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How to hire an Early Intervention Occupational Therapist

Early intervention occupational therapist hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring early intervention occupational therapists in the United States:

  • There are currently 6,901 early intervention occupational therapists in the US, as well as 75,355 job openings.
  • Early intervention occupational therapists are in the highest demand in Leominster, MA, with 4 current job openings.
  • The median cost to hire an early intervention occupational therapist is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new early intervention occupational therapist to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire an early intervention occupational therapist, step by step

To hire an early intervention occupational therapist, consider the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Follow these steps to hire an early intervention occupational therapist:

Here's a step-by-step early intervention occupational therapist hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write an early intervention occupational therapist job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new early intervention occupational therapist
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    The early intervention occupational therapist hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

    Determine Employee vs Contractor Status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    An early intervention occupational therapist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, early intervention occupational therapists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

    Here's a comparison of early intervention occupational therapist salaries for various roles:

    Type Of Early Intervention Occupational TherapistDescriptionHourly Rate
    Early Intervention Occupational TherapistOccupational therapists treat injured, ill, or disabled patients through the therapeutic use of everyday activities. They help these patients develop, recover, and improve the skills needed for daily living and working.$27-49
    Music Therapy InternshipIn a music therapy internship, an intern's duties primarily depend on the directives of a manager or supervising staff. Typically, they are responsible for gaining industry insights and practical experience while performing support tasks such as answering calls and correspondence, preparing and processing documents, conducting research and analysis, setting-up instruments and other devices, and running errands as needed... Show More$10-29
    TherapistA therapist is responsible for improving the patients' health conditions by evaluating their needs and providing physical and mental support. Therapists are licensed, medical professionals who specialize in different areas to perform treatments and bring relief to patients... Show More$18-38
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common Skills:
    • Early Intervention
    • Natural Environment
    • Occupational Therapy
    • IFSP
    • Intervention Services
    • Therapy Sessions
    • Family Service Plan
    • Home Health
    • EI
    • Autism
    • Adaptive
    • Developmental Disabilities
    • Developmental Delays
    • Service Coordination
    Check All Skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Achieve advance clinical competency in UE splinting.
    • Utilize connections with community resources and previous ABA training to provide exceptional therapeutic methodologies.
    • Update and write goals for IFSP.
    • Follow careful programs and IEP's design for each child.
    • Contribute to the development of the IFSP with strategies and family base outcomes to address individual needs of each child.
    • Develop and implement evidenced-based individualize care plans in an interdisciplinary environment.
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your early intervention occupational therapist job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An early intervention occupational therapist salary can vary based on several factors:
    • Location. For example, early intervention occupational therapists' average salary in alabama is 35% less than in california.
    • Seniority. Entry-level early intervention occupational therapists earn 45% less than senior-level early intervention occupational therapists.
    • Certifications. An early intervention occupational therapist with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an early intervention occupational therapist's salary.

    Average early intervention occupational therapist salary

    $77,291yearly

    $37.16 hourly rate

    Entry-level early intervention occupational therapist salary
    $57,000 yearly salary
    Updated February 10, 2025
  4. Writing an Early Intervention Occupational Therapist Job Description

    An early intervention occupational therapist job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of an early intervention occupational therapist job description:

    Early Intervention Occupational Therapist job description example

    Our Early Intervention program serves a remarkable 95% of all Greater Lawrence children who are referred to our Early Intervention services! As an Early Invention new hire, you will participate in a paid 8-week onboarding program earning how Early Intervention helps children and families in a home-based setting, establishing supportive working relationships, participating in personal development, and mentoring programs, and creating your own flexible work schedule.


    Our Early Intervention Program is looking for a caring and dedicated Occupational Therapist. This position full time (prefer) or fee for service and is part of our multi-disciplinary team providing support services to families and their children ages birth to three with developmental delays or risk factors for delays. Services are provided throughout Andover, North Andover, Methuen, and Lawrence. The Occupational Therapist will bring their expertise and knowledge to our impactful work with children and families while working collaboratively with our Early Intervention team.


    Job Requirements :

    • Current Massachusetts Occupational Therapy professional license
    • Experience working with special needs children ages birth to 3 and/or experience working in a home-based setting preferred
    • Must have valid driver’s license and reliable transportation
    • A Plus: bilingual Spanish, DPH Certified Early Intervention Specialist (CEIS)
    • This position requires a satisfactory criminal background check


    Our organization provides a supportive environment which values and promotes team collaboration, creative thinking and innovation with ongoing support and mentoring for each employee's professional development.


    To apply , please visit our careers page at: www.theprofessionalcenter.org . Send us your resume and cover letter telling us why your experience and background are perfect for this opportunity. PCCD is proud to offer a great benefits package including:


    • Family Friendly, Flexible Schedules
    • Time Off: Up to 3 weeks’ vacation & up to 2 weeks’ sick time based on your work schedule
    • Medical: Company cost sharing for plan of your choice
    • Dental: Company paid premiums for employee coverage
    • Vision: Annual exam, allowance toward contacts & glasses
    • Registered Dietitian Services
    • Life & Disability Insurances: Company paid
    • 403(b) Retirement
    • Staff Development & Training
    • Flexible Spending Accounts
    • Student Loans: As an employee, you may be eligible for student loan forgiveness


  5. Post your job

    There are various strategies that you can use to find the right early intervention occupational therapist for your business:

    • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
    • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
    • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your early intervention occupational therapist job on Zippia to find and recruit early intervention occupational therapist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    To successfully recruit early intervention occupational therapists, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

    It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new early intervention occupational therapist

    Once you've decided on a perfect early intervention occupational therapist candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

    It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

    To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire an early intervention occupational therapist?

Hiring an early intervention occupational therapist comes with both the one-time cost per hire and ongoing costs. The cost of recruiting early intervention occupational therapists involves promoting the job and spending time conducting interviews. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider the cost of early intervention occupational therapist recruiting as well the ongoing costs of maintaining the new employee.

You can expect to pay around $77,291 per year for an early intervention occupational therapist, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for early intervention occupational therapists in the US typically range between $27 and $49 an hour.

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