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Porterville, California

COTA-Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant-Full-Time

Occupational Therapy AssistantFull-Time

Listed compensation

$42-$45/hr

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

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

Posted 1h ago · Verified live

Job Description

  • Job Title: Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA)
  • Location: Sierra Valley Rehab Center – Porterville, CA
  • Employment Type: Full-Time
  • Pay Range: $42/hour-$45/hour
  • Join the Award-Winning Team at Sierra Valley Rehab Center!

For over 20 years, Sierra Valley Rehab Center has proudly served the Porterville community, delivering compassionate, high-quality care in a clean, comfortable, and family-friendly environment. With 139 licensed beds and a dedicated team, we offer individualized, 24-hour nursing and rehabilitation services to meet the unique needs of every patient.

We are honored to have been voted Best Elder Care three years in a row, and we’re looking to grow our exceptional therapy team with a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) who shares our commitment to excellence.

What We Offer

  • Competitive starting wage of $42/hour
  • Supportive and collaborative team environment
  • Opportunity to make a meaningful difference in patient recovery
  • Clean, modern facility equipped with the tools and support you need to succeed

Key Responsibilities

  • Provide treatment to patients as directed by the Occupational Therapist and physician’s care plan
  • Record evaluations, treatment notes, progress reports, and recertifications per regulatory and OT Board requirements
  • Communicate with the OT, nursing, and interdisciplinary teams regarding patient care and progress
  • Instruct patients, family members, and staff on therapeutic maintenance and discharge programs
  • Participate in discharge planning and in-service training for facility staff
  • Assist in maintaining a clean, safe, and well-functioning therapy area
  • Report equipment issues and ensure proper use and care of therapy tools
  • Support and help train Restorative Aides as needed

Qualifications

  • Current California licensure as a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA)
  • Must be in good standing with the state licensing board
  • Proficient in electronic documentation systems (Casamba and PointClickCare preferred)
  • Strong communication skills and ability to work effectively within a team
  • Must meet all continuing education requirements as defined by state law

Ready to make a difference in a community that values compassionate care and professional excellence? Apply today and join the Sierra Valley Rehab Center family!

We are 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, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other legally protected status.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Interdisciplinary collaborationRegulatory compliance

Occupational Therapist Career Context

In California, the Occupational Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$116k (757 salary observations; 2,372 listings), vs ~$97k nationally (5,357 salary observations; 29,628 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 California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$90k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $82k 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$87k–$94kOccupational Therapy median $88k (middle half $77k–$107k)48 comparable listings, Nov 2026
California vs national$116k median in California$97k nationally (+20%)757 state / 5,357 national salary observations
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$82k in purchasing powerCalifornia index 110.7 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Occupational Therapy listings in California902 active9,045 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedCalifornia occupational therapist listings (all specialties): 16% state a sign-on bonus (median $5k) · 5% offer loan repayment951 active listings, Nov 2026
New Occupational Therapy listings3,267 in the last 30 days1,694 the 30 days before (+93%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Occupational Therapy pay trend+2.9% vs prior quarter—through Oct 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Top OTA Jobs

6 matches · ranked by pay
#1

Cert Occupational Therapist Assistant, COTA

Harvest Crossing POST Acute · Manteca, California

$48-$55/hr
#2

Cert Occupational Therapist Assistant, COTA

Kalesta Healthcare Group · Sacramento, California

$40-$50/hr
#3

Occupational Therapist Assistant (COTA)

$45-$50/hr
#4

Occupational Therapist Assistant | COTA

$30-$33/hr
+ 4 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

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

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 1,043 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in Porterville

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$329k
Typical market rent
$1,475/mo
Residents’ average commute
24 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
99.8
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 · Visalia, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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