Summary. We reviewed real candidate profiles to learn the best path to become a staff occupational therapist. We'll guide you through the education, experiences, and skills hiring managers look for in a staff occupational therapist.

  • Most companies require a staff occupational therapist to have a bachelor's degree degree in a related field, such as occupational therapy or psychology.

  • Common job titles before becoming a staff occupational therapist include occupational therapist, staff therapist, and senior technician specialist.

  • Hiring managers expect a staff occupational therapist to have soft skills such as communication skills, patience, and compassion.

  • Once you have all the required skills and experience, it takes an average of less than 1 month of job training to become a staff occupational therapist.

  • Getting a certification as a Occupational Therapist Registered (OTR) will help you to earn more as a staff occupational therapist.

How to become a Staff Occupational Therapist in 5 steps:

  • Step 1: Explore staff occupational therapist education
  • Step 2: Develop staff occupational therapist skills
  • Step 3: Complete relevent training/internship
  • Step 4: Research staff occupational therapist duties
  • Step 5: Prepare your resume
Looking for your next Job?

Key Steps To Become a Staff Occupational Therapist

  1. Explore Staff Occupational Therapist Education

    If you're interested in becoming a staff occupational therapist, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 73.4% of staff occupational therapists have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 21.4% of staff occupational therapists have master's degrees. Even though most staff occupational therapists have a college degree, it's impossible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

    Choosing the right major is always an important step when researching how to become a staff occupational therapist. When we researched the most common majors for a staff occupational therapist, we found that they most commonly have occupational therapy, psychology and health sciences and services.

    Staff Occupational Therapist Degrees

    Bachelors

    73.4 %

    Masters

    21.4 %

    Associate

    3.4 %

    Staff Occupational Therapist MajorPercentages
    Occupational Therapy81.70%
    Psychology4.40%
    Health Sciences And Services1.50%
    Biology1.30%
    Other Degrees10.90%

  2. Develop Staff Occupational Therapist Skills

    It'll be a good idea to develop staff occupational therapist skills before applying for a job. Here are some skills commonly requested in staff occupational therapist job descriptions:

    SkillsPercentages
    Patients26.89%
    Rehabilitation11.90%
    Physical Therapy9.61%
    Occupational Therapy6.65%
    COTA3.97%

  3. Complete Relevent Training/Internship

    Staff occupational therapists spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. During this time, new staff occupational therapists learn the skills and techniques required for their specific job and employer. The chart below shows how much time it takes to gain competency as a staff occupational therapist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real staff occupational therapist resumes.

    Average Amount Of Time At Training

    None

    Less than 1 month

    1-3 months

    3-6 months

    6-12 months

    1-2 years

  4. Research Staff Occupational Therapist Duties

    When you decide to become a staff occupational therapist, It's important to know what duties and responsibilities are required for this position. Some common responsibilities are a part of most staff occupational therapist jobs. Here is a list of the main duties that define the role:

    • Achieve advance clinical competency in UE splinting.
    • Implement ADL techniques and fabricate adaptive equipment for increase modified independence.
    • Provide accurate assessments/evaluation on rehabilitation patients.
    • Work contingent for Beaumont home care and at SNF's.
    • Perform screens & evaluations for upper & lower extremity splints.
    • Fabricate and modify a variety of hand and elbow splints.

  5. Prepare Your Resume

    Finally, when you already have checked the skills and responsibilities for this role, you can start creating your resume. Everything that goes into creating a perfect resume can take hours, days, or even weeks. No worries, we created a resume builder to make this process as easy as possible with tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and a summary.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Staff Occupational Therapist Resume templates

    Build a professional Staff Occupational Therapist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Staff Occupational Therapist resume.

    Staff Occupational Therapist Resume
    Staff Occupational Therapist Resume
    Staff Occupational Therapist Resume
    Staff Occupational Therapist Resume
    Staff Occupational Therapist Resume
    Staff Occupational Therapist Resume
    Staff Occupational Therapist Resume
    Staff Occupational Therapist Resume
    Staff Occupational Therapist Resume

  6. Apply For a Staff Occupational Therapist Job

    With your ready resume, it's time to start searching for a new job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

    Staff Occupational Therapist Jobs

  7. How To Become a Staff Occupational Therapist
    How To Become a Staff Occupational Therapist Career Overview
Top Staff Occupational Therapist Jobs Near You