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Entry Level Occupational Therapy Jobs in Tennessee

Occupational Therapist

Murfreesboro, TN · On-site

$52.50 - $60/hr

... Therapy Association, Inc. (AOTA), or successor organizations of ACOTE * Eligible to take, or has successfully completed, the entry-level certification examination for occupational therapists ...

Occupational Therapist

Cookeville, TN · On-site

$90K - $101K/yr

... Therapy Association, Inc. (AOTA), or successor organizations of ACOTE * Eligible to take, or has successfully completed, the entry-level certification examination for occupational therapists ...

Occupational Therapist

Murfreesboro, TN · On-site

$52.50 - $60/hr

... Therapy Association, Inc. (AOTA), or successor organizations of ACOTE * Eligible to take, or has successfully completed, the entry-level certification examination for occupational therapists ...

Occupational Therapist

Murfreesboro, TN · On-site

$52.50 - $60/hr

... Therapy Association, Inc. (AOTA), or successor organizations of ACOTE * Eligible to take, or has successfully completed, the entry-level certification examination for occupational therapists ...

Occupational Therapist

Murfreesboro, TN · On-site

$52.50 - $60/hr

... Therapy Association, Inc. (AOTA), or successor organizations of ACOTE * Eligible to take, or has successfully completed, the entry-level certification examination for occupational therapists ...

Occupational Therapist

Cookeville, TN · On-site

$90K - $101K/yr

... Therapy Association, Inc. (AOTA), or successor organizations of ACOTE * Eligible to take, or has successfully completed, the entry-level certification examination for occupational therapists ...

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Entry Level Occupational Therapy information

See Tennessee salary details

$21

$41

$60

How much do entry level occupational therapy jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 22, 2026, the average hourly pay for entry level occupational therapy in Tennessee is $41.18, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $35.14 and $46.25 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is an entry level occupational therapist?

Entry level occupational therapists are professionals who have recently completed their education and obtained the necessary licensure to practice occupational therapy. They typically work under supervision or mentorship as they gain experience, helping patients develop, recover, or improve the skills needed for daily living and working. Entry level occupational therapists may work in various settings, such as hospitals, schools, rehabilitation centers, or nursing homes. Their primary goal is to assist clients in achieving independence and improving their quality of life.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an entry level occupational therapist?

To thrive as an Entry Level Occupational Therapist, you need a bachelor’s or master’s degree in occupational therapy, state licensure, and foundational knowledge in anatomy, therapeutic techniques, and patient assessment. Familiarity with electronic health records (EHRs), adaptive equipment, and standardized assessment tools is typical in the role. Strong interpersonal skills, empathy, and problem-solving abilities help you connect with clients and tailor interventions effectively. These skills and qualities are vital for delivering personalized care that improves patients’ independence and quality of life.

How do entry level occupational therapists typically collaborate with other healthcare professionals in a clinical setting?

Entry-level occupational therapists frequently work as part of multidisciplinary teams that may include physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, nurses, and physicians. Collaboration is essential for creating comprehensive treatment plans tailored to each patient's needs. You’ll participate in team meetings, share progress updates, and coordinate interventions to ensure consistent care. This teamwork not only helps improve patient outcomes but also provides valuable learning opportunities for new therapists.

What is the difference between Entry Level Occupational Therapy vs Occupational Therapist?

AspectEntry Level Occupational TherapyOccupational Therapist
CredentialsMaster's degree in Occupational Therapy, passing the NBCOT examMaster's or Doctorate in Occupational Therapy, licensed and certified
Work EnvironmentHospitals, clinics, schools, outpatient centersSame as entry level, often with more responsibility and specialization
Job ResponsibilitiesAssist patients with daily activities, implement treatment plansDevelop treatment plans, supervise assistants, evaluate progress

Entry Level Occupational Therapy roles focus on assisting patients under supervision, while Occupational Therapists have advanced responsibilities, including developing treatment plans and supervising staff. Both roles require similar credentials and work in comparable environments, but the level of responsibility distinguishes them.

What are the most commonly searched types of Occupational Therapy jobs in Tennessee?

The most popular types of Occupational Therapy jobs in Tennessee are:

What job categories do people searching Entry Level Occupational Therapy jobs in Tennessee look for?

The top searched job categories for Entry Level Occupational Therapy jobs in Tennessee are:

What cities in Tennessee are hiring for Entry Level Occupational Therapy jobs?

Cities in Tennessee with the most Entry Level Occupational Therapy job openings:

Infographic showing various Entry Level Occupational Therapy job openings in Tennessee as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 8% As Needed, 56% Full Time, 32% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $85,656 per year, or $41.2 per hour.

Faculty, Occupational Therapy Assistant

Austin Community College

Eastview, TN • On-site

$23 - $30.75/hr

Full-time

Posted 3 days ago

New


Austin Community College rating

8.8

Company rating: 8.8 out of 10

Based on 15 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

45th of 621 rated colleges and universities


Job description

Job Posting Closing Times: Job postings are removed from advertising at12:00 A.M.on the closing date e.g., at midnight on the day before the closing date.

Austin Community College employees are required to maintain a domicile in the State of Texas while working for the college and throughout the duration of employment. - AR 4.0300.01

If you are a current Austin Community College employee, please click this link to apply through your Workday account.

Austin Community College is a public two-year institution that serves a multicultural population of approximately 41,000 credit students each Fall and Spring semester. We embrace our identity as a community college, as reflected in our mission statement. We promote student success and community development by providing affordable access, through traditional and distance learning modes, to higher education and workforce training, including appropriate applied baccalaureate degrees, in our service area.


As a community college committed to our mission, we seek to recruit and retain a workforce that:

  • Values intellectual curiosity and innovative teaching

  • Is attracted by the college's mission to promote equitable access to educational opportunities

  • Cares about student success and collaborates on strategies to facilitate success for populations including; first generation college students, low-income students, and students from underserved communities.

  • Focused on student academic achievement and postgraduate outcomes

  • Welcomes difference and models respectful interaction with others

  • Engages with the community both within and outside of ACC

Job Posting Title:

Faculty, Occupational Therapy Assistant

Job Description Summary:

This role is a faculty position that also serves as the department chair of the Occupational Therapy Assistant department at Austin Community College. Provides academic leadership, management, and overall coordination to the Occupational Therapy Assistant department, serves as the budget authority for the department, represents the department on college councils, committees, and in college processes, as appropriate, uses collegial process to facilitate departmental decision making, and provides a collegewide instructional leadership environment conducive to student success. This position starts Spring 2027.

Job Description:

The Occupational Therapy Assistant program at Austin Community College is committed to providing an educational program to prepare students to become competent, socially responsible, contributing entry-level occupational therapy assistants. The program will serve the Austin and surrounding communities by educating students to provide occupational therapy services to complex and multicultural populations. The program is committed to encouraging contributions to the advancement of the profession of occupational therapy. The Austin Community College Occupational Therapy Assistant Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education and boasts a 10-year 100% pass rate on the National Board for Certification of Occupational Therapy.

Principal Responsibilities and Duties

  • Provides leadership in developing, evaluating, and maintaining a curriculum that responds to community needs, prepares students for success, and meets the stated requirements of THECB, SACSCOC, and other accrediting bodies.

  • Develops and maintains the departmental budget and instructional supplies.

  • Supervise, hire, coach, and evaluate faculty in alignment with College policies and employment laws.

  • Ensure that departmental decision-making is informed by data and involves collaboration with key stakeholders within the department and collegewide as necessary

  • Develop and approve the course schedule, as well as make faculty assignments, and maintain faculty eligibility.

  • Prepare and teach courses in the field of Occupational Therapy to a multicultural student population based on the department's approved course learning outcomes, utilizing a variety of instructional strategies appropriate to the needs of community college students and the standards of the discipline.

  • Participate actively in departmental responsibilities and departmental governance, including curriculum review and revision, program review, assessment of student learning outcomes at the course and program level, and other departmental activities.

  • Evaluate student progress and provide clear, timely feedback reflecting program learning outcomes and departmental expectations, using data for closing gaps in program completion.

  • Serve as a mentor to students and faculty in the Occupational Therapy Assistant program.

  • Provide teaching and mentoring services to students in a manner that does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, political affiliation, or other protected categories.

  • Support professional development and research-related activities to remain current in the field and within education.

  • Lead and support division and department goals through active and collegial engagement in decision-making and unit-level planning.

  • Serve on collegewide and departmental committees, councils, work groups, and task forces.

  • Perform other related tasks as assigned.


Technology

  • Demonstrated proficiency using computer applications, online resources, and other technologies for the classroom.

  • Demonstrated proficiency using an online learning management system such as Blackboard to develop and build course content and perform administrative duties (posting office hours, syllabi, etc.)

Principal Professional Standards

  • Appropriate use of the college's learning management system.

  • Meet deadlines for attendance certification and submission of final course grades.

  • Participate in graduation, general assembly, and other official college functions.

  • Maintain regular office hours to assist students and improve student retention and success.

  • Attend and participate in collegewide, campus, department, or other activities and meetings.

  • Recognize and reflect standards of civility and collegiality in all interactions.

  • Comply with published college policies and procedures and meet professional standards for teaching in a community college.

  • Alignment with Austin Community College values of Courage, Compassion, Joy, Yes.

Required Education
In accordance with Southern Association of College and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and Accreditation Council of Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) requirements:

  • Hold a minimum of a master's degree awarded by an institution that is accredited by the USDE

Required Work Experience
In accordance with Southern Association of College and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and Accreditation Council of Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) requirements:

  • Have 5 years of documented non-teaching experience in the field of occupational therapy.

Preferred Work Experience

  • 3 years of postsecondary teaching experience in the field of occupational therapy

Required Licensure:
In accordance with Accreditation Council of Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) requirements:

  • Faculty who are occupational therapy practitioners and teaching occupational therapy content must be currently licensed or otherwise regulated in the state or jurisdiction as an occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant in the United States jurisdiction.


Qualities of a Successful Candidate

  • Ethics, integrity, and sound professional judgment.

  • A commitment to establishing and maintaining positive working relationships with students, colleagues, and staff representing multicultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.

  • Dynamic, non-traditional instructional delivery methods to teach students of widely varying levels of proficiency and from various backgrounds and abilities.

  • Appropriate and up-to-date knowledge of the discipline and subject matter.

  • Experience using technology as an instructional aide where appropriate to enhance learning.

  • Documented experience with active and applied teaching and learning methodologies.

  • A strong commitment to teaching in a community college setting, including teaching practices that reflect an understanding of the multicultural classroom and the benefits of cultural awareness and sensitivity in the classroom and the workplace.

  • Commitment to a culture of care for all.

  • Commitment to the comprehensive mission of Austin Community College and to the principles and practices associated with Servant-Leadership.

  • Ability to communicate effectively with students with a wide range of skills and backgrounds.

  • Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work with varied populations from the local community as well as students, staff, faculty, and administration.

  • Strength in communication media, both verbal and written, as well as listening.

  • Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, ability to maintain an established schedule, including evenings and weekends, including possible multiple campus locations that may vary by semester.

  • Commitment to maintaining confidentiality of student information.

  • Understanding of what it means to teach in a community college environment that serves often underprepared and underserved students.

Application Requirements

1. Upload the following documents to your application:

  • Unofficial/copy of transcripts

  • Updated Curriculum Vitae (C.V.) or Resume

  • Cover letter - explaining interest in the position

2. If get selected for the position then please request official electronic transcripts to be sent directly from the institution to hrtranscripts@austincc.edu. This email address must be entered as the recipient. Please do not select "Austin Community College" from a menu. It will not be received by ACC Human Resources. If you need assistance, please contact your university's registrar's office. If official electronic transcripts are not an option, a hardcopy can be mailed to the following address:

ACC Human Resources

Attn: Prisca M Baker

6101 Highland Campus Dr., Bldg 3000, Suite 3.2224

Austin, TX 78752

Photocopies of transcripts or transcripts stamped "issued to student" are not accepted.


Working Conditions

  • Work is routinely performed in a classroom or laboratory setting.

  • Subject to standing, walking, sitting, and reaching for extended periods of time.

  • Work safely and follow safety rules. Report unsafe working conditions and behavior. Take reasonable and prudent actions to prevent others from engaging in unsafe practices.

Salary Range

$ 80,994 - $109,939 (Based on a 12-month Contract to start Spring 2027)

Number of Openings:

1

Job Posting Close Date:

September 15, 2026Clery Act

As required by the US Department of Education, employees are required to report violations under Title IX and, under the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act (Clery Act), select individuals are required to report crimes. If this position is identified as a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified, trained, and provided resources for reporting.

Austin Community College produces an Annual Security Report as required by the Clery Act. This report includes statistics from the previous three years concerning reported crime that occurred on campus; public property adjacent to and accessible from campus; and in certain non-campus buildings/property owned or controlled by ACC. The report includes institutional policies concerning campus security and other safety information.

For direct access to the current Annual Security Report, visit www.austincc.edu/asr . You may obtain a hard copy by contacting the Clery Compliance Officer ( CleryComplianceOfficer@austincc.edu ). For an overview, see ACC's Clery Act website.

Disclaimer

The above description is an overview of the job. It is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of duties and responsibilities of the job, nor is it an all-inclusive list of the skills and abilities required to do the job. Duties and responsibilities may change with business needs. ACC reserves the right to add, change, amend, or delete portions of this job description at any time, with or without notice. Employees may be required to perform other duties as requested, directed, or assigned. In addition, reasonable accommodations may be made by ACC at its discretion to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions of the job.


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