Help Veterans reclaim their independence as an occupational therapist

As an occupational therapist at VA, your expertise could make a huge difference in a Veteran’s life by helping them regain a sense of normalcy.

Employing more than 1,400 occupational therapists and certified occupational therapy assistants, VA provides state-of-the-art, evidence-based care to those who have served our country with dignity and honor.

Now, these Veterans need your assistance in reclaiming the control over their daily lives that will make them feel whole.

An array of expertise

No other discipline measures the functional, physical and cognitive skills that make up the daily lives of our Veterans more than occupational therapy.

These “occupations” – whether at home, school, the workplace, the community or elsewhere – can take on a number of forms. As an occupational therapist at VA, you’ll be able to explore opportunities across the continuum of clinical care.

Areas of practice include:

• Acute care
• Assistive technology
• Cognitive rehabilitation
• Drivers’ rehabilitation
• Geriatrics
• Mental health
• Neurology
• Oncology
• Orthopedics
• Pain management
• Post-traumatic stress
• Rheumatology
• Substance abuse
• Traumatic brain injury

Practice where you want

Occupational therapy evaluation and treatment supports Veterans’ engagement in everyday life, and there is no better way to see that than in the variety of settings where you can practice your trade.

Those settings include VA medical centers, outpatient clinics, long-term community living centers and even inside Veterans’ homes through our Home-Based Primary Care program. Telehealth options allow you to meet with your patients virtually and conduct assessments at a distance.

More than just a job

VA offers a remarkable compensation package, with an assortment of benefits that make the job of serving Veterans all the more appealing.

• Competitive starting salaries. We offer our employees strong starting salaries based on education, training and experience. We also offer steady growth, with periodic pay raises that address inflation and local market changes.
• Flexible schedules. Our employees receive 13-26 paid vacation/personal days, as well as 13 sick days annually with no limit on accumulation, and we celebrate 11 paid federal holidays each year.
• Robust insurance. You can choose from a variety of health maintenance organizations or fee-for-service health plans, and all cover preexisting conditions. Additionally, we pay up to 75% of health premiums, a benefit that can continue into retirement.
• Education and leadership. We offer ongoing leadership development through every level of employment, whether it is mandatory programs or competitive opportunities. All leadership programs align the organization around a set of core competencies that facilitate career development through continuous learning, coaching/mentoring and assessment throughout your career.

Work at VA

Become an integral part of our patient care team as an occupational therapist, and apply the latest advances in rehabilitative treatment to create the best treatment plans for Veterans.

• READ more about occupational therapy careers at VA (PDF).
• LEARN about VA’s rehabilitation services.
• EXPLORE the benefits of a VA career.
• START your VA journey by visiting va.gov.