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Kalesta Healthcare Group
Saratoga, California

CERT OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST ASSISTANT

Occupational TherapistFull-Time

Listed compensation

$55-$60/hr

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

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

Posted 2mo ago

Job Description

Job DetailsJob Location: Saratoga, CA 95070Position Type: Full TimeSalary Range: $55.00 - $60.00 HourlyJOB DESCRIPTION Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant DEPARTMENT: Rehab POSITION: To assist in providing appropriate aspects of quality patient care under the supervision of licensed therapists.

RESPONSIBLE TO: This position is responsible to Occupational Therapist and the Facility Rehab Director. FLSA STATUS: Non-Exempt ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: Implements and executes on established patient treatment plan under the supervision of a therapist.

Communicates with patients, families, referring physicians and other members of the team. Provides timely written documentation per facility and department requirements. Develops and enhances clinical and professional skills through knowledge and professional associations.

Communicates with patients, families and other clinical staff of treatment variations. Provides timely written documentation as required by insurance provider to meet licensing, certification, regulatory, reimbursement requirements and physician treatment plan.

Supports and participates in department operations and development. 1 Reports any changes in patient status or needs to supervising therapist on a timely basis.. JOB FUNCTIONS: Prepares and submits patient charges accurately to provide appropriate billing information.

Provides patient screens upon admission by identifying appropriate interventions for treatment. Uses professional judgment to ensure safety of self, patients and others at all times. Achieves quality patient care through interdisciplinary co-op, teamwork and effective communication.

Attends required meetings as designated by the Clinical Coordinator. Effectively communicates with Therapists concerning patients response to treatment plan. Provides constructive feedback to rehab techs. Attends in-services, training sessions or other educational presentations.

Coordinates treatment goals with other team members. Maintains valid licensure, certification or equivalent as requested by appropriate state agency. Maintains awareness of patient and community needs, conditions, and programs.

PHYSICAL CAPACITIES: (With or Without the Aid of Mechanical Devices) Must be able to move intermittently throughout the workday. Must be able to see and hear or use prosthetics that will enable these senses to function adequately to ensure that the requirements of this position can be fully met.

Must meet the general health requirements set forth by the policies of this facility which includes an annual TB screening and physical examination. Must be able to lift up and over 100 pounds with assistance according to resident’s abilities.

Must be able to sit for extended periods of time and walk for extended periods of time. Must be able to travel to reach assigned destination in a reasonable time frame. Must be able to bend, squat, push, stoop and pull as needed especially in fulfilling resident care activities.

Must be able to cope with the mental and emotional stress of the position. ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS: Inside work, normal temperatures, some noise, occasional fumes/odors, chemical exposure and potential exposure to bloodborne pathogens.

This job cannot be performed without exposure to the stresses associated with an intimate, 24 hour skilled care environment that delivers care and services primarily to disabled and cognitively impaired residents in an aging population.

Examples of these stresses include, but are not limited to: emergency health or safety response, weekend and holiday duty, unusual or impaired behavior by residents, family reactions to having a loved one in a nursing home, death and dying, oversight of state surveyors, ombudsmen and federal officials, presence of consultants and attorneys, and variable involvement of medical staff.

HIPAA is a law that must be followed by all healthcare personnel at every level. This position is a Mandated Reporter regarding the suspicion of elder abuse and may have access to Protected Health Information (PHI).

Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS/REQUIREMENTS: Education: Graduate of an approved Occupational Therapy Assistant curriculum. Is in good standing with all regulatory agencies and licensing boards. Working knowledge of Medicare and other payor sources. Full knowledge of resident’s rights.

License: Current, active license as Physical Therapist, and is able to practice unencumbered. CPR Certification, as required for license renewal. Work Experience: Experience in long term care preferred Able to work on multiple tasks at the same time.

Language Skills: Must be able to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical information, and to be easily understood through verbal communication in the English language.

Mathematical Skills: Must be able to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to perform these operations using units of weight measurement, and volume.

Communication Skills: Must have exceptional communication and customer service skills, and be empathetic. Ability to effectively communicate with patients, families, responsible parties, staff and outside resources and agencies. Exudes professionalism in presentation.

Key Responsibilities

The Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant implements patient treatment plans under the supervision of licensed therapists. They are responsible for providing timely documentation, communicating with families and clinical staff, and ensuring high-quality patient care.

Requirements

Candidates must be graduates of an approved Occupational Therapy Assistant curriculum and hold a current, active license. Proficiency in Medicare regulations, resident rights, and strong communication skills are required for this role.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure

Key Skills

Clinical skillsInterdisciplinary communicationMedicare knowledgeEmpathyTime managementSafety complianceRehabilitation

Occupational Therapist Career Context

In California, the Occupational Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$116k (606 salary observations; 1,842 listings), vs ~$96k nationally (4,384 salary observations; 23,944 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 ~$58k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $52k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Occupational Therapy pay on WeekdayDoc is up 3.8% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

Top OTA Jobs

5 matches · ranked by pay

Work-Life Balance Distribution5 jobs

0
1-2
0
3-4
0
5-6
4
7-8
1
9-10

Higher = better work-life balance

#1

Occupational Therapist Assistant - COTA

Rehab Without Walls Neuro Rehabilitation · Sacramento, California

$47-$52/hr
#2

Occupational Therapist Assistant (COTA)

PACS · San Jose, California

$45-$50/hr
#3

Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant

$79k-$96k
#4

COTA / Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant - Home Health

$35-$40/hr
+ 3 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 Saratoga

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$3.09M
Typical market rent
$6,340/mo
Residents’ average commute
25 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
110.4
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 · San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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