Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) FT, PT and PRN schedules available!
Compensation
Pay not listed
The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed
Ask the employer about the pay range, the work setting, call expectations and time off.
Job Description
In-House Therapy Program! $5000.00 Sign On Bonus!!
Merkel Care Center is currently seeking a full time, part time or prn Occupational Therapy Assistant to join its in-house therapy team. We seek a therapist who is innovative, positive, and team oriented.
Part of Gemini Healthcare, Merkel Care Center is a long-term care and post-acute rehab facility located in Merkel, Texas. We have an in-house team of therapists to work with, an amazing rehab director and opportunity to see a wide range of conditions.
We offer opportunity for you to create and implement speech therapy programs that will best fit the needs of your patients.
We are supported by Vital Therapy, a growing provider of therapy support and leadership to 85 locations throughout Texas and Oklahoma. We believe in giving our patients and residents moments of joy and reason to live each day, developing and supporting our leaders, and sharing a fierce commitment to quality of care.
We offer comprehensive benefits, PTO, opportunity for career growth and fun, high energy work environment.
Requirements
Texas License
We are an equal opportunity employer and prohibit discrimination/harassment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
Key Responsibilities
The Occupational Therapy Assistant will implement therapy programs tailored to patient needs within a long-term care and post-acute rehab facility. They will collaborate with an in-house therapy team to provide quality care and support for a wide range of patient conditions.
Key Skills
Occupational Therapist Career Context
In Texas, the Occupational Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$96k (218 salary observations; 2,705 listings), vs ~$97k nationally (5,405 salary observations; 28,087 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 Texas is 97.1 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 57.7% of Texas clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).
| Measure | This job | Market |
|---|---|---|
| Texas vs national | $96k median in Texas | $97k nationally (−1%)218 state / 5,405 national salary observations |
| Cost of living | Texas index 97.1 | US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) |
| Occupational Therapy listings in Texas | 870 active | 9,043 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026 |
| Sign-on & loan repayment | $5k sign-on | Texas Occupational Therapist listings: 10% state a sign-on bonus (median $5k) · 6% offer loan repayment1,000 active listings, Nov 2026 |
| New Occupational Therapy listings | 3,199 in the last 30 days | 1,617 the 30 days before (+98%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026 |
| Occupational Therapy pay trend | +4.5% vs prior quarter | —through Oct 2026 |
Location & Logistics
Texas has no state income tax, which can significantly increase take-home pay compared to high-tax states.
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