state-of-the-art facilities, you’ll have everything you need to do something incredible—for yourself, and for others. Join us, and discover why we are tied #1 in California and ten years in a row on the "Best Hospitals" Honor Roll.

As a full time NICU Occupational Therapist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California you will assist evaluating and treating patients in accordance with the prescription of the physician.

The Occupational NICU Therapist will assist in the continuous quality improvement process and in the education and training of students and assists in divisional growth and cohesiveness to ensure a high quality of therapy care.

The Therapist will assist in delivering patient care consistent with Scope of Standards and Code of Ethics; the Plan for the Provision of Care to Patients, the Plan for Corporate Compliance, the Performance Improvement Plan and Patient Education Plan.

Competency skills include the ability to deliver care maintaining safety of the environment, applying appropriate communication with sensitivity and attention to special populations, including patient with diverse cultural backgrounds, age, developmental issues and physical disabilities.

#LI-RD1

Key Responsibilities

The Occupational Therapist will evaluate and treat patients in the NICU according to physician prescriptions while ensuring high-quality care standards. They will also participate in quality improvement processes, student training, and divisional growth initiatives.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a degree from an accredited Occupational Therapy program and possess a valid California license. A minimum of 3 years of experience as a practicing therapist, including 1 year in a NICU or similar setting, is required.

Qualifications

Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

NICU carePatient evaluationPatient treatmentNeonatal developmentFeeding assessmentSwallowing interventionSafety complianceManual therapy techniquesBLS certificationComplex neonate careELBW care

Occupational Therapist Career Context

In California, the Occupational Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$113k (162 salary observations; 341 listings), vs ~$96k nationally (1,124 salary observations; 4,047 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 ~$130k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $118k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 49 active Occupational Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 45% have no call, 69% require no weekends.

Top Occupational Therapist Jobs

29 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution29 jobs · 19 employers

7
<$105k
11
$105k-120k
4
$120k-135k
6
$135k-150k
1
$160k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks27 jobs · 19 employers

401k / retirement match
93%
CME allowance
56%
Sign-on bonus
52%
Loan repayment
22%
Relocation assistance
15%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Occupational Therapist (Home Health)

21st Century Home Health Services · Citrus Heights, California

$130k-$160k
#2

Occupational Therapist

Welbe Health · Elk Grove, California

$117k-$148k
#3

Acute Care Occupational Therapist

$96k-$141k
#4

Occupational Therapist

$96k-$141k
+ 27 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 9,448 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • On-site
  • Includes call

Living in Los Angeles

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$923k
Typical market rent
$2,778/mo
Residents’ average commute
31 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
113.6
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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