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    OT jobs / California

    OT jobs in California

    Live OT roles in California, plus the licensure and market detail that decides whether an offer is actually worth taking.

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    What should you know about OT jobs in California?

    OT hiring in California turns on licensure, the local setting mix and caseload before it turns on pay. The largest single behavioral health market in the country and the most competitive for BCBAs and pediatric therapists. Pay expectations track cost of living, which is why remote and hybrid models spread here first. Occupational Therapist practice in California is regulated by the state board for that therapy profession (speech-language pathology and audiology, occupational therapy or physical therapy, depending on the credential), not by the counseling boards. We do not publish CA-specific requirements for this credential, so confirm them with that board before you accept a start date. Advertised pay on the OT roles we recruit nationally sits at around $78k – $108k — see the national OT salary guide for the full breakdown; there is no reliable California-only average to quote.

    Live OT roles in California

    Licensure in California

    Occupational Therapist practice in California is regulated by the state board for that therapy profession (speech-language pathology and audiology, occupational therapy or physical therapy, depending on the credential), not by the counseling boards. We do not publish CA-specific requirements for this credential, so confirm them with that board before you accept a start date.

    Licensure rules change; the California board is the authority. We check credential status before we put anyone forward.

    Pay and next steps

    Every role we publish names its pay range, setting and caseload. If you want the ones that never reach a board, the talent network is the route.

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    Guides for OTs moving into California

    OT jobs in other states

    OT jobs in California: common questions

    Do you need a license to work as a OT in California?
    Occupational Therapist practice in California is regulated by the state board for that therapy profession (speech-language pathology and audiology, occupational therapy or physical therapy, depending on the credential), not by the counseling boards. We do not publish CA-specific requirements for this credential, so confirm them with that board before you accept a start date. Confirm the current position with the California board before you accept a start date, as processing time is the usual cause of a delayed start.
    What is the average OT salary in California?
    Federal wage data for California puts the median for occupational therapists at $124,510 a year, with the middle of the market between $85,550 and $158,560 and about 13,810 people employed in the state (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). Advertised pay on the OT roles we recruit nationally sits at roughly $78k – $108k, and offers land inside that band according to setting, caseload and metro cost of living.
    Does OT pay in California differ from the rest of the US?
    We publish advertised pay on the roles we recruit, not a California average. Across the US those OT roles are advertised at roughly $78k – $108k, and where a California offer lands inside that band is driven by setting, caseload and metro cost of living. For an official comparison, California median pay for occupational therapists is $124,510; treat that as a negotiating floor.
    Where are the OT jobs in California?
    The largest single behavioral health market in the country and the most competitive for BCBAs and pediatric therapists. Pay expectations track cost of living, which is why remote and hybrid models spread here first. The live OT vacancies we hold in California are listed on this page; when nothing is open there today, the national OT board carries every role we currently hold.
    Who employs OTs in California?
    The employers hiring this credential are pediatric clinics, school districts, hospitals and rehab, skilled nursing, early intervention, home health. Which of those dominates in California follows the local funding and provider mix rather than any national pattern, and it is the single biggest driver of what an offer looks like: the same OT is priced differently by a center-based provider, a school district and a hospital system.
    What do employers look for when hiring a OT in California?
    First, the credential and the right to practise: state licensure; nbcot certification (otr). Occupational Therapist practice in California is regulated by the state board for that therapy profession (speech-language pathology and audiology, occupational therapy or physical therapy, depending on the credential), not by the counseling boards. We do not publish CA-specific requirements for this credential, so confirm them with that board before you accept a start date. After that, hiring managers screen on the specifics of the work — caseload size you have carried, the settings you have worked in, supervision responsibility, and documentation or payer experience. Availability matters too: a realistic start date that accounts for board processing usually beats a stronger resume that cannot start.
    What does the salary range on this page actually mean?
    Two different things, kept separate on purpose. $78k – $108k is what OT roles we recruit are advertised at across the US — a live market signal, not a survey. The federal figures are official California estimates for occupational therapists: $124,510 median, with $85,550 at the 10th percentile and $158,560 at the 90th. They cover the whole occupation in the state, are published annually and lag the market by roughly a year, so read the median as a negotiating floor rather than a target. Neither number is an offer; where you land inside a range is set by setting, caseload and metro cost of living.
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    California hiring

    Hiring a OT in California?

    Pediatric OT candidates screen hard on evaluation load and documentation time. Roles that quote both fill faster.

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    • Behavioral health only
    • Recruiting across all 50 states
    • Pay published on every role
    • Recruitment partnerships, not job spam