Per diemPosted 21 days ago
Occupational Therapist Skilled Nursing Facility
CommonSpirit Health · Santa Maria, CA
$49.78–$74.05/ hour
Occupational Therapist jobs in Santa Barbara, CA
The median occupational therapist pay in the Santa Barbara area is $57.65 per hour ($119,920 a year), with the typical range running from $50.98 to $63.76. 1 open role with published pay is listed for Santa Barbara and its metro area. The CMS hospital directory lists 3 hospitals in Santa Barbara. Your free pay report adds named employers and the roles open near Santa Barbara.
- $57.65median pay per hour, Santa Maria
- $51–$64typical range per hour
- 140occupational therapists employed in the metro area
- 1open roles with published pay in the metro area
Open Occupational Therapist roles near Santa Barbara
Roles in other cities of the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara area.
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60+ more Occupational Therapist roles for you in Santa Barbara, CA
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More open Occupational Therapist roles in Santa Barbara
1 more open role from employers in Santa Barbara. Each employer’s range arrives with your free pay report.
PermanentPosted 15 days ago
Occupational Therapist (OT)
Genesis Healthcare · Santa Barbara, CA
Pay range with your report
Get the Santa Barbara Occupational Therapist pay report
Named employers near Santa Barbara, what they pay and the roles open now. Free for candidates, email only.
Get my free pay reportOccupational Therapist pay in Santa Barbara, CA
The metro median is in line with the California statewide median of $57.44 per hour. Nationally the median is $47.28 per hour. BLS counts about 140 occupational therapists employed in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara metro area, 0.7 per 1,000 jobs. Employment is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole (location quotient 0.69).
| Level | Per hour | Per year | Compared with U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% | $40.61 | $84,470 | 14% below U.S. median |
| Lower quartile | $50.98 | $106,040 | 8% above U.S. median |
| Median | $57.65 | $119,920 | 22% above U.S. median |
| Upper quartile | $63.76 | $132,620 | 35% above U.S. median |
| Top 10% | $65.14 | $135,490 | 38% above U.S. median |
How Santa Barbara ranks
- 9th of 354 U.S. metro areas by median hourly pay
- 42nd of 327 after adjusting for local prices
- 9th of 22 California metro areas
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024, Occupational Therapists (SOC 29-1122), all industries. This is what employers report paying, not an offer for a specific role.
What your pay buys in Santa Barbara
- Overall prices in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara run 9% above the U.S. average (index 108.8, U.S. = 100).
- Housing is the biggest driver: 51% above the U.S. average (index 151.4).
- Adjusted for local prices, a $57.65 median hour buys what $52.99 buys at the national price level, 12% above the national median.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024. Prices are for the metro area, not for a single neighborhood.
Estimate your Santa Barbara paycheck
Estimated weekly gross$2,075
- Per year: $103,770
- Per month: $8,648
Gross pay before taxes and benefits, from BLS pay levels for the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara metro area. For take-home pay use the take-home pay calculator.
Travel assignment per diem in Santa Barbara
| Item | Federal rate |
|---|---|
| Lodging per night | $214 |
| Meals and incidentals per day | $92 |
| Per week (7 nights, 7 days) | $2,142 |
| 13-week assignment | $27,846 |
Travel occupational therapist assignments commonly pay housing and meals stipends. The GSA per diem is the federal benchmark for what those stipends can be tax-free. Whether a stipend is tax-free for you depends on keeping a valid tax home, so confirm with your recruiter and a tax professional. Compare with your offer in the travel pay calculator.
Source: U.S. General Services Administration per diem rates, fiscal year 2026 (average across months).
Hospitals in Santa Barbara
CMS lists 3 hospitals in Santa Barbara, 2 of the 2 rated ones with 4 or 5 stars. Hospitals are a major employer of occupational therapists.
| Hospital | Type | Ownership | CMS rating | Emergency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital Santa Barbara, CA | Acute care | Nonprofit | 5 of 5 | Yes |
| Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Santa Barbara, CA | Acute care | Nonprofit | 4 of 5 | Yes |
| Santa Barbara County Psychiatric Health Facility Santa Barbara, CA | Psychiatric | Government and federal | Not rated | No |
Source: CMS Hospital General Information, public data. A directory of hospitals, not a list of our clients.
Occupational Therapist pay in nearby cities
| City | Distance | Median pay | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Buenaventura, CA | 28 mi | $51.76/hr | 109,831 |
| Oxnard, CA | 32 mi | $51.76/hr | 200,616 |
| Camarillo, CA | 41 mi | $51.76/hr | 69,881 |
| Thousand Oaks, CA | 50 mi | $51.76/hr | 124,229 |
| Santa Maria, CA | 55 mi | $57.65/hr | 111,346 |
| Simi Valley, CA | 56 mi | $51.76/hr | 125,778 |
Occupational Therapist jobs in California · Occupational Therapist jobs nationwide
License and tax basics in California
Master’s or doctoral degree in occupational therapy. Credentials are issued state by state, so confirm what California requires for your role with the California licensing board and with your recruiter before you commit to a start date.
California taxes wage income. Use your own rates in the take-home pay calculator.
Other healthcare roles in Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara city guide: hospitals, employers and licensing
Common questions
How much do occupational therapists make in Santa Barbara, CA?
Occupational Therapists in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara metro area have a median pay of $57.65 per hour, about $119,920 a year. The middle half earn between $50.98 and $63.76 per hour (BLS, May 2024).
Is Santa Barbara a good place for occupational therapists once cost of living is counted?
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara ranks 42nd of 327 metro areas for occupational therapist pay after adjusting for local prices, and 9th of 354 before adjusting. Overall prices run 9% above the U.S. average.
Who is hiring occupational therapists in Santa Barbara?
We list 1 open role with published pay from 1 employer in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara area. Your free report adds named employers and pay near Santa Barbara.
Do I need a California license to work in Santa Barbara as an occupational therapist?
Master’s or doctoral degree in occupational therapy. Credentials are issued state by state, so confirm what California requires for your role with the California licensing board and with your recruiter before you commit to a start date. Confirm with the board before you accept a role.
What is the per diem for a travel assignment in Santa Barbara?
The federal per diem benchmark in Santa Barbara is $214 a night for lodging and $92 a day for meals and incidentals, about $2,142 a week (GSA, fiscal year 2026). Your actual stipend depends on the assignment and your tax home.
Does Valorem Health place occupational therapists in Santa Barbara?
Yes. We place healthcare staff in Santa Barbara and across California. Tell us your profession and we email the roles open near Santa Barbara.
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What do employers near Santa Barbara pay occupational therapists? Get the report.
Tell us your role and city. Within 24 hours you get an email with three things, by employer name. It costs you nothing, because employers pay us.
- 1Pay for your role at other hospitals
The hourly pay at named employers near you, so you see who pays most.
- 2What they are offering now
The pay range and median across current postings, and how many were posted this month.
- 3Roles open for you right now
Every current opening near you with pay, shift and start date. Reply with one click.
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230+ Occupational Therapist roles in California, sent free by email
Tell us who you are and what you do. We email the report within 24 hours on business days.
Valorem Health Shift ReportFrom your recruiting team · [email protected]
Your OT pay reportSanta Barbara, CA · pay published by employers and employer-reported wage offers in federal filings
1Pay for your role at other employers
- Seagull Lane Healthcare, Inc.Santa Barbara, CA · 2 wage offers$61.00/ hr$58–$64
- Montage HealthMonterey, CA · 4 postings$67.73/ hr$54–$83
- CommonSpirit HealthNORTHRIDGE, CA · 9 postings$64.73/ hr$48–$81
- Kaweah Delta Health Care DistrictVisalia, CA · 5 postings$62.80/ hr$50–$75
Median pay per hour, with the range each employer published or reported in federal filings.
2What they are offering now
Low$50Median$62.50High$75
38 OT postings with published pay in California, 35 of them posted in the last 30 days. Month-by-month history by employer comes with your full report.
3Open now: 38 OT roles
- Occupational TherapistPer diem$52.04–$77.42/ hour
- Occupational Therapist Home HealthPermanent$49.78–$74.05/ hour
+ 36 more in your report. Each one has pay, shift and start date.
I'm interestedOne click. A recruiter writes only after you reply.