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Ernest Health
Sacramento, California

Occupational Therapist - Per Diem

Occupational TherapistIncludes weekendsPer Diem

Listed compensation

$70/Hr

The week · per this posting

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

Posted 11m ago · Verified live

Job Description

  • Occupational Therapist - Per Diem - Sacramento, California
  • Join our world-class team of driven, passionate healthcare professionals who are focused on service excellence and providing top quality care!
  • We have a great per diem Occupational Therapist opportunity!

Weekday and Weekend Hours Available

Sacramento Rehabilitation Hospital in Sacramento, California is a state-of-the-art inpatient rehabilitation hospital clinically ranked in the Top 10% of all rehabilitation hospitals nationwide.

We offer high-quality rehabilitative care to patients in the Sacramento region. We specialize in treating individuals recovering from strokes, brain and spinal cord injuries, major orthopedic surgeries, and other debilitating medical events.

Our team of dedicated rehabilitation professionals provides comprehensive therapy services – including intensive physical, occupational, and speech therapies – utilizing advanced techniques and equipment in our hospital.

We pride ourselves on our warm, team-oriented culture where patient success is our top priority.

Joint Commission-accredited and aligned with national best practices, Sacramento Rehabilitation Hospital delivers patient-centered care that is effective, efficient, and tailored to help each person reach their fullest recovery potential.

What You Bring

A passion for patient care, a team player, motivating and collaborating therapist to assist patients to reach the best outcome.

  • Graduate Degree from an accredited program in Occupational Therapy.
  • Current State COTA License.
  • Current CPR

Qualifications

Required Skills

  • Current, valid, and active licensure as an Occupational Therapist in the state of employment required.
  • Current BLS certification from an approved vendor 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

Uses specialized knowledge and training in occupational therapy medical services as well as independent judgment and discretion to develop and provide occupational therapy medical services to patients that help them improve basic motor functions and reasoning abilities, as well as 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.

Independently examines patient's medical history, evaluates their physical abilities, determines their potential to respond to therapy, and develops treatment plans and then implements those treatment plans with full responsibility for preparation of related documentation and patient and other medical provider communication.

Also uses specialized occupational therapy training and knowledge as well as independent discretion and judgment to assist patients in selecting appropriate adaptive equipment and assistive devices. Integrates the hospital’s mission and “Guiding Principles” into daily practice.

Posted Total Compensation

The wage range for this role takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including, but not limited to, skill sets, experience, education and training, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs.

It’s not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is $

Minimum Salary

USD $70.00/Hr.

Maximum Salary

USD $70.00/Hr.

Qualifications

Education
Master's degree (postgraduate degree)

Key Skills

Patient AssessmentTreatment PlanningRehabilitation TherapyAdaptive Equipment SelectionPatient DocumentationPatient CommunicationAge-Specific CareDelegationOrganization

Occupational Therapist Career Context

In California, the Occupational Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$117k (799 salary observations; 2,246 listings), vs ~$97k nationally (5,566 salary observations; 27,651 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)). 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
Listed paynot listedOccupational Therapy median $140k (middle half $104k–$140k)25 comparable listings, Nov 2026
California vs national$117k median in California$97k nationally (+21%)799 state / 5,566 national salary observations
Cost of livingCalifornia index 110.7US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Occupational Therapy listings in California907 active9,069 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 42% no call · 58% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedCalifornia Occupational Therapist listings: 15% state a sign-on bonus (median $5k) · 5% offer loan repayment960 active listings, Nov 2026
New Occupational Therapy listings3,074 in the last 30 days1,790 the 30 days before (+72%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Occupational Therapy pay trend+3.5% vs prior quarter—through Oct 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Top contract/1099 Occupational Therapist Jobs

50 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

33 jobs
11
<$125k
13
$125k-140k
6
$140k-155k
3
$155k-170k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

37 jobs · 36 employers
401k / retirement match
89%
CME allowance
51%
Sign-on bonus
27%
Loan repayment
19%
Relocation assistance
14%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Occupational Therapist

Home Care Providers Group · Yuba City, California

$95/hour
#2

Home Care Occupational Therapist- 1099 (Eastern Suffolk County)Per Diem

US Physical Therapy · Selden, New York

$65-$90/hr
#3

Occupational Therapist - $80 to 90 per hour - Part Time

$80-$90/hr
#4

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

$52.36-$75.69/hr
+ 48 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 4.8this job 4.8
Better work-life than 50% of Occupational Therapy listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 9,033 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • Includes weekends

Living in Sacramento

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$452k
Typical market rent
$2,045/mo
Residents’ average commute
25 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
106.7
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 · Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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