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Catawba
Hickory, North Carolina

Occupational Therapist / Inpatient Rehab-Ancillary / Full-Time / Day

Occupational TherapistFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

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

Posted 1mo ago · Verified live

Job Description

Summary of Performance Expectations.

Evaluates patients referred for occupational therapy for deficits in self-care and activities of daily living. Plans and Implements treatment. Coordinates Care with family and other care providers. Responsible for the routine operational activities of the service.

Education and Credentials

Required

Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Therapy. Current NC license. BCLS for healthcare providers or completion of BCLS from the American Heart Association within three months of employment date.

Preferred

Master’s degree. Registered as an Occupational Therapist.

Work Experience

Required

No previous experience required. Given training and on-the-job experience, incumbent should be proficient in the basic aspects of the job within three months of employment date.

Preferred

One-year previous experience.

About Catawba Valley Medical Center

Comprehensive, Accessible Healthcare Services in the Catawba Valley

As the region’s largest not-for-profit community hospital, we exist to heal and comfort patients, to promote and foster a healthier community, and to ensure access to healthcare to all who need it - regardless of ability to pay. With a wide array of medical specialties, our skilled nurses and providers are trained to treat virtually any type of injury or illness, providing high-quality, easily accessible healthcare close to home.

Our Mission

Exceptional Healthcare. Every Person. Every Time.

At A Glance

  • Region’s only level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
  • Women’s Choice Award winner for America’s Best 100 Hospitals for Patient Experience for six consecutive years
  • American College of Surgeons Accredited Comprehensive Community Cancer Center

High Level of Technical Care from Medical Experts

Catawba Valley Medical Center offers a wide range of services from experienced medical specialists capable of addressing virtually any healthcare concern. Our current hospital holds 258 beds and serves the five-county Hickory area. Through our skilled medical practitioners and our highly trained staff, we strive to provide the highest level of medical expertise using the latest, state-of-the-art technology available.

One of our goals at Catawba Valley Medical Center is to provide seamless care between your primary care provider and our hospital. Being a part of a vast healthcare network allows for easier and more efficient communication between local physicians, medical specialists and our hospital.

No one should have to travel far for the expert level medical treatment they need. We work with a plethora of medical specialists capable of diagnosing, treating and operating on a wide variety of conditions.

Key Responsibilities

Evaluates patients for deficits in self-care and activities of daily living while planning and implementing therapeutic treatments. Coordinates care with families and other healthcare providers to ensure comprehensive patient support.

Requirements

Requires a Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Therapy and a current North Carolina license. Candidates must possess or obtain BCLS certification from the American Heart Association within three months of employment.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure

Key Skills

Patient evaluationTreatment planningCare coordinationSelf-care assessmentInpatient rehabilitation

Occupational Therapist Career Context

In North Carolina, the Occupational Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$91k (164 salary observations; 818 listings), vs ~$96k nationally (5,026 salary observations; 27,299 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2026-01-01 through 2026-11-01; these are not the modal's selected comparable-job medians.

The cost-of-living index for North Carolina is 94.3 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 59.2% of North Carolina clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

What does the Occupational Therapy market look like in North Carolina?
MeasureThis jobMarket
North Carolina vs national$91k median in North Carolina$96k nationally (−5%)164 state / 5,026 national salary observations
Cost of livingNorth Carolina index 94.3US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Occupational Therapy listings in North Carolina252 active9,040 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 8% remote · 38% no call · 70% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedNorth Carolina Occupational Therapist listings: 14% state a sign-on bonus (median $5k) · 8% offer loan repayment283 active listings, Nov 2026
New Occupational Therapy listings3,162 in the last 30 days1,579 the 30 days before (+100%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Occupational Therapy pay trend+4.3% 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 Occupational Therapist Jobs

39 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

36 jobs · 30 employers
17
<$105k
8
$105k-125k
7
$125k-145k
4
$145k-165k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

35 jobs · 30 employers
401k / retirement match
97%
CME allowance
49%
Sign-on bonus
23%
Loan repayment
23%
PSLF eligible
3%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Occupational Therapist, OT, Flexible Schedule, Home HealthContract

Concierge Home Care · Melbourne, Florida

$70-$75/hr
#2

Occupational Therapist, OT, Flexible Weekday ScheduleContract

Concierge Home Care · Jacksonville, Florida

$65-$75/hr
#3

School-Based Occupational Therapist (OT)

$67-$73/hr
#4

Occupational Therapist

$50-$70/hr
+ 37 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 8,973 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in Hickory

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$290k
Typical market rent
$1,522/mo
Residents’ average commute
21 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
88.5
State income tax
Up to 4.8%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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