Cayuga Medical Center logo
Cayuga Medical Center
Ithaca, New York

Occupational Therapist - Inpatient - Per Diem

Occupational TherapistIncludes weekendsPer Diem

Listed compensation

$38-$53/hr

The week · per this posting

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 57m ago · Verified live

Job Description

About Cayuga Health

Cayuga Health offers patient-centered, comprehensive health services at Cayuga Medical Center in Ithaca; Schuyler Hospital in Montour Falls; and more than 40 medical offices in the Finger Lakes and Central New York. Cayuga Health employs more than 450 providers from 40+ specialties. Additional services include a neo-natal intensive care unit, a home health care agency, an addiction recovery organization, and a skilled nursing facility.

Cayuga Health is a member of Centralus Health, a community-based integrated delivery system. Our mission is to deliver high-quality care, empower our teams to succeed, and improve the wellbeing of the communities we serve.

Our commitment to quality personalized care begins with our exceptional team—over 6500 employees strong. At Cayuga Health, you will work in a collaborative environment that values excellence, integrity, compassion and stewardship. Together, we create an environment where empathy, honesty and a dedication to quality thrive, empowering us to make a positive impact on the lives we touch.

We offer competitive wages, comprehensive benefits, and professional development opportunities to help our employees grow and thrive. Whether you are just starting your career or taking the next step in healthcare, we invite you to join us in shaping the future of care in our communities.

Learn more at cayugahealth.org.

Roles and Responsibilities

Clinical Decision-Making: Completes comprehensive chart review to determine OT appropriateness. Chooses appropriate exam & integrates findings into a comprehensive plan of care that is person-centered & goal centered. Uses evidenced based practice to guide decision making & therapy intensity. Assesses response to intervention & adjusts interventions/plan of care appropriately.

Communication: Selects appropriate communication style based on age, learning style, cognition, and culture. Educates patient & family/caregivers using compassionate communication. Clearly communicates patient's OT needs & barriers to plan with interdisciplinary team to facilitate throughput. Initiates and maintains professional communication with every team member at all times including adverse, challenging, and crucial conversations.

Safety: Uses medical record & patient presentation to identify relative & absolute contraindications to participation in OT. Surveys patient and environment for safe movement barriers. Maintains expertise in use of all safe patient handling equipment.

Patient Management: Progresses interventions to facilitate achievement of patient's goals. Reassesses progress towards goals & adjusts plan of care. Produces clear, defensible documentation that supports clinical decision making. Uses clinical judgement to determine when immediate communication beyond documentation is required for safe coordinated patient care.

Discharge Planning: Synthesizes patient's life context and current functional status to determine discharge destination, level of support, additional services, and follow-up needs. Determines appropriate equipment needs and provides caregiver training as appropriate.

Required Skills and Experience

Education: Successful completion of accredited Bachelor's, Master's, or Doctorate level Occupational Therapy Program

  • Licensure: Current NYS Occupational Therapy License
  • Current CPR/BLS Certification
  • Must complete yearly mandatory safety trainings and e-learning courses

Preferred Skills and Experience

  • Problem solving
  • Attention to detail
  • Time management
  • Flexibility in prioritizing and adjusting workload
  • Good written and oral communication skills

Physical Requirements

Ability to Move/lift Patients with Assistance

  • Repetitive use of hands and fingers (e. g., use of computer keyboard)
  • Sitting, walking, or standing for long periods of time
  • Must be able to physically operate the equipment used for the job

Location and Shift Information

Location: Onsite at Cayuga Medical Center: 101 Dates Drive, Ithaca, NY 14850

Shift

Per Diem. Coverage for weekdays and rotating Saturdays. Various shifts may be assigned within Inpatient occupational therapy operational hours of 7am - 6pm.

Travel: 0%-10% Local Travel Between Area Clinics and Facilities

Compensation Disclosure

Standard Rate of $38.00 to $53.00 per hour plus per diem incentive

Cayuga Health System and its affiliates are committed to treating all patients, providers, staff and volunteers equitably and with dignity, ensuring the highest levels of safety, care and respect, and striving to recognize and overcome biases and policies that contribute to disparities in healthcare access, equitable care and positive health outcomes for all.

We are proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer, supporting the growth and health of our employees and community by embracing the rich diversity, needs and circumstances of all peoples and prioritizing opportunities to build a diverse and inclusive workplace. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable protected characteristics.

If you require reasonable accommodation to complete a job application, pre-employment testing, a job interview or to otherwise participate in the hiring process, please contact the Cayuga Health Talent Acquisition team at talentacquisition@cayugahealth.org.

Key Responsibilities

The Occupational Therapist will perform comprehensive patient assessments, develop and implement person-centered care plans, and facilitate safe discharge planning. They are responsible for maintaining clear clinical documentation and collaborating effectively with the interdisciplinary team to ensure high-quality patient care.

Requirements

Candidates must have successfully completed an accredited Occupational Therapy program at the Bachelor's, Master's, or Doctorate level. A current NYS Occupational Therapy license and CPR/BLS certification are required for this position.

Qualifications

Education
Doctoral or professional degree (postgraduate degree)

Key Skills

Patient assessmentCare planningPatient educationInterdisciplinary communicationSafety protocols

Occupational Therapist Career Context

In New York, the Occupational Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$94k (417 salary observations; 896 listings), vs ~$97k nationally (6,734 salary observations; 25,870 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)), so the posted ~$95k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $88k in an average-cost state. 64.6% of New York clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

What does the Occupational Therapy market look like in New York?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$79k–$110kOccupational Therapy median $96k (middle half $84k–$116k)645 comparable listings, Oct 2026
New York vs national$94k median in New York$97k nationally (−3%)417 state / 6,734 national salary observations
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$88k in purchasing powerNew York index 107.9 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Occupational Therapy listings in New York372 active9,248 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Oct 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 2% remote · 26% no call · 46% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Occupational Therapy pay trend+1.5% vs prior quarter—through Sep 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Oct 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Top contract/1099 Occupational Therapist Jobs

50 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

40 jobs · 28 employers
17
<$105k
8
$105k-130k
3
$130k-155k
9
$155k-180k
3
$180k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

40 jobs · 28 employers
401k / retirement match
90%
CME allowance
70%
Sign-on bonus
25%
Relocation assistance
15%
Loan repayment
8%

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 Therapist- 1099 (Queens)Per Diem

US Physical Therapy · Flushing, New York

$80-$90/hr
#3

Occupational Therapist, OT, Flexible Home Health Schedule

$65-$75/hr
#4

Occupational Therapist, OT

$65-$75/hr
+ 48 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 4.8this job 1.5
Below most Occupational Therapy listings for work-life

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 9,325 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • On-site
  • Includes weekends
Cayuga Medical Center logo

About Cayuga Medical Center

Hospitals and Health Care
Ithaca, New York
1,001-5,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Competitive wages
Comprehensive benefits
Professional development opportunities

Living in Ithaca

Typical market rent
$1,975/mo
Residents’ average commute
19 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
103.3
State income tax
Up to 10.9%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Ithaca, NY metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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