SD

Occupational Therapist III - Hourly/Per Diem

Occupational TherapistPer Diem

Listed compensation

$55-$60/hr

The week · per this posting

Schedule not stated in this posting — no days, weekends, call or nights given.

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 2mo ago

Job Description

The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitative Medicine at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University is seeking an hourly/per diem TH Occupational Therapist III. The successful candidate will:

  • Have schedule flexibility and availability to offer Per Diem work support.
  • Work closely with other members of the health care team to devise and carry out specialized treatment programs aimed at enabling patients to return to their normal activities.
  • Evaluate and treat patients referred for skilled occupational therapy service according to department standards of care.
  • Establish treatment goals and create plans of care to attain the established goals.
  • Evaluate and submit requests for assistive devices, as well as orthotic and prosthetic needs.
  • Submit all necessary paperwork, as well as electronic medical records and daily billing according to the department policy and procedures.
  • Educate patients and families about appropriate precautions, home exercise programs, safety. fall prevention, and use of appropriate assistive devices(s).
  • Participate in departmental in-services.
  • Provide supervision and guidance for COTA and Rehab aides.
  • Work in dynamic work environment across multiple settings.
  • Assist with quality assurance and inventory control efforts.
  • Be a team player and a role model for other staff members.
  • Model the organization's WE CARE values in interactions.

Key Responsibilities

The Occupational Therapist will evaluate and treat patients to develop specialized treatment programs that facilitate a return to normal daily activities. They are also responsible for managing patient documentation, billing, and providing supervision to COTA and rehabilitation aides.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a New York State OTR/L license or be license-eligible with the ability to pass the exam within one year. A Master of Science OTR/L degree and one year of related experience are preferred.

Qualifications

Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Patient evaluationTreatment planningOrthoticsProstheticsPatient educationTeamwork

Occupational Therapist Career Context

In New York, the Occupational Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$94k (400 salary observations; 865 listings), vs ~$97k nationally (6,588 salary observations; 25,229 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 New York is 107.9 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 64.6% of New York clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 43 active Occupational Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 12% are remote, 35% have no call, 65% 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 III - Hourly/Per Diem at SUNY Downstate Medical Center a 7.9 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as very good. This places the position in the top 5% in Occupational Therapy — ranked against 9,285 active Occupational Therapy listings on WeekdayDoc.

Top contract/1099 Occupational Therapist Jobs

42 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution22 jobs

9
<$130k
3
$130k-150k
6
$150k-170k
4
$170k-190k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks28 jobs · 27 employers

401k / retirement match
82%
CME allowance
71%
Sign-on bonus
21%
Relocation assistance
14%
Visa sponsorship
11%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Occupational Therapist (OT)- South County

Home Care Providers Group · San Diego, California

$158k – $198k
#2

Home Care Occupational TherapistPer Diem

US Physical Therapy · Morristown, New Jersey

$74-$93.75/hr
#3

Home Care Occupational Therapist- (Morris County)

$74-$93.75/hr
#4

Home Care Occupational Therapist- 1099 (Queens)

$80-$90/hr
+ 40 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 4.8this job 7.9
Among the best 10% of Occupational Therapy listings for work-life

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 9,285 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in New York

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$876k
Typical market rent
$4,154/mo
Residents’ average commute
40 min
State income tax
Up to 10.9%
Sources & methodology

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

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