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Erlanger Health System
Chattanooga, Tennessee

Occupational Therapist, Outpatient Therapy - Full-Time

Occupational TherapistFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

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Job Description

A licensed Occupational Therapist employed by Erlanger Health System, is responsible for direct and indirect care in the rehabilitation of the patient in an outpatient setting.

A licensed occupational therapist employed by Erlanger Health System, is responsible for direct and indirect care in the rehabilitation of the patient. Primary treatment conditions include, but not limited to: Peripheral nerve injuries, Crush injuries, Repetitive motion disorders, and Tendon injuries.

Services provided will include Post-operative management, Custom orthoses, splint modification, Joint mobilization, Manual therapy, Instrument-assisted soft tissue techniques, Taping, Wound and scar management, Edema control, Work simulation, Range of motion, Strengthening.

Independence with custom fabricating orthotics of any type and completing basic to moderately complex hand injury evaluations.

Education

Licensed Occupational Therapist in the State of Tennessee. Bachelor's Degree in Occupational Therapy

Preferred

Experience

Required: Knowledge of general occupational therapy principles and practical skills

Preferred: Experience in application of custom splinting pre and post-op orthopedic

Position Requirement(s): License/Certification/Registration

Required: Tennessee licensure and registration in Occupational Therapy. BLS completed prior to going to the unit/ department and maintained going forward

Preferred

Department Position Summary

Provides occupational therapy evaluations. Develops an individual plan of treatment for each patient. Provides age appropriate treatment. Participates in team meetings and discharge planning. Educates patients and their families in the patient's treatment program.

Primary treatment conditions include, but not limited to: Peripheral nerve injuries, Crush injuries, Repetitive motion disorders, and Tendon injuries.

Services provided will include Post-operative management, Custom orthoses, splint modification, Joint mobilization, Manual therapy, Instrument-assisted soft tissue techniques, Taping, Wound and scar management, Edema control, Work simulation, Range of motion, Strengthening.

Independence with custom fabricating orthotics of any type and completing basic to moderately complex hand injury evaluations.

Directs Occupational Therapist Assistants, and Patient Care Technicians in patient treatments. Maintains accurate written reports. Maintains standards as set down by the American Occupational Therapy Association regarding treatment procedures and professional ethics. Participates in continuing education programs.

Participates in community education. Acts as clinical instructor for OT and COTA students. Participates in the Continuous Quality Improvement efforts of the department and the Medical Center.

Key Responsibilities

The Occupational Therapist provides direct patient care, develops individualized treatment plans, and performs evaluations in an outpatient setting. They also manage post-operative care, fabricate custom orthotics, and supervise assistants and students.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a valid Tennessee license and registration in Occupational Therapy and maintain BLS certification. A Bachelor's degree in Occupational Therapy is preferred, along with experience in custom splinting and orthopedic care.

Qualifications

Education
Bachelor degree
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Wound managementHand injury evaluationPatient educationClinical instruction

Occupational Therapist Career Context

In Tennessee, the Occupational Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$89k (53 salary observations; 449 listings), vs ~$97k nationally (6,672 salary observations; 25,638 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 Tennessee is 91.9 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 58.6% of Tennessee clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 50 active Occupational Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 10% are remote, 38% have no call, 72% require no weekends.

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

Location & Logistics

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

Top Occupational Therapist Jobs

40 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution31 jobs · 29 employers

16
<$115k
3
$115k-135k
6
$135k-155k
6
$155k-175k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks33 jobs · 29 employers

401k / retirement match
94%
CME allowance
67% this job
Sign-on bonus
27%
Loan repayment
12%
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
+ 38 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 9,356 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in Chattanooga

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$327k
Typical market rent
$1,513/mo
Residents’ average commute
19 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
91.5
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 · Chattanooga, TN-GA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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