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French Hospital Medical Center
San Luis Obispo, California

Occupational Therapist

Occupational TherapistFull-Time

Listed compensation

$63.07-$74.97/hr

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 1h ago · Verified live

Job Description

Where You’ll Work

Founded in 1946, Dignity Health - French Hospital Medical Center is a 112-bed, acute care, nonprofit hospital located in San Luis Obispo, California. Serving over 150,000 patients annually, the hospital offers a full complement of services including heart care, orthopedics, and a family birthing center.

Additionally, French Hospital Medical Center has been recognized as an LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. It is a Joint Commission-certified Primary Stroke Center, and has achieved an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group for every reporting period since 2012.

One Community. One Mission. One California

Job Summary and Responsibilities

As an Occupational Therapist, you will help patients regain independence and quality of life so they can safely perform daily activities.

Every day you will assess diverse patients (orthopedic, neurological, sensory, cancer recovery, etc.), develop treatment plans, and conduct evaluations/re-evaluations. You will be expected to collaborate with interdisciplinary teams, document thoroughly, and provide positive, motivating care to a high volume of patients.

To be successful in this role, you must be flexible, adaptable, exceptionally organized, and a personable, motivating team player.

Evaluates inpatients within 24 hours of physician referral, observing departmental hours of operation. Outpatient evaluation must be within 30 days from date of physician referral.

  • Develops effective treatment plans & obtains necessary approval for services from referring physician.
  • Explains treatment objectives and methods to patients & as appropriate, their families.
  • Communicates with department manager & other health team members as appropriate regarding patient progress, problems, status & plans.
  • Involved in in-service training for department & other health team members.

Records evaluations, daily treatment notes, weekly progress notes & discharge summaries per policy & procedure. Also records treatment charges accurately per policy & procedure.

Actively participates with case manager to secure necessary durable equipment for patients to facilitate their functional recovery.

  • Job Requirements
  • Required
  • California OT License

AHA (BLS-CPR)

Graduation from an accredited school of Occupational Therapy

Key Responsibilities

The Occupational Therapist will assess diverse patients to develop and implement effective treatment plans that promote functional recovery and independence. They will collaborate with interdisciplinary teams, document patient progress, and coordinate with case managers to secure necessary equipment.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a valid California Occupational Therapy license and an AHA BLS-CPR certification. Graduation from an accredited school of Occupational Therapy is required.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure

Key Skills

Patient AssessmentTreatment PlanningOrthopedic CareNeurological CareSensory IntegrationInterdisciplinary CollaborationDocumentationCase ManagementPatient Evaluation

Occupational Therapist Career Context

In California, the Occupational Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$117k (616 salary observations; 1,892 listings), vs ~$96k nationally (4,477 salary observations; 24,604 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 ~$144k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $130k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 47 active Occupational Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 49% have no call, 70% require no weekends.

Occupational Therapy pay on WeekdayDoc is up 3.0% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

Top Occupational Therapist Jobs

28 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution28 jobs · 19 employers

11
<$110k
5
$110k-125k
4
$125k-140k
7
$140k-155k
1
$160k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks25 jobs · 19 employers

401k / retirement match
92%
Sign-on bonus
56%
CME allowance
52%
Loan repayment
20%
Relocation assistance
16%

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 (Maternity Relief)

MGA Homecare · McKinney, Texas

up to $150,000
#3

Occupational Therapist

$117k-$148k
#4

Acute Care Occupational Therapist

$96k-$141k
+ 26 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 San Luis Obispo

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$1.10M
Typical market rent
$2,973/mo
Residents’ average commute
16 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
108.6
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 · San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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