Certified Hand Therapist (CHT OT)

Occupational TherapistIncludes callFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting

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

Posted 3mo ago

Job Description

Why UT Southwestern?

With over 75 years of excellence in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, UT Southwestern is committed to excellence, innovation, teamwork, and compassion. As a world-renowned medical and research center, we strive to provide the best possible care, resources, and benefits for our valued employees.

Ranked as the number 1 hospital in Dallas-Fort Worth according to U.S. News & World Report, we invest in you with opportunities for career growth and development to align with your future goals.

Our highly competitive benefits package offers healthcare, PTO and paid holidays, on-site childcare, wage, merit increases and so much more. We invite you to be a part of the UT Southwestern team where you'll discover a culture of teamwork, professionalism, and a rewarding career!

Job Summary

The Certified Hand Therapist (Occupational Therapist) provides specialized evaluation and treatment for patients with conditions affecting the hand and upper extremity.

Benefits

UT Southwestern is proud to offer a competitive and comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees. Our benefits are designed to support your overall wellbeing, and include:

  • PPO medical plan, available day one at no cost for full-time employee-only coverage
  • 100%25 coverage for preventive healthcare-no copay
  • Paid Time Off, available day one
  • Retirement Programs through the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS)
  • Paid Parental Leave Benefit
  • Wellness programs
  • Tuition Reimbursement
  • Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Qualified Employer
  • Learn more about these and other UTSW employee benefits!

Experience and Education

Required

Education

Bachelor's Degree From accredited Occupational Therapy program

Experience

No experience is required. or

Licenses and Certifications

  • (BLS) BASIC LIFE SUPPORT CPR or Basic Life Support (BLS) certification, course accredited by the American Heart Association (AHA) or American Red Cross (ARC) Upon Hire and
  • Texas licensed or eligible for Texas license is required Upon Hire
  • Preferred

Experience

1 year Experience as a CHT

Job Duties

Demonstrates knowledge of departmental policies and procedures, and treatment specific protocols regarding patient care. Passes competency reviews. Demonstrates knowledge of proper body mechanics, for personal and patient safety. Utilizes good body mechanics and instructs others in proper body mechanics. Does not compromise patient's or another's safety and maximizes patients' treatment potential.

Reviews information available from all sources, i. e., history and physical, overt and subjective complaints, etc. Utilizes proper testing and measurement procedures based on information gathered in evaluation. Identifies and records problems noted. For each problem identified, projects realistic goals with reasonable time frames. Determines if treatment is effective. Utilizes resulting evaluation to identify and record problems and progresses patient in timely fashion.

Analyzes and designs treatment plans based on patient problems and goals. Prepares for patient discharge. Records patients' progress. Orders equipment and ensures prescriptions are completed in full.

Organizes patient treatment and unscheduled time efficiently. Assists willingly in coverage of other patients and on-the-job training, education, and supervision of occupational therapy technicians, students and/or nursing staff.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Security and EEO Statement

Security

This position is security-sensitive and subject to Texas Education Code 51.215, which authorizes UT Southwestern to obtain criminal history record information.

EEO

UT Southwestern Medical Center is committed to an educational and working environment that provides equal opportunity to all members of the University community. As an equal opportunity employer, UT Southwestern prohibits unlawful discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or veteran status.

Key Responsibilities

Provide specialized evaluation and treatment for patients with conditions affecting the hand and upper extremity. Develop and implement treatment plans, monitor patient progress, and coordinate discharge planning.

Requirements

Requires a Bachelor's degree from an accredited Occupational Therapy program and a valid Texas license or eligibility for one. BLS certification from AHA or ARC is required upon hire.

Qualifications

Education
Bachelor degree

Key Skills

Hand TherapyUpper Extremity TreatmentPatient EvaluationTreatment PlanningPatient Discharge PlanningClinical Documentation

Mental Health Therapy — Occupational Therapist Career Context

In Texas, the Occupational Therapist weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$92k (69 salary observations; 588 listings), vs ~$97k nationally (1,635 salary observations; 5,830 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2026-01-01 through 2026-09-01; these are not the modal's selected comparable-job medians.

Of the 50 active Occupational Therapist listings this role was benchmarked against, 2% are remote, 46% have no call, 78% require no weekends.

Occupational Therapist pay on WeekdayDoc is up 4.3% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

The cost-of-living index for Texas is 97.1 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 57.7% of Texas clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Location & Logistics

Texas 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 Distribution40 jobs · 31 employers

11
<$110k
15
$110k-130k
8
$130k-150k
6
$150k-170k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks35 jobs · 31 employers

401k / retirement match
91% this job
CME allowance
66%
Sign-on bonus
40%
Loan repayment
26% this job
Relocation assistance
11%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Occupational Therapist

Amedisys · Hayward, California

$129k–$160k
#2

Occupational TherapistContract

Luna Physical Therapy · Chicago, Illinois

$68-$75/hr
#3

School Occupational Therapist (OT) - Manhattan

$75 an hour
#4

School Occupational Therapist (OT) - Brooklyn

$75 an hour
+ 38 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 3.5this job 3.0
Better work-life than 40% of Mental Health Therapy (Occupational Therapy) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 58 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • Includes call

Living in Dallas

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$286k
Typical market rent
$1,591/mo
Residents’ average commute
26 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
103.1
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 · Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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

UT Southwestern Medical Center logo

About UT Southwestern Medical Center

Higher Education
Dallas, Texas
501-1,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

PPO medical plan (no cost for full-time employee-only coverage)
100% preventive healthcare coverage
Paid Time Off available day one
Retirement Programs through Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS)
Paid Parental Leave
Wellness programs
Tuition Reimbursement
Public Service Loan Forgiveness Qualified Employer