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Child Serve
Ames, Iowa

Occupational Therapist (Full-Time)

Occupational TherapistNo weekendsFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting · Monday – Friday

Ask the employer about the pay range, the work setting, call expectations and time off.

Posted 3mo ago

Job Description

ChildServe’s talented, multi-disciplinary team of therapists specializes in pediatric rehabilitation and collaborates to create individualized, family-centered care plans to meet the needs of each child.

In the role of our Occupational Therapist (Full-Time), you will use evidenced based interventions, play-based activities, therapeutic activities, and specialized techniques to develop motor, sensory, visual, cognitive, and self-care skills so that children can be successful in their world. Our Occupational Therapists’ ultimate goal for each child is to maximize their independence, improve function, and meet each family’s goals.

Schedule: Full-time, 30-40 hours

Clinic Hours: Monday-Friday 8am-6pm

What You’ll Do

Compliance & Professional Standards: Maintains timely, accurate documentation; follows ChildServe policies, AOTA ethics, and regulatory requirements; maintains licensure and required continuing education.

Patient & Family Collaboration: Communicates effectively with families and interdisciplinary teams to develop, adjust, and explain individualized therapy plans and progress.

Clinical Care Delivery: Completes assessments, develops and follows individualized plans of care, provides interventions, and recommends appropriate referrals, equipment, and follow-up.

Team Support & Development: Supervises assistants and students, contributes to staff training, and meets required clinical competencies and education expectations.

Benefits

  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) options
  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
  • 403(b) retirement plan with company match
  • Life and disability insurance
  • Paid Time Off (PTO)
  • Competitive Bonus Structure

What You'll Need

  • A degree from an AOTA approved occupational therapy program.
  • Experience with pediatrics preferred.
  • Experience with children with special healthcare needs preferred.
  • Ability to communicate effectively in reading, writing, and speaking the English language.
  • Ability to lift up to 35 lbs, be mobile within the assigned work area, and frequently bend, lift, reach, and stand.

Make a Difference Every Day at ChildServe

ChildServe partners with families to help children with special healthcare needs live a great life.

ChildServe is a leading pediatric healthcare provider with Iowa’s only children's specialty hospital, offering a variety of services and programs to meet each child’s unique needs.

ChildServe’s four key specialty areas include: complex medical care, pediatric rehabilitation, autism and behavioral health, and community-based services. With a coordinated approach to care delivery, services are interwoven and streamlined, so families can address their child’s needs in one location.

Established in 1928, ChildServe proudly provides more than 30 pediatric specialty services to nearly 6,000 children in Iowa each year.

ChildServe is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. To request assistance with the application process, please email careers@childserve.org.

ChildServe is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Key Responsibilities

The Occupational Therapist will provide evidence-based pediatric rehabilitation services to develop motor, sensory, and cognitive skills in children. They will collaborate with families and interdisciplinary teams to create and implement individualized care plans while maintaining accurate clinical documentation.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a degree from an AOTA-approved occupational therapy program and maintain current licensure. Experience with pediatrics and children with special healthcare needs is preferred.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure

Key Skills

Patient assessmentIndividualized care planningMotor skills developmentSensory integrationCognitive developmentSelf-care trainingInterdisciplinary collaborationSupervisionEvidence-based practice

Occupational Therapist Career Context

The cost-of-living index for Iowa is 87.8 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 59.8% of Iowa clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 50 active Occupational Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 2% are remote, 44% have no call, 88% require no weekends.

What does the Occupational Therapy market look like in Iowa?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Work-life score7.2 / 10 · top 10% in occupational therapyranked against 8,992 Occupational Therapy listingslisting-based score, 0–10
Listed paynot listedOccupational Therapy median $94k (middle half $85k–$103k)226 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost of livingIowa index 87.8US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Occupational Therapy listings in Iowa63 active9,076 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 2% remote · 44% no call · 88% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedUS occupational therapist listings (all specialties): 12% state a sign-on bonus (median $8k) · 8% offer loan repayment1,000 active listings, Nov 2026
New Occupational Therapy listings3,267 in the last 30 days1,694 the 30 days before (+93%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Occupational Therapy pay trend+2.9% vs prior quarter—through Oct 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index (8,992 Occupational Therapy listings), BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Occupational Therapist (Full-Time) at Child Serve a 7.2 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as very good. This places the position in the top 10% in Occupational Therapy — ranked against 8,992 active Occupational Therapy listings on WeekdayDoc. Contributing factors include no weekend requirements.

Top Occupational Therapist Jobs

39 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

30 jobs
5
<$100k
13
$100k-120k
5
$120k-140k
6
$140k-160k
1
$166k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

31 jobs
401k / retirement match
90% this job
CME allowance
58%
Sign-on bonus
26%
Loan repayment
19%
PSLF eligible
10%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Occupational TherapistContract

AvaMed Workforce · Galt, California

$80/hr
#2

Occupational Therapist (OT)

Stanford Health Care · Palo Alto, California

$57.53-$76.22/hr
#3

Occupational Therapist (OT)

$85/eval, $75/visit
#4

Occupational Therapist (OT) – Flexible Schedule

$70-$75/hr
+ 37 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 4.8this job 7.2
Among the best 10% of Occupational Therapy listings for work-life

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 8,992 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • No weekends
Child Serve logo

About Child Serve

Hospitals and Health Care
Johnston, IA
501-1,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Medical, dental, and vision insurance
Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) options
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
403(b) retirement plan with company match
Life and disability insurance
Paid Time Off (PTO)
Competitive Bonus Structure

Living in Ames

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$293k
Typical market rent
$1,240/mo
Residents’ average commute
16 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
88.8
State income tax
Up to 6%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Ames, IA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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