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Keck Medicine of USC
Arcadia, California

Staff Occupational Therapist - Occupational Therapy - Per Diem 8 hours Days (8:00AM to 4:30PM) (Non-Union, Non-Exempt)

Occupational TherapistNo nightsPer Diem

Listed compensation

$39.18-$51.42/hr

The week · per this posting

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

Posted 1h ago · Verified live

Job Description

Essential Job Functions and Core Responsibilities

  • Communicates appropriately with the referring physician.
  • Communicates with patients and others adequately and appropriately.
  • Completes all required documentation.
  • Continues professional development through continuing education.
  • Delegates to and supervises Assistants and Aides appropriately.
  • Demonstrates the knowledge and ability to assess patients and complete other clinical responsibilities from a developmental perspective.
  • Develops appropriate treatment plans.
  • Evaluates patients, identifying problems and defining treatment goals that are specific, objective and measurable.
  • Implements treatment program using appropriate procedures/techniques according to department standards.
  • Monitors the extent to which services have met therapy goals.
  • May participate in clinical education for occupational therapy students.
  • Participates in multidisciplinary treatment planning and care.
  • May participate in orientation of new staff, students and volunteers.
  • Performs routine tasks necessary for maintenance of a clean, safe and efficient work area.

Possesses the knowledge and clinical skills necessary to assess the developmental level of adolescent patients and to incorporate this information appropriately into treatment planning and delivery of individualized treatment and patient/family education that is specific to the needs of the adolescent patient.

Possesses the knowledge and clinical skills necessary to assess the developmental level of pediatric patients and to incorporate this information appropriately into treatment planning and delivery of individualized treatment and patient/family education that is specific to the needs of the pediatric patient.

Possesses the knowledge and clinical skills necessary to assess the effects of aging and to incorporate this information appropriately into treatment planning and delivery of individualized treatment and patient/family education that is specific to the geriatric patient's needs.

Responsible for understanding and participating in the organization- wide Performance Improvement Program through orientation; education; departmental and interdepartmental quality control; quality improvement; and quality planning activities.

Job Requirements

  • Education
  • Minimum (Required)
  • Graduate of accredited OT program or equivalent per California OT Board requirements
  • Preferred (Not required)
  • Work Experience
  • Minimum (Required)
  • Preferred (Not required)
  • Hospital based experience preferred.
  • Licenses and Certifications
  • Minimum (Required)
  • Current CA license as Occupational Therapist or license applicant status.
  • Current BLS certification.
  • Preferred (Not required)

Pay Transparency

The hourly salary rate range for this position is $39.18- $51.42. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California Arcadia Hospital considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, State, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

Position Summary

Provides occupational therapy services as part of the multidisciplinary treatment team to patients primarily in adult and geriatric age groups with occasional, limited pediatric and adolescent patients. May function as clinical instructor for occupational therapy students.

USC is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or USC policy.

USC observes affirmative action obligations consistent with state and federal law.

USC will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal records in a manner consistent with applicable laws and regulations, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for employers and the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and with due consideration for patient and student safety.

Please refer to the Background Screening Policy Appendix D for specific employment screen implications for the position for which you are applying.

We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact USC Human Resources by phone at (213) 821-8100, or by email at uschr@usc.edu. Inquiries will be treated as confidential to the extent permitted by law.

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Digital Accessibility

If you are a current USC employee, please apply to this USC job posting in Workday by copying and pasting this link into your browser:

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Key Responsibilities

The staff occupational therapist evaluates patients, develops individualized treatment plans, and implements therapy programs to meet specific clinical goals. They also collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and provide education to patients and their families across pediatric, adolescent, and geriatric populations.

Requirements

Candidates must be graduates of an accredited occupational therapy program and hold a current California license or license applicant status. A current BLS certification is required, and hospital-based experience is preferred.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure

Key Skills

Patient assessmentClinical documentationMultidisciplinary carePediatric careGeriatric careAdolescent careClinical instructionPatient educationTherapy goal monitoringStaff supervision

Physical Therapy — Occupational Therapist Career Context

In California, the Physical Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$122k (11 salary observations; 23 listings), vs ~$98k nationally (72 salary observations; 250 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2026-03-01 through 2026-09-01; these are not the modal's selected comparable-job medians.

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$94k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $85k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 50 active Physical Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 6% are remote, 40% have no call, 52% require no weekends.

Physical Therapy pay on WeekdayDoc is up 13.6% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

Top Occupational Therapist Jobs

49 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution29 jobs

9
<$115k
4
$115k-130k
6
$130k-145k
7
$145k-160k
3
$160k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks35 jobs · 34 employers

401k / retirement match
86%
CME allowance
51% this job
Sign-on bonus
26%
Loan repayment
17%
Relocation assistance
14%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Occupational Therapist (OT)- South County

Home Care Providers Group · San Diego, California

$158k – $198k
#2

Occupational Therapist- Redding/Red Bluff

Home Care Providers Group · Yuba City, California

Salary Range: $95.00/…
#3

Home Care Occupational Therapist

$74-$93.75/hr
#4

Home Care Occupational Therapist- (Morris County)

$74-$93.75/hr
+ 47 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.0this job 5.1
Better work-life than 30% of Physical Therapy (Occupational Therapy) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 68 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • No nights

Living in Arcadia

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$1.21M
Typical market rent
$3,414/mo
Residents’ average commute
29 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
113.6
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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