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Ernest Health
Las Cruces, New Mexico

Occupational Therapist Per Diem

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 32m ago · Verified live

Job Description

Occupational Therapist - Per Diem - Las Cruces, New Mexico

Join our world-class team of driven, passionate healthcare professionals who are focused on service excellence and providing top quality care!

Rehabilitation Hospital of Southern New Mexico Our hospital has been ranked in the Top 10% nationally for rehabilitative care for 15 years and has earned The Joint Commission’s Brain Injury, Stroke and Spinal Cord Certification.

At our 40-bed hospital, we provide specialized inpatient and outpatient rehabilitative services to our patients, serving the communities of Southern New Mexico. We see patients who often are recovering from disabilities caused by injuries, illnesses, or chronic medical conditions.

Qualifications

Required Skills

Current licensure as an Occupational Therapist required

Basic Life Support/CPR Card Required

One year of experience in the care of patients in rehabilitation hospital setting preferred.

Additional Qualifications/Skills

  • Knowledge of clinical operations and procedures.
  • Demonstrates an understanding of treatment costs and financial support as they relate to quality and efficiency.
  • Demonstrates competency in the provision of care according to established standards
  • Demonstrates appropriate application of age specific standards, policies and procedures and guidelines in caring for pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric patients
  • Demonstrates general computer skills including: data entry, word processing, email, and record management.
  • Leadership skills in delegating, organizing, and educating coworkers and staff.
  • Effective organizational and time management skills.
  • Effective written and verbal communication skills.
  • Ability to maintain proper levels of confidentiality.
  • Ability to work closely and professionally with others.
  • Ability to maintain quality, safety, and/or infection control standards.

Responsibilities

Evaluates patients and helps them improve basic motor functions and reasoning abilities, but also compensate for permanent loss of function by teaching them to perform tasks in their daily living and working environments.

These patients may have conditions that are mentally, physically, developmentally, or emotionally disabling. May also assist patients in selecting appropriate adaptive equipment and assistive devices. Integrates the hospital’s mission and “Guiding Principles” into daily practice.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure

Certifications

BLS

Key Skills

Occupational TherapyPatient EvaluationMotor Function ImprovementAdaptive Equipment SelectionSafety StandardsRehabilitation Care

Occupational Therapist Career Context

The cost-of-living index for New Mexico is 92.2 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 61.4% of New Mexico clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 50 active Occupational Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 12% are remote, 44% have no call, 68% require no weekends.

Occupational Therapy pay on WeekdayDoc is up 3.5% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

Top contract/1099 Occupational Therapist Jobs

40 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution36 jobs · 32 employers

13
<$115k
8
$115k-135k
7
$135k-155k
7
$155k-175k
1
$179k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks31 jobs

401k / retirement match
90%
CME allowance
61%
Sign-on bonus
52%
Loan repayment
19%
Relocation assistance
13%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Occupational Therapist II EX

UCSF · San Francisco, California

$64.05-$86.19/hr
#2

Virtual Occupational TherapistContract

Lets Therapy · Media, Pennsylvania

$82.50 per hour
#3

Head Occupational Therapist (Inpatient Rehabilitation & Acute Care) | NYP-CUIMC | Full-Time | Mon - Fri | Day Shift

$70.76-$81.01/hr
#4

Occupational Therapist (Home Health)

$130k-$160k
+ 38 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 9,334 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in Las Cruces

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$281k
Typical market rent
$1,446/mo
Residents’ average commute
19 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
90.2
State income tax
Up to 5.9%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Las Cruces, NM metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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