Occupational Therapist Resume Example

How to write a occupational therapist resume that lands interviews

A great occupational therapist resume isn't a list of responsibilities — it's a tight stack of quantified outcomes, written in language an ATS scores and a human reader believes. Below: the 8 bullets a strong candidate uses, the 4 they avoid, the keywords the ATS expects, the pay figures to anchor your negotiation against, and the FAQs we hear most often.

Sample bullets — good vs weak

Each “good” bullet leads with the outcome, includes a measurable result, and shows scope. The “weak” versions describe activities without showing impact. Use these as templates; rewrite them in your own voice with your real numbers.

✅ Bullets that get the call

• Evaluated and treated a caseload of about 9 adults a day in an inpatient rehab unit, writing individualized goals for self-care and return to home.
• Fabricated custom wrist and thumb splints for hand-injury patients, with most clients back to their work tasks by the final reassessment.
• Completed home safety assessments for 40 older adults and recommended grab bars, raised seating and lighting changes that families installed before discharge.
• Ran twice-weekly handwriting and sensory-regulation groups for 8 school-age children, with teachers reporting longer seated work time by spring.
• Trained family caregivers in safe transfers and dressing techniques using teach-back, reducing readmission calls to the unit for care questions.
• Adapted kitchen tasks for stroke survivors with one-sided weakness, with 70% of clients meeting their meal-preparation goal before discharge.
• Wrote evaluations and daily notes in the electronic record within the same shift, meeting the facility's documentation standard on every audit.
• Mentored 3 Level II fieldwork students through their clinical rotations, completing midterm and final evaluations on schedule.

❌ Bullets to rewrite

• Provided occupational therapy to patients.
• Helped people with daily activities.
• Compassionate and creative therapist.
• Wrote notes and treatment plans.

ATS keywords to weave into your bullets

The four-component ATS rubric weights keyword density inside experience bullets more heavily than the keywords-only skills section. These are the 14+ keywords most often scored on a occupational therapist resume — fold them into your bullets where they're honestly applicable.

Occupational Therapist salary

Annual pay across the United States, as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Half of these workers earn between the 25th and 75th percentile figures. Your offer will depend on the state, the employer and the shift.

Want a deeper salary breakdown by city + role + experience? See the full Occupational Therapist salary guide →

Common mistakes (and how to fix them)

• Describing techniques without outcomes

  Fix: Pair each intervention with what changed for the client: a goal met, a task regained, a discharge destination.
• No mention of setting or caseload

  Fix: State whether it was school, inpatient, outpatient, home health or skilled nursing, and how many clients a day.
• Leaving out licensure details

  Fix: Give the state, license type and expiration date in a separate section.
• Using only clinical shorthand

  Fix: Spell out terms once, such as activities of daily living (ADLs), so both recruiters and screening software can match them.

ATS tips specific to occupational therapist resumes

• Write 'Occupational Therapist' in full and 'OTR/L' only if your state and credentials use it.
• List your setting as plain words: 'school-based', 'inpatient rehab', 'home health' or 'outpatient hand therapy'.
• Put assessment tools, splinting and documentation systems in a plain-text Skills section.
• Use Month YYYY dates for each role and fieldwork placement.

Frequently asked questions