Occupational Therapist

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 7mo ago

Job Description

An Occupational Therapist helps and treats patients whose movement and physical abilities are impaired. The occupational therapist will interact with patients and other health care providers to diagnose problems, establish goals and decide upon a course of treatment or management, then implement that plan with the patient.

Working at USF

With approximately 16,000 employees, the University of South Florida is one of the largest employers in the Tampa Bay area. We are dedicated to cultivating a talented, engaged and driven workforce that strives to be bold.

Employees excel in USF‘s rich academic environment, which fosters their development and advancement. In 2025, Forbes recognized USF as one of Florida’s best large employers, ranked No. 1 among the state’s 12 public universities.

Our first-class benefits package includes medical, dental and life insurance plans, retirement plan options, employee and dependent tuition programs, generous leave, and hundreds of employee perks and discounts.

About USF

The University of South Florida is a top-ranked research university serving approximately 50,000 students from across the globe at campuses in Tampa, St.

Petersburg, Sarasota-Manatee and USF Health. USF is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a top 50 public university and the best value in Florida. U.S.

News also ranks the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine as the No. 1 medical school in Florida and in the highest tier nationwide.

USF is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), a group that includes only the top 3% of universities in the U.S. With an all-time high of $738 million in research funding in 2024 and as a top 20 public university for producing U.S. patents, USF uses innovation to transform lives and shape a better future.

The university generates an annual economic impact of more than $6 billion. USF’s Division I athletics teams compete in the American Athletic Conference. Learn more at usf.edu.

Compliance and Federal Notices

This position may be subject to a Level 1 or Level 2 criminal background check.

Applicants Have Rights Under Federal Employment Laws

The University of South Florida is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on any characteristic protected by law. The University maintains programs for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws.

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

Applicants for USF employment are entitled to request reasonable accommodation(s) in the application process. A request is to be made at least five (5) working days prior to the time the accommodation(s) is needed. Visit the Central Human Resources ADA Accommodations webpage for more information on requesting an accommodation during the application/interview process.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of South Florida is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on any characteristic protected by law. The University maintains affirmative action programs for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws. This job description does not constitute an employment contract.

Key Responsibilities

The Occupational Therapist will diagnose problems, establish goals, and decide upon a course of treatment or management for patients whose movement and physical abilities are impaired. This involves interacting with patients and other health care providers to implement the decided treatment plan.

Requirements

Candidates must possess Florida State Licensure as an Occupational Therapist and have two or more years of experience working with children aged 0-5 years. This role is specifically for the USF Health Department of Pediatrics to meet patient needs per the DOH Early Steps contract and serves multiple counties.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Patient TreatmentMovement Impairment TreatmentPhysical Abilities TreatmentDiagnosisGoal EstablishmentTreatment PlanningPlan ImplementationInteraction With Health Care Providers

Occupational Therapist Career Context

In Florida, the Occupational Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$96k (245 salary observations; 1,503 listings), vs ~$97k nationally (6,664 salary observations; 25,616 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).

Of the 50 active Occupational Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 4% are remote, 22% have no call, 72% require no weekends.

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

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Occupational Therapist at University of South Florida a 7.2 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as very good. This places the position in the top 10% in Occupational Therapy — ranked against 9,294 active Occupational Therapy listings on WeekdayDoc.

Location & Logistics

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

Top Occupational Therapist Jobs

39 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution35 jobs · 29 employers

19
<$110k
5
$110k-130k
4
$130k-150k
6
$150k-170k
1
$172k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks33 jobs · 29 employers

401k / retirement match
79% this job
CME allowance
64%
Sign-on bonus
33%
Loan repayment
18%
Relocation assistance
3%

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
+ 37 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 4.8this job 7.2
Among the best 10% of Occupational Therapy listings for work-life

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 9,294 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in Tampa

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$384k
Typical market rent
$1,957/mo
Residents’ average commute
25 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
100.9
State income tax
None
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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

University of South Florida logo

About University of South Florida

Higher Education
Tampa, Florida
11-50 employees

Benefits & Perks

Medical insurance
Dental insurance
Life insurance
Retirement plan options
Tuition programs
Generous leave