Registry Occupational Therapist Acute Care Casual Days

Occupational TherapistIncludes callNo nightsPer Diem

Listed compensation

$108K–$121K

The week · per this posting

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

Posted 3mo ago

Job Description

Company Description

At Northwestern Medicine, every patient interaction makes a difference in cultivating a positive workplace. This patient-first approach is what sets us apart as a leader in the healthcare industry.

As an integral part of our team, you'll have the opportunity to join our quest for better health care, no matter where you work within the Northwestern Medicine system.

We pride ourselves on providing competitive benefits: from tuition reimbursement and loan forgiveness to 401(k) matching and lifecycle benefits, our goal is to take care of our employees. Ready to join our quest for better?

Job Description

The Registry Occupational Therapist reflects the mission, vision, and values of Northwestern Memorial, adheres to the organization's Code of Ethics and Corporate Compliance Program, and complies with all relevant policies, procedures, guidelines and all other regulatory and accreditation standards.

Responsibilities

  • Administers occupational therapy evaluations and develops collaborative treatment plans with patients.
  • Restores function and prevents further disability through ongoing assessment leading to appropriate therapeutic interventions.
  • Provides direct patient care for an established 65% of hours worked.
  • Performs appropriate occupational therapy evaluations and re-evaluations on a regular basis.
  • Designs and implements appropriate treatment plans.
  • Participates in patient discharge and home care planning to facilitate the continuity of patient care.

Completes all related medical documentation in a timely and accurate manner and in accordance with established policies and standards.

Demonstrates competency through the annual completion of the written and/or demonstration-style competency examinations.

Promotes philosophy and objectives of NMH and Stone Institute of Psychiatry and program.

Promotes and maintains professional working relationship with peers. Maintains/promotes open communication with internal contacts, such as nursing and social work.

Adheres to the Hospital and departmental policies and procedures. Adheres to the Code of Ethics, Customer Service Standards and the Patients First mission as demonstrated through positive patient/guest relations, positive and effective interactions with staff, formulating and meeting developmental goals.

Demonstrates responsibility for assessing, treating, caring for adults (18-64 years), and geriatrics (65+) from a developmental perspective.

Visually observe, interpret and document patient's verbal and behavioral responses during assessment and treatment activities.

Communicate clearly and effectively with physicians, patients, families, guests and other members of the health care team.

  • Respond to emergency signals and indicators.
  • Push/pull patients in wheelchairs (100-300 lbs.) for short distances.
  • Push/pull supplies and equipment weighing up to 50 lbs.

Lift patients up to 80 lbs. or with assistance up to 200 lbs.

  • Provide physical assistance to patients during mobility training.
  • Display concentration and attention span for brief and extended periods of time (up to 90 minutes) to perform tasks including patient evaluations, patient treatments, participation discharge panels, participation in continuing education activities.
  • Commute between office space and patient treatment locations.
  • Supervises students within department clinical education guidelines.
  • Delegates appropriate responsibilities to Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants.
  • Assists in monitoring of quality management indicators.
  • AA/EOE

Qualifications

Required

  • Occupational Therapy Certification, AOTCB.
  • Occupational Therapy License, Illinois.
  • Department of Professional Regulations.
  • Bachelor of Science Degree in Occupational Therapy if graduate prior to 2007.
  • Masters Degree in Occupational Therapy on or after 2007.
  • Basic Life Support - American Heart Association.

Additional Information

Northwestern Medicine is an equal opportunity employer (disability, VETS) and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation or any other protected status.

Background Check

Northwestern Medicine conducts a background check that includes criminal history on newly hired team members and, at times, internal transfers.

If you are offered a position with us, you will be required to complete an authorization and disclosure form that gives Northwestern Medicine permission to run the background check.

Results are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and we follow all local, state, and federal laws, including the Illinois Health Care Worker Background Check Act.

Artificial Intelligence Disclosure

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position, however, all employment decisions will be made by a person.

Benefits

We offer a wide range of benefits that provide employees with tools and resources to improve their physical, emotional, and financial well-being while providing protection for unexpected life events. Please visit our Benefits section to learn more.

Sign-on Bonus Eligibility (if sign-on bonus offered for position): Internal employees and rehires who left Northwestern Medicine within 1 year are not eligible for the sign on bonus. Exception: New graduate internal employees seeking their first licensed clinical position at NM may be eligible depending upon the job family.

  • Job Shift: Day Job (1st)
  • Salary Range Minimum: $52.00
  • Salary Range Maximum: $58.00
  • Compensation: USD 52 - USD 58 - hourly

Qualifications

Education
Master's degree (postgraduate degree)
Experience
2+ years of experience

Certifications

BLS

Key Skills

Occupational Therapy EvaluationTreatment PlanningDischarge PlanningPatient Mobility TrainingClinical Supervision

Occupational Therapist Career Context

In Illinois, the Occupational Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$93k (389 salary observations; 890 listings), vs ~$97k nationally (6,680 salary observations; 25,679 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 Illinois is 100.0 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 62.6% of Illinois clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 42 active Occupational Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 26% have no call, 79% require no weekends.

Northwestern Memorial Healthcare holds silver-tier status on WeekdayDoc's Top Employers work-life index, composite score 71/100, 5 active listings.

Occupational Therapy pay on WeekdayDoc is up 1.5% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

Top contract/1099 Occupational Therapist Jobs

42 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution21 jobs

5
<$110k
8
$110k-125k
2
$125k-140k
2
$140k-155k
4
$156k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks27 jobs

401k / retirement match
89% this job
CME allowance
63% this job
Sign-on bonus
22% this job
Loan repayment
15% this job
Relocation assistance
7%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Occupational Therapist (OT)- South County

Home Care Providers Group · San Diego, California

$158k – $198k
#2

Home Care Occupational Therapist- 1099 (Queens)Per Diem

US Physical Therapy · Flushing, New York

$80-$90/hr
#3

Occupational Therapist, OT

$65-$75/hr
#4

Occupational Therapist

$65-$75/hr
+ 40 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 9,348 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • No nights
  • Includes call

Living in Chicago

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$356k
Typical market rent
$2,342/mo
Residents’ average commute
33 min
State income tax
Up to 5%
Sources & methodology

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

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

Northwestern Memorial Healthcare logo

About Northwestern Memorial Healthcare

Hospitals and Health Care
Chicago, Illinois
10,000+ employees

Benefits & Perks

Tuition reimbursement
Loan forgiveness
401(k) matching
Lifecycle benefits