Occupational Therapist - Acute Rehab, Carolinas Medical Center
Listed compensation
$38.2-$57.3/hr
The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed
Ask the employer about the work setting, nights and shift pattern and time off.
Job Description
Department: 37694 Carolinas Medical Center - Physical Therapy
Status: Full time
Benefits Eligible
Yes
Hours Per Week
40
Schedule Details/Additional Information
10 a. m. - 6:30 p. m.
Every 4th weekend rotation
Pay Range
- $38.20 - $57.30
- Carolinas Medical Center Acute Care Rehabilitation Team
Join a collaborative acute care rehabilitation team at Carolinas Medical Center, Atrium Health’s flagship Level I Trauma Center and regional referral hospital.
Occupational therapists work alongside physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, physicians, nurses, and case management teams to provide comprehensive care for medically complex patients across trauma, neurology, oncology, cardiac, critical care, transplant, and surgical service lines.
This fast-paced environment offers opportunities to support patients throughout their acute hospitalization, helping them maximize function, promote safe discharge planning, and improve quality of life through evidence-based, patient-centered care.
Job Description
Evaluates, plans, directs, and administers programs of Occupational Therapy in an inpatient acute level setting, upon referral by the physician to restore function, prevent disability, and help patients reach their maximum level of independence. Supervises OT Assistant, OT Tech, students and volunteers.
Essential Functions
Provides direct therapy services to patients admitted to a level of care where service provision is required 7 days a week, including holidays (acute care, rehabilitation and skilled nursing facility).
Evaluates patients, selects and administers assessment techniques, synthesizes information to establish appropriate patient care plan to include necessary modalities, procedures, exercise programs, therapeutic groups and patient education as warranted by a holistic view of the patient's diagnosis, condition, age, and contextual needs of discharge disposition.
Gathers and interprets appropriate data from the medical record, physician reports, patient, and/or family as evidenced by documentation.
Re-evaluates patients as needed, modifying goals and treatment as patient's status changes.
Communicates patient's evaluation and subsequent progress to physician, referral sources, and other clinical staff and coordinates patient's schedule, treatment programs, discharge planning.
Documents evaluations, tests, progress notes, daily treatment notes, attendance records, patient/family education, outcomes, discharge notes, and charges and recommends solutions to patient care problems.
Physical Requirements
Hearing (corrected) adequate for oral/aural communication. Vision (corrected) adequate for reading. Intelligible speech and adequate language/cognitive skills to perform job duties. Sitting, standing, and walking required throughout the day.
Job duties sometimes require climbing stairs, kneeling, twisting, bending; on occasion, crouching, crawling and reaching overhead. Lifting of patients, equipment or supplies will be required up to 20 pounds frequently and 50 pounds occasionally. Able to laterally transfer patients 100 pounds rarely.
Must be able to demonstrate any appropriate exercise and activities to patients/caregivers. Personal Protective Equipment such as gloves, goggles, gowns, and masks are sometimes required due to possible exposure to hazardous chemicals or blood and body fluids. Work is in a fast-paced clinical environment. The work environment is primarily indoors but occasionally outdoors.
Education, Experience and Certifications
Bachelor's Degree in Occupational Therapy program required. applicable state license for Occupational Therapy required. One (1) year experience as a licensed Occupational Therapist. BLS required per policy guidelines. Meets all requirements of the Rehab Services Career Ladder Guidelines for a Level II therapist as approved by the Rehab Credential Council.
Our Commitment to You
Advocate Health offers a comprehensive suite of Total Rewards: benefits and well-being programs, competitive compensation, generous retirement offerings, programs that invest in your career development and so much more – so you can live fully at and away from work, including:
Compensation
Base compensation listed within the listed pay range based on factors such as qualifications, skills, relevant experience, and/or training
- Premium pay such as shift, on call, and more based on a teammate's job
- Incentive pay for select positions
- Opportunity for annual increases based on performance
- Benefits and more
Paid Time Off Programs
- Health and welfare benefits such as medical, dental, vision, life, and Short- and Long-Term Disability
- Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses
- Family benefits such as adoption assistance and paid parental leave
- Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match and other financial wellness programs
Educational Assistance Program
Note: Eligibility for programs listed above may depend on your FTE or status (e. g., full-time, part-time, per diem, temporary, etc.); please ask a Recruiter for more information during an interview.
About Advocate Health
Advocate Health is the third-largest nonprofit, integrated health system in the United States, created from the combination of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health.
Providing care under the names Advocate Health Care in Illinois; Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama; and Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin, Advocate Health is a national leader in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience and value-based care.
Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Advocate Health services nearly 6 million patients and is engaged in hundreds of clinical trials and research studies, with Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as the academic core of the enterprise.
It is nationally recognized for its expertise in cardiology, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs.
Advocate Health employs 155,000 teammates across 69 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations, and offers one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs with over 2,000 residents and fellows across more than 200 programs.
Committed to providing equitable care for all, Advocate Health provides more than $6 billion in annual community benefits.
Key Responsibilities
The occupational therapist evaluates, plans, and administers therapy programs to restore function and prevent disability in medically complex acute care patients. They also collaborate with an interdisciplinary team and supervise support staff, students, and volunteers.
Requirements
Candidates must hold a Bachelor's degree in Occupational Therapy and possess a valid state license. A minimum of one year of experience as a licensed Occupational Therapist and current BLS certification are required.
Qualifications
- Education
- Bachelor degree
Key Skills
Occupational Therapist Career Context
In North Carolina, the Occupational Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$90k (157 salary observations; 754 listings), vs ~$97k nationally (5,202 salary observations; 27,817 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2026-01-01 through 2026-11-01; these are not the modal's selected comparable-job medians.
The cost-of-living index for North Carolina is 94.3 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$99k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $105k in an average-cost state. 59.2% of North Carolina clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).
| Measure | This job | Market |
|---|---|---|
| Listed pay | $79k–$119k | Occupational Therapy median $97k (middle half $90k–$104k)10 comparable listings, Nov 2026 |
| North Carolina vs national | $90k median in North Carolina | $97k nationally (−6%)157 state / 5,202 national salary observations |
| Cost-of-living adjusted pay | ~$105k in purchasing power | North Carolina index 94.3 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) |
| Occupational Therapy listings in North Carolina | 245 active | 8,968 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026 |
| Work setting | on-site | peers: 32% no call · 59% no weekends41 benchmarked listings |
| Sign-on & loan repayment | not stated | North Carolina Occupational Therapist listings: 15% state a sign-on bonus (median $5k) · 9% offer loan repayment274 active listings, Nov 2026 |
| New Occupational Therapy listings | 3,033 in the last 30 days | 1,687 the 30 days before (+80%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026 |
| Occupational Therapy pay trend | +2.9% vs prior quarter | —through Oct 2026 |
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