Perkins & Will logo
Perkins & Will
Watertown, South Dakota

Temporary Occupational Therapist

Occupational TherapistContract

Listed compensation

$35.25-$60.97/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

Perkins helps children with disabilities find their place in the world. An international NGO, we are committed to delivering best-in-class education to children, providing immersive training and support to professionals and families, advocating for inclusion, and accelerating innovation for people with disabilities. At Perkins, we think courageously, act collaboratively, and we own our work. Join a supportive community committed to growth where your work makes a difference.

What you can expect as our Temporary Occupational Therapist:

In this role, you’ll work closely with students who have visual impairments and complex needs, helping them build independence, master new tools, and navigate the world with confidence. If you’re looking for a deeply rewarding opportunity, we want to hear from you! This is a full time temporary leave coverage role.

How You Will Make an Impact

Our Occupational Therapist will assess, organize, plan, and implement the delivery of occupational therapy services for a population of students who have visual impairments along with possible neurological, multiple, and severe disabilities. They will provide direct therapy to students, as well as consultation and in-service training to members of the interdisciplinary program team.

Essential Duties, Responsibilities and Expectations include the following:

Provides clinical evaluation services to students referred to the School, including delivery of standardized and non-standardized assessment and development of comprehensive written reports, and acts as liaison between medical specialists and program staff as appropriate

Reviews medical, family and educational history of the student to assess the student's functioning in order to identify abilities and areas of need; recommends appropriate therapy and develops individual therapeutic objectives for each student referred.

Develops on-going treatment plan for each student receiving occupational therapy and provides direct occupational therapy or supervises the delivery of occupational therapy services as necessary; recommends appropriate adaptive equipment or devices and maintains equipment to assure it is in proper working condition.

Participates in program meetings, staff assignments, case reviews, and IEP or ISP meetings and prepares oral or written reports of current progress and needs of students; consults on curriculum development at the request of the program supervisor.

Develops measurable goals and objectives for future programming of individual students in writing and makes scheduling recommendations as appropriate; participates in the screening or evaluations of students referred to Perkins for recommendations or admission.

Participates as a member of a collaborative, interdisciplinary team in developing goals and objectives for current and future programming and communicates these with others to assure continuity of programming.

Maintains current student records for those involved in therapeutic treatment and prepares statistical data regarding service delivery as necessary

Assumes responsibility for the safety and welfare of students; observe and supports students in other situations or settings as needed.

Acts as a liaison between physicians and other outside providers, and Perkins program staff; and obtains pertinent medical and referral information from outside medical teams.

Accompanies students to medical appointments as necessary.

Provides field placement supervision to undergraduate and graduate students when appropriate.

Assists in recruiting and interviewing occupational therapist applicants and other clinical service providers as requested.

Works within School and Human Resources policies and procedures; adheres to program guidelines for expenditures and maintains appropriate records.

  • Participates in grant and proposal writing as requested.
  • Attends professional conferences, seminars and courses for professional development.
  • Makes professional contributions, such as planning and participating in workshops, delivering presentations at conferences, and preparing articles for publication with the prior approval of the program supervisor and the clinical liaison.
  • Requests and monitors the ordering of materials, supplies, and equipment.
  • Caseloads assigned based on evolving needs across schools
  • To perform other related duties and tasks as assigned.

Education And/or Experience

Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy

Experience working with students with sensory deficits in vision, multiple impairments or intellectual disabilities, or equivalent combination of education and experience

Ability to complete and maintain First Aid and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Automated External Defibrillator (AED), and Safety Care Certifications

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations

Registration as a certified Occupational Therapist in Massachusetts

The following shared salary range is what Perkins reasonably expects, in good faith, to pay for the position. The applicable range could differ based on experience and qualification.

  • $35.25-$60.97
  • Perkins offers a comprehensive benefits package for part time and full time employees, including:
  • Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance Wellness programs available.
  • Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA)
  • Flexible Spending Accounts
  • Employer-Paid Life & Long-Term Disability Insurance
  • 401(k) Plan with employer match
  • Education Benefits: Tuition reimbursement day one

Paid Time Off

Extras: Employee Recognition Programs, EAP, legal services, referral bonuses, credit union access, pre-tax MBTA passes and more!

Perkins is a mission-driven community that supports your well-being at work and beyond. We are located in the heart of Watertown, adjacent to the Charles River and less than 1 mile from food & entertainment at Arsenal Yards.

Perkins is an equal opportunity employer. View the Perkins Notice of non-discrimination.

Key Responsibilities

The Occupational Therapist will assess, plan, and implement therapy services for students with visual impairments and complex disabilities. They will also collaborate with an interdisciplinary team, maintain student records, and provide consultation to program staff.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a Master's degree in Occupational Therapy and be registered as a certified Occupational Therapist in Massachusetts. Experience working with students with sensory deficits or multiple impairments is required, along with relevant safety certifications.

Qualifications

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

Key Skills

Assessment developmentTreatment planningIEP meeting participationInterdisciplinary collaborationStudent record maintenanceVisual impairment supportReport writing

Occupational Therapist Career Context

The cost-of-living index for South Dakota is 88.6 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$100k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $113k in an average-cost state. 58.2% of South Dakota clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 40 active Occupational Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 3% are remote, 50% have no call, 73% require no weekends.

Occupational Therapy pay on WeekdayDoc is up 3.7% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

Location & Logistics

South Dakota has no state income tax, which can significantly increase take-home pay compared to high-tax states. At the posted ~$100k midpoint, that is roughly $4k–$7k a year versus a typical 4–7% state rate.

Top contract/1099 Occupational Therapist Jobs

23 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution23 jobs · 19 employers

10
<$115k
2
$115k-140k
6
$140k-165k
5
$165k-190k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks19 jobs

401k / retirement match
95% this job
Sign-on bonus
63%
CME allowance
42%
Loan repayment
26%
PSLF eligible
21%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Occupational Therapist III EX

UCSF · Oakland, California

$67.06-$90.53/hr
#2

Occupational Therapist

Ironside Human Resources · Fairfield, California

$75-$90/hr
#3

Occupational Therapist II EX

$64.05-$86.19/hr
#4

Virtual Occupational Therapist

$82.50 per hour
+ 21 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 9,471 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in Watertown

Typical market rent
$1,115/mo
Residents’ average commute
13 min
State income tax
None
Sources & methodology

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

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

Perkins & Will logo

About Perkins & Will

Architecture and Planning
Chicago, IL
1,001-5,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance
Wellness Programs
Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA)
Flexible Spending Accounts
Employer-Paid Life & Long-Term Disability Insurance
401(k) Plan with Employer Match
Tuition Reimbursement (Day One)
Paid Time Off