Occupational therapist job description template: setting, caseload, NBCOT and license lines, and the OT Compact
On this page
- Name the setting and the caseload
- License, certification and compact lines
- The occupational therapist job description template
- Pay structure and EEO
- From must-haves to screening questions and scorecard rows
- Common mistakes in occupational therapist job descriptions
- Before you publish
- Questions people ask
"Occupational therapist needed, flexible schedule, competitive pay." An OT reading that cannot tell whether the job is a school caseload of 50 students, an inpatient rehab unit with daily ADL sessions, outpatient hand therapy or home health visits paid per visit. Those are different jobs with different documentation, productivity expectations and, in some states, different approvals. A useful occupational therapist job description names the setting and patient population, the caseload or productivity standard, the documentation load, the license and certification in exact terms, any advanced practice areas, and how pay works. Below are the seat types, the licensing lines with sources, a copy-ready template, screening and scorecard rows, and common mistakes. For the phone screen, use the occupational therapist screening questions.
Not legal advice. The licensing points below were checked against the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, NBCOT, the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact Commission and the California Board of Occupational Therapy as of October 2026. Scope and licensure rules differ by state; confirm with your state board before posting.
Name the setting and the caseload
| Seat | What the week looks like | Must-have that separates it |
|---|---|---|
| Acute care hospital | Short evaluations, discharge recommendations, early mobility and ADLs, high turnover | Fast evaluation and clear discharge recommendations; comfort with lines and monitors |
| Inpatient rehab or skilled nursing | Daily treatment sessions, functional goals, team conferences, productivity tracking | Experience meeting a productivity standard; supervising COTAs |
| Outpatient hand and upper extremity | Splinting and orthoses, post-surgical protocols, modalities, scheduled visits | Orthotic fabrication; any state approval for hand therapy or physical agent modalities |
| School-based | Evaluations for special education, IEP meetings, classroom and pull-out sessions, a school-year calendar | IEP experience; any state education credential the district requires |
| Pediatric outpatient or early intervention | Sensory, feeding and developmental work, sessions with caregivers, sometimes in homes | Pediatric experience; feeding or swallowing approval where the state requires it |
| Home health | Visits across a territory, OASIS-related documentation, home safety and equipment recommendations | Driving and working alone; comfort with home health documentation |
Then settle the numbers OTs compare: caseload or visits per day, the productivity standard if you use one (and how it is calculated), documentation time, COTA supervision duties, weekend rotation, and the school calendar or territory where relevant. A clear number with honest context beats "manageable caseload."
License, certification and compact lines
Education and licensure. The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile for occupational therapists (last modified August 27, 2026) says OTs typically need a master's degree in occupational therapy, that all states require licensure, and that candidates must complete an accredited program with fieldwork and pass a qualifying exam; passing the exam allows the therapist to use the title Occupational Therapist Registered (OTR). Entry-level doctoral programs also exist; a posting that requires a doctorate will shrink the pool without a clinical reason.
NBCOT certification. The exam is run by NBCOT. Its eligibility page says U.S.-educated OTR candidates must have graduated from an ACOTE-accredited program, and COTA candidates from an ACOTE-accredited occupational therapy assistant program. Certification is renewed separately from the state license, so a therapist can hold an active license with lapsed NBCOT certification. Decide which you require and write it plainly: "active [state] OT license; current NBCOT certification [required / not required]." NBCOT offers a free online tool to verify an OTR or COTA.
The OT Compact. The Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact lets licensed OTs and OTAs practice in member states through a compact privilege. The Commission says each member state opens applications at its own pace, so a candidate can only use a privilege once both their home state and your state are live. Check the Commission's map and your board before writing "compact privilege accepted."
Advanced practice approvals. Some states require more than the license for certain work. The California Board of Occupational Therapy requires Board approval for hand therapy, physical agent modalities and swallowing assessment, evaluation or intervention, and lets therapists who are still training in those areas work under a written supervision agreement with an approved supervisor. If your seat involves any of these, name the approval and say whether you provide supervision toward it.
The occupational therapist job description template
Occupational Therapist — [Acute Care / Inpatient Rehab / SNF /
Outpatient Hand / School-Based / Pediatric / Home Health]
[Organization], [city or territory, state]
Pay: $[min]–$[max] per [hour / year / visit], plus [sign-on
bonus terms, CE allowance $N, mileage]. [Benefits summary, if
required.] [Exempt / Nonexempt, after review.]
SUMMARY
You will evaluate and treat [population] in [setting], with a
caseload of about [N] [patients a day / students / visits a week]
(an estimate). [Productivity standard: N%, calculated as
(definition).] You will supervise [N] COTAs and report to the
[rehab director / special education coordinator].
WHAT YOU WILL DO
- Evaluate patients and write plans of care with measurable
functional goals.
- Treat [ADLs, upper extremity function, cognition, sensory
processing, feeding] using [interventions the seat uses].
- [Fabricate orthoses / apply physical agent modalities], where
your approvals allow.
- Document in [EHR] within [timeframe]; [complete IEP reports /
OASIS-related documentation].
- Recommend equipment and home or classroom modifications.
- Supervise COTAs per state rules and our policy.
YOU MUST HAVE
- Graduation from an ACOTE-accredited occupational therapy
program.
- Active [state] occupational therapy license [or eligible before
start] [or a compact privilege, if both states are live].
- [Current NBCOT certification (OTR).]
- [State advanced practice approval for (area), or supervision
provided toward it.]
- [N] [months / years] in [setting], or new graduates welcome with
[mentoring plan].
- [Valid driver's license and car for home or school travel.]
NICE TO HAVE
- [Certified Hand Therapist / specialty training] relevant to the
seat.
- [Language] for patients who speak it.
If you meet the must-haves and none of these, please apply.
[EEO STATEMENT]
To request an adjustment to apply or interview, contact [contact].Pay structure and EEO
Post the range and say how it is paid: hourly, salary or per visit. Per-visit pay in home health raises exempt-status questions; the physical therapist job description template walks through the same issue for PTs, and the same review applies to OTs. The BLS profile linked above publishes pay data for occupational therapists; this page does not quote figures. Close with a short EEO statement and an accommodation contact.
From must-haves to screening questions and scorecard rows
| Must-have | Screening question | Scorecard competency | Evidence of a strong answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| License and certification | "Which state OT licenses do you hold, and is your NBCOT certification current?" | Not scored: verified with the board and NBCOT | License states and dates; certification status stated honestly |
| Evaluation and goals | "Walk me through how you turned your last evaluation into goals. What made them measurable?" | Clinical reasoning | Links findings to function; goals with a baseline, target and timeframe |
| Setting fit | "How many patients or students did you see in a typical day, and how did you fit documentation in?" | Workload management | A real number, a documentation habit, honest about trade-offs |
| Discharge or transition planning | "Tell me about a patient whose discharge recommendation you disagreed with the team on." | Collaboration | Brought functional data, listened, documented the recommendation and the outcome |
| COTA supervision | "How have you supervised assistants, and what did you check at each supervisory visit?" | Supervision | Knows the state's supervision rules; reviews notes and progress, adjusts the plan |
To source candidates by setting and specialty terms, see the boolean search strings for occupational therapists. For panel rounds and consistent scoring, use the interview guide for healthcare roles.
Common mistakes in occupational therapist job descriptions
No caseload or productivity definition
"Productivity expectations apply" without a number or a definition is the line experienced OTs distrust most. State it and say how it is measured.
Confusing the license with NBCOT certification
They renew separately. Require the one you need and verify both if you require both.
Promising compact privileges too early
The compact is rolling out state by state. Check that both states are open before you advertise it.
Advanced practice work with no approval line
If the seat includes hand therapy, modalities or swallowing work in a state that requires approval, an OT without it cannot do the job on day one. Say so, or offer the supervised path.
Before you publish
- Setting, population and caseload are in the summary.
- License, NBCOT and any advanced practice lines are exact.
- Compact language matches the Commission's current status for your state.
- Pay basis has been reviewed for exempt status; mileage and territory are clear for home and school roles.
- EEO statement and accommodation contact close the posting.
Questions people ask
What credential should an occupational therapist posting require?
A state occupational therapy license, which every state requires. BLS says licensure involves an accredited program with fieldwork and passing a qualifying exam, and passing it lets the therapist use the OTR title. NBCOT administers that exam for OTRs and for occupational therapy assistants (COTA). Say whether current NBCOT certification is required or only the state license, because some therapists let certification lapse while keeping the license.
Can an OT work in our state through the OT Compact?
Only once both the home state and your state are participating and applications are open. The OT Compact Commission says each member state opens applications at its own pace, so check its site and your state board before promising a candidate they can start on a compact privilege.
Should the posting mention hand therapy or swallowing work?
Yes, if the role includes it, because some states require extra approval. California, for example, treats hand therapy, physical agent modalities and swallowing assessment and intervention as advanced practice areas that need Board approval. Say whether you require the approval at hire or will supervise the therapist while they earn it.
Should the posting hire an OT or a COTA?
It depends on who will evaluate. Occupational therapy assistants carry out treatment under an OT's supervision, while the OT evaluates and sets the plan of care. If you are hiring both, write two postings with separate must-haves and say who supervises the COTA.