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$45.5K

$76.9K

$113.5K

How much do occupational therapy program director jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 22, 2026, the average yearly pay for occupational therapy program director in the United States is $76,926.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $65,000.00 and $89,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does an occupational therapy program director do?

An occupational therapy program director oversees staff and sets guidelines for occupational therapy (OT) programs. In this career, your duties include developing patient treatment plans, creating strategies to improve OT programs, and handling administrative functions such as budgeting, reports, and documentation. Your responsibilities may also include teaching staff members and patients the proper techniques to use during OT, implementing steps to reach program goals, and coordinating with other departments. An occupational therapy program director may work at a school with an OT program or in a clinical setting.

What does an occupational therapy program director do?

An Occupational Therapy Program Director is responsible for overseeing the administrative, academic, and operational aspects of an occupational therapy educational program. This includes developing curriculum, ensuring accreditation standards are met, managing faculty and staff, and supporting student outcomes. They also foster relationships with clinical sites and maintain compliance with regulatory requirements. Their leadership ensures the program prepares students to become skilled occupational therapists.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an occupational therapy program director, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Occupational Therapy Program Director, you need advanced knowledge of occupational therapy practices, leadership experience, and typically a master's or doctoral degree in occupational therapy or a related field. Familiarity with accreditation standards, curriculum development software, and educational management systems is often required. Strong communication, organizational, and mentoring skills help foster faculty development and ensure student success. These competencies are vital for maintaining program quality, meeting accreditation requirements, and leading teams effectively.

What are some common challenges faced by occupational therapy program directors in managing both academic and administrative responsibilities?

Occupational Therapy Program Directors often juggle academic leadership, such as curriculum development and faculty mentoring, alongside administrative tasks like compliance, accreditation, and budgeting. Balancing these responsibilities while ensuring high educational standards and supporting student success can be challenging. Program Directors also regularly collaborate with university leadership, clinical partners, and accreditation bodies, requiring strong communication and organizational skills. Successfully managing these diverse duties provides valuable experience and opportunities for career advancement within academic administration.

What is the difference between Occupational Therapy Program Director vs Occupational Therapist?

AspectOccupational Therapy Program DirectorOccupational Therapist
CredentialsMaster's or Doctorate in Occupational Therapy, licensure, and often administrative certificationsMaster's or Doctorate in Occupational Therapy, licensure
Work EnvironmentEducational institutions, academic settings, program administrationClinical settings, hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation centers
Primary ResponsibilitiesOverseeing OT education programs, curriculum development, faculty coordinationProviding direct patient care, therapy assessments, treatment planning

The Occupational Therapy Program Director focuses on managing and developing OT education programs, requiring administrative skills and academic credentials. In contrast, an Occupational Therapist provides hands-on patient care, utilizing clinical skills to improve clients' daily functioning. Both roles require OT licensure and a strong understanding of therapy practices, but their work environments and responsibilities differ significantly.

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Occupational Therapy Program Director jobs near you
Infographic showing various Occupational Therapy Program Director job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 78% Full Time, 17% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 96% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 3% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $76,926 per year, or $37 per hour.

Program Director, Occupational Therapy Program

Beloit College

Beloit, WI • On-site

Full-time

Re-posted 12 days ago

Job description

Program Director (Founding), Master of Occupational Therapy Beloit College | School of Health Sciences

Beloit College invites applications for a founding Program Director for its new Master of Occupational Therapy (OTM) program. This is an opportunity to build a program from the ground up at a nationally recognized liberal arts institution committed to intellectual curiosity, interdisciplinary thinking, and education that connects knowledge to real-world impact. The founding director will have significant latitude to shape the program's identity, curriculum, and culture in alignment with Beloit's distinctive liberal arts mission. The role will also require substantial entrepreneurial and foundational effort to stand up the program successfully and help pave the way for future graduate and professional programs at Beloit.

About Beloit College

Beloit College is a selective liberal arts college in Beloit, Wisconsin, known for its commitment to experiential learning, global engagement, and producing graduates who think across disciplines. Beloit College was ranked #18 for most innovative schools by US News and World Report in 2026. The School of Health Sciences, the site of our career-focused and liberal arts-centered health professions preparation, reflects these values, preparing students to become health professionals who are not only clinically excellent but broadly educated and community-minded. An OTM program at Beloit offers the opportunity to reimagine occupational therapy education through a liberal arts lens.

Position Summary

The Program Director will report to the Director of the School of Health Sciences and will hold an appointment with responsibilities in both program administration and teaching. The Program Director will lead all aspects of program development and launch, including curriculum design, faculty recruitment, clinical partnership development, and ACOTE accreditation. The successful candidate will bring a clear vision for developing a strong occupational therapy education in the context of the liberal arts and the leadership skills to bring that vision to life within a collaborative, student-centered academic community.

The successful candidate will, once the program is accredited by ACOTE, provide administrative leadership for the program and will also serve as a core faculty member for the program in a dual academic and administrative appointment.

This position is a renewable 12-month appointment.

Responsibilities

Program Development and Administration

Lead all phases of OTM program creation and development, including curriculum design, policy development, and operational infrastructure. Recruit, hire, mentor, and evaluate core and associated faculty and staff. Oversee student recruitment, admissions, advising, and retention. Manage program budget and resources in collaboration with institutional leadership. Lead ACOTE candidacy and accreditation processes, including self-study, site visit preparation, and ongoing compliance. Develop and sustain clinical education partnerships to support fieldwork and experiential learning. Implement program evaluation and continuous quality improvement processes.

Teaching

Teach in areas of expertise as core faculty in the OT program.

Scholarship and Service

Maintain an active scholarly agenda appropriate to rank. Contribute to departmental, college, and professional service. Represent the program at state, regional, and national professional meetings.

Characteristic Duties and Responsibilities:

  1. Launch a new OTM program, the first of its kind at Beloit College.
  2. Serve as the designated Program Director in compliance with ACOTE Standard A.2.1.
  3. Provide leadership in planning, implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement.
  4. Ensure compliance with ACOTE accreditation standards.
  5. Manage program budgeting and resources.
  6. Recruit, hire, mentor, and evaluate faculty.
  7. Oversee curriculum design and assessment, including DEIJ principles.
  8. Teach courses in the OT program relevant to expertise
  9. Support student advising and well-being.
  10. Represent the program internally and externally.

Credentials and Experience:

  1. Doctoral degree from a USDE-recognized accredited institution.
  2. Licensed occupational therapist.
  3. Minimum 8 years of OT experience including clinical, administrative, and scholarly work.
  4. Minimum 4 years of postbaccalaureate-level teaching experience.
  5. Evidence of leadership, vision, and the ability to build programs and teams

Preferred Qualifications

  1. Experience leading or contributing significantly to ACOTE accreditation processes
  2. Experience launching or substantially developing a new academic program
  3. Demonstrated commitment to interprofessional education and community-engaged practice
  4. Interest in integrating liberal arts values (interdisciplinary thinking, ethical reasoning, global awareness) into OT education

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

  1. Ability to understand and appreciate the mission of a residential, liberal arts college and to work well in a fast-paced office, with diverse faculty, staff, students, alums, general public in a variety of situations.
  2. Ability to develop and contribute to learning and work environments welcoming to people from a diverse variety of backgrounds and experiences.
  3. Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including grammar, punctuation, spelling, and proofreading.
  4. Flexibility and willingness to adapt to changing activities, expectations, and responsibilities.
  5. Excellent problem solving skills, with the ability to think critically, effectively prioritize, plan, and organize multiple tasks and projects and meet set deadlines without immediate and constant supervision.
  6. Knowledge of customer service standards and the ability to communicate effectively with faculty, administrators, staff, students, families of students, prospective students and their families, and the general public.
  7. Ability to maintain confidentiality and to safeguard the confidentiality of records.
  8. Willingness to look for improvements in personal and office performance and initiate proposals which enhance the work of the office.

Application Materials

Applicants should submit the following:

  • Cover letter addressing qualifications and vision for the program
  • Current curriculum vitae
  • Leadership statement (2–3 pages) describing experience with the liberal arts, program development, accreditation, faculty leadership, and fiscal management
  • Teaching philosophy statement
  • Names and contact information for three professional references (references will not be contacted without candidate permission)

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. The anticipated start date is December 1, 2026.

The intent of this job description is to provide the general nature and level of work required of employees who are assigned to this classification and shall not be construed as an all-inclusive list of duties and responsibilities. Employees may be instructed to perform job-related duties and responsibilities other than those specifically presented in this description.

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