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Nicklaus Children's Hospital
West Palm Beach, Florida

Occupational Therapist - Palm Beach Gardens (Full Time, Days)

Occupational TherapistFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the pay range, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 1mo ago · Verified live

Job Description

Responsible for the evaluation, re-evaluation, development, and implementation of a plan of care in accordance with the departmental policies and procedures and preferred practice patterns.

Job Specific Duties

Participates in interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary meetings and other related meetings that pertain to the care of specific patients.

  • Maintains and documents productivity standards set by leaders.
  • Records daily patient documentation, statistics, and charges accurately and in a timely manner as determined by meeting departmental standards.
  • Ensures documentation reflects evidence based practices.
  • Accountable to improve access to care for the patients we serve.

Conducts and interprets evaluations based on patient's medical concerns, developmental age, diagnosis, and prognosis. Provides recommendations based on findings.

Maintains active and supportive communication with the patient, caregiver(s), and others regarding progress, problems, home programs, and other issues related to the therapeutic process.

Develops a plan of care outlining area of deficit, activity restrictions, context and assistance needed, and ensures functional, realistic, and measurable treatment goals and/or status of ongoing goals.

Recommends and provides treatments based upon medical, clinical, functional, and observational findings.

Initiates, documents, and prepares the patient/family for discharge at the time of the evaluation based on maximum potential or when benefit of therapy is reached.

Follows TRAAC and initiates, documents & prepares the patient/family for discharge at the time of the evaluation based on maximum potential and/or when benefit of therapy is reached.

  • Provides proof of at least 1 in-service specific to evidenced-based practices/literature review.
  • Provides proof of at least 1 peer review (case study presentation) incorporating evidenced-based practices into their treatment plan.
  • Maintains ongoing CEUs to maintain professional licensure and clinical excellence.

Minimum Job Requirements

  • Bachelor's Degree in Occupational Therapy
  • Florida Professional Occupational Therapist license or Provisional OT license required
  • American Heart Association BLS - maintain active and in good standing throughout employment

Level II Finger printing background and Good Moral Character Affidavit must be initiated within 15 days of hire date and finalized within 90 days of hire date

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

  • Master’s degree preferred.
  • Pediatric internship preferred.
  • 2 years minimum of pediatric experience preferred.
  • AOTA and FOTA memberships recommended.
  • Ability to appropriately interact with patients, parents/guardians, and healthcare professionals in all work related situations.
  • Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
  • Able to maintain confidentiality of sensitive information.
  • Analytical ability.
  • At least 2 years of experience necessary to treat infants (0-15 months) independently as determined by meeting departmental clinical competencies established for occupational therapy.
  • Able to relate cooperatively and constructively with patients, families, and co-workers.
  • Ability to problem solve to formulate a plan of care and evaluate the patient's response to care.
  • Ability to interpret, adapt, and react calmly under stressful conditions.
  • Serve as clinical instructor for students assigned by CCCE after 2 years of clinical experience.

As required under the directive of House Bill 531 (2025) we are providing the link below to the Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse Education and Awareness website.

info.flclearinghouse.com

Key Responsibilities

The occupational therapist is responsible for evaluating patients, developing individualized treatment plans, and implementing evidence-based care to meet functional goals. They must maintain accurate documentation, participate in multidisciplinary meetings, and coordinate effectively with caregivers and healthcare teams.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a Bachelor's degree in Occupational Therapy and a valid Florida professional license. A minimum of two years of pediatric experience is preferred, along with active BLS certification.

Qualifications

Education
Bachelor degree
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Patient evaluationTreatment planningPediatric therapyEvidence-based practiceInterdisciplinary collaborationDischarge planningProblem solvingPatient care

Occupational Therapist Career Context

In Florida, the Occupational Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$96k (253 salary observations; 1,542 listings), vs ~$97k nationally (6,810 salary observations; 26,145 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 Florida is 103.4 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 58.1% of Florida clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

What does the Occupational Therapy market look like in Florida?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Work-life score5.1 / 10 · above average in occupational therapyranked against 9,265 Occupational Therapy listingslisting-based score, 0–10
Florida vs national$96k median in Florida$97k nationally (−1%)253 state / 6,810 national salary observations
Cost of livingFlorida index 103.4US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Occupational Therapy listings in Florida618 active9,261 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Oct 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 4% remote · 42% no call · 62% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Occupational Therapy pay trend+1.5% vs prior quarter—through Sep 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index (9,265 Occupational Therapy listings), BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Oct 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Location & Logistics

Florida has no state income tax, which can significantly increase take-home pay compared to high-tax states.

Top Occupational Therapist Jobs

43 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

41 jobs · 31 employers
22
<$110k
5
$110k-125k
6
$125k-140k
4
$140k-155k
4
$155k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

34 jobs · 31 employers
401k / retirement match
82%
CME allowance
59% this job
Sign-on bonus
41%
Loan repayment
21%
Relocation assistance
6%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Virtual Occupational TherapistContract

Lets Therapy · Media, Pennsylvania

$82.50 per hour
#2

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

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital · New York, New York

$70.76-$81.01/hr
#3

Occupational Therapist, OT, Flexible Schedule, Home Health

$70-$75/hr
#4

Occupational Therapist

$68-$75/hr
+ 41 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 4.8this job 5.1
Better work-life than 50% of Occupational Therapy listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 9,265 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • On-site

Living in West Palm Beach

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$471k
Typical market rent
$2,365/mo
Residents’ average commute
23 min
State income tax
None
Sources & methodology

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

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