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Lifepoint Health
Escondido, California

Occupational Therapist (OT)

Occupational TherapistFull-Time

Listed compensation

$47-$57.29/hr

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

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

Posted 10m ago · Verified live

Job Description

Occupational Therapist (OT) - Inpatient Rehabilitation

Full-time

Wage scale: $47.00 - $57.29 per hour

Supportive Leadership, Superior Outcomes, Career Advancement

Your Experience Matters

At Palomar Health Rehabilitation Institute, we are driven by a profound commitment to prioritize your well-being so you can provide exceptional care to others. Here, you’re not just valued as an employee, but as a person.

As an Occupational Therapist joining our team, you’re embracing a vital mission dedicated to making communities healthier. Join us on this meaningful journey where your skills, compassion, and dedication will make a remarkable difference in the lives of those we serve.

How You’ll Contribute

The Occupational Therapist is responsible for evaluating patients and developing treatment plans that promote the ability to perform daily activities and improve functional independence.

Essential Functions

  • Evaluate patient conditions and develop individualized treatment plans.
  • Provide therapeutic interventions to enhance patients’ daily living skills.
  • Document treatment sessions and patient progress accurately and timely.
  • Collaborate with other healthcare professionals and families on care planning.
  • Educate patients and caregivers on adaptive techniques and equipment.
  • Maintain compliance with safety and regulatory standards.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.

Additional Information

  • Strong interpersonal and documentation skills required.
  • Familiarity with rehab documentation systems preferred.

What We Offer

Fundamental to providing great care is supporting and rewarding our team. In addition to your base compensation, this position also offers:

  • Comprehensive Benefits: Multiple levels of medical, dental and vision coverage for full-time and part-time employees.
  • Financial Protection & PTO: Life, accident, critical illness, hospital indemnity insurance, short- and long-term disability, paid family leave and paid time off.
  • Financial & Career Growth: Higher education and certification tuition assistance, loan assistance and 401(k) retirement package and company match.
  • Employee Well-being: Mental, physical, and financial wellness programs (free gym memberships, virtual care appointments, mental health services and discount programs).
  • Professional Development: Ongoing learning and career advancement opportunities.

Qualifications and Requirements

  • Education: Graduate of an accredited occupational therapy program.
  • Experience: Experience in inpatient rehab preferred.
  • License: Current license to practice occupational therapy.
  • Certifications: CPR certification required.
  • Must pass background check.

About Us

Palomar Health Rehabilitation Institute is a 52-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital located in Escondido, California, and is part of Lifepoint Health, a diversified healthcare delivery network committed to making communities healthier® with acute care, rehabilitation, and behavioral health facilities from coast to coast. From your first day to your next career milestone—your experience matters.

EEOC Statement

Lifepoint Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Lifepoint Health is committed to Equal Employment Opportunity for all applicants and employees and complies with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination and harassment in employment.

Lifepoint Health is a leader in community-based care and driven by a mission of Making Communities Healthier.

Our diversified healthcare delivery network spans 29 states and includes 63 community hospital campuses, 32 rehabilitation and behavioral health hospitals, and more than 170 additional sites of care across the healthcare continuum, such as acute rehabilitation units, outpatient centers and post-acute care facilities.

We believe that success is achieved through talented people. We want to create places where employees want to work, with opportunities to pursue meaningful and satisfying careers that truly make a difference in communities across the country.

We employ and provide care to people from all walks of life. We are committed to promoting healing, providing hope, preserving dignity and producing value with an inclusive workforce in which diversity is leveraged, respected, and reflective of the patients, family members, customers and team members we serve.

Key Responsibilities

The Occupational Therapist evaluates patient conditions and develops individualized treatment plans to improve functional independence. They also provide therapeutic interventions and collaborate with healthcare teams to ensure effective patient care.

Requirements

Candidates must be graduates of an accredited occupational therapy program and hold a current license to practice. Experience in inpatient rehabilitation is preferred, and CPR certification is required.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure

Key Skills

Patient evaluationTreatment planningDaily living skills trainingClinical documentationCare collaborationEquipment educationRegulatory complianceSafety standardsInterpersonal skills

Occupational Therapist Career Context

In California, the Occupational Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$117k (946 salary observations; 2,060 listings), vs ~$97k nationally (6,767 salary observations; 25,985 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 California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$108k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $98k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

What does the Occupational Therapy market look like in California?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$98k–$119kOccupational Therapy median $125k (middle half $115k–$135k)75 comparable listings, Oct 2026
California vs national$117k median in California$97k nationally (+21%)946 state / 6,767 national salary observations
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$98k in purchasing powerCalifornia index 110.7 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Occupational Therapy listings in California910 active9,235 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Oct 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 40% no call · 62% no weekends42 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 Occupational Therapist Jobs

27 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

27 jobs · 14 employers
2
<$95k
8
$95k-105k
9
$105k-110k
3
$110k-130k
5
$130k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

25 jobs · 14 employers
401k / retirement match
96% this job
Sign-on bonus
44%
CME allowance
44%
Loan repayment
16% this job
PSLF eligible
8%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Occupational Hand Therapist II, Ambulatory

Sutter Health · Yuba City, California

$122k-$171k
#2

Occupational Therapist (Home Health)

21st Century Home Health Services · Galt, California

$130k-$160k
#3

Occupational Therapist Matawan NJ

$140k
#4

Occupational Therapist Marlboro NJ

$140k
+ 25 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 4.8this job 3.0
Better work-life than 20% of Occupational Therapy listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 9,301 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Lifepoint Health logo

About Lifepoint Health

Hospitals and Health Care
Gallatin, Tennessee
201-500 employees

Benefits & Perks

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
Life, accident, critical illness, hospital indemnity insurance
Short- and long-term disability
Paid family leave
Paid time off
Tuition assistance
Loan assistance
401(k) retirement package with company match

Living in Escondido

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$800k
Typical market rent
$2,590/mo
Residents’ average commute
28 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
111.9
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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