VA · Portsmouth · Updated October 15, 2026

Occupational Therapist jobs in Portsmouth, VA

The median occupational therapist pay in the Portsmouth area is $48.41 per hour ($100,690 a year), with the typical range running from $38.20 to $53.61. 9 open roles with published pay are listed for Portsmouth and its metro area. The CMS hospital directory lists 2 hospitals in Portsmouth. Tell us your role and we email current openings near Portsmouth.

Open Occupational Therapist roles near Portsmouth

Roles in other cities of the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk area.

PermanentPosted 7 days ago

Occupational Therapist

Sentara Healthcare · Hampton, VA

$96k–$141k/ year
  • Flexible time
  • Req JR-77450
Top 25% payNew this week
View role
PermanentPosted 20 days ago

Occupational Therapist

Sentara Healthcare · Virginia Beach, VA

$96k–$141k/ year
  • Full time
  • Req JR-105965
Top 25% pay
View role
PermanentPosted 20 days ago

Occupational Therapist

Sentara Healthcare · Newport News, VA

$96k–$141k/ year
  • Full time
  • Req JR-86223
Top 25% pay
View role

More open Occupational Therapist roles in Portsmouth

1 more open role from employers in Portsmouth. Each employer’s range arrives with your free pay report.

Get the Portsmouth Occupational Therapist pay report

Named employers near Portsmouth, what they pay and the roles open now. Free for candidates, email only.

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Who is hiring occupational therapists near Portsmouth

EmployerRolesMedian pay / hour
Sentara Healthcare8$56.92
Amedisys1$59

Occupational Therapist pay in Portsmouth, VA

The metro median is in line with the Virginia statewide median of $48.34 per hour. Nationally the median is $47.28 per hour. BLS counts about 760 occupational therapists employed in the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk metro area, 1.0 per 1,000 jobs. Employment is about as concentrated here than in the country as a whole (location quotient 1.01).

LevelPer hourPer yearCompared with U.S.
Lowest 10%$22.20$46,18053% below U.S. median
Lower quartile$38.20$79,46019% below U.S. median
Median$48.41$100,6902% above U.S. median
Upper quartile$53.61$111,51013% above U.S. median
Top 10%$63.10$131,25033% above U.S. median

How Portsmouth ranks

  • 76th of 354 U.S. metro areas by median hourly pay
  • 122nd of 327 after adjusting for local prices
  • 3rd of 8 Virginia 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 Portsmouth

  • Overall prices in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk run 2% below the U.S. average (index 97.9, U.S. = 100).
  • Housing is the biggest driver: in line with the U.S. average (index 99.8).
  • Adjusted for local prices, a $48.41 median hour buys what $49.43 buys at the national price level, 5% 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 Portsmouth paycheck

Estimated weekly gross$1,743
  • Per year: $87,138
  • Per month: $7,261

Gross pay before taxes and benefits, from BLS pay levels for the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk metro area. For take-home pay use the take-home pay calculator.

Travel assignment per diem in Portsmouth

ItemFederal rate
Lodging per night$110
Meals and incidentals per day$68
Per week (7 nights, 7 days)$1,246
13-week assignment$16,198

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 (this is the standard rate that applies here). 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 Portsmouth

CMS lists 2 hospitals in Portsmouth, 0 of the 1 rated ones with 4 or 5 stars. Hospitals are a major employer of occupational therapists.

HospitalTypeOwnershipCMS ratingEmergency
Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center
Portsmouth, VA
Acute careNonprofit3 of 5Yes
Nmc Portsmouth
Portsmouth, VA
Acute Care - Department of DefenseGovernment and federalNot ratedYes

Source: CMS Hospital General Information, public data. A directory of hospitals, not a list of our clients.

Occupational Therapist pay in nearby cities

CityDistanceMedian payPopulation
Norfolk, VA8 mi$48.41/hr231,105
Chesapeake, VA13 mi$48.41/hr254,997
Richmond, VA77 mi$50.00/hr233,655
Rocky Mount, NC101 mi$47.71/hr54,541
Greenville, NC104 mi$46.68/hr95,138
Wake Forest, NC135 mi$44.60/hr56,764

Occupational Therapist jobs in Virginia · Occupational Therapist jobs nationwide

License and tax basics in Virginia

Master’s or doctoral degree in occupational therapy. Credentials are issued state by state, so confirm what Virginia requires for your role with the Virginia licensing board and with your recruiter before you commit to a start date.

Virginia taxes wage income. Use your own rates in the take-home pay calculator.

Virginia state guide

Other healthcare roles in Portsmouth

Portsmouth city guide: hospitals, employers and licensing

Common questions

How much do occupational therapists make in Portsmouth, VA?

Occupational Therapists in the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk metro area have a median pay of $48.41 per hour, about $100,690 a year. The middle half earn between $38.20 and $53.61 per hour (BLS, May 2024).

Is Portsmouth a good place for occupational therapists once cost of living is counted?

Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk ranks 122nd of 327 metro areas for occupational therapist pay after adjusting for local prices, and 76th of 354 before adjusting. Overall prices run 2% below the U.S. average.

Who is hiring occupational therapists in Portsmouth?

We list 9 open roles with published pay from 2 employers in the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk area. Your free report adds named employers and pay near Portsmouth.

Do I need a Virginia license to work in Portsmouth as an occupational therapist?

Master’s or doctoral degree in occupational therapy. Credentials are issued state by state, so confirm what Virginia requires for your role with the Virginia 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 Portsmouth?

The federal per diem benchmark in Portsmouth is $110 a night for lodging and $68 a day for meals and incidentals, about $1,246 a week (GSA, fiscal year 2026). Your actual stipend depends on the assignment and your tax home.

Does Valorem Health place occupational therapists in Portsmouth?

Yes. We place healthcare staff in Portsmouth and across Virginia. Tell us your profession and we email the roles open near Portsmouth.

Free for every candidate

What do employers near Portsmouth 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.

  1. 1
    Pay for your role at other hospitals

    The hourly pay at named employers near you, so you see who pays most.

  2. 2
    What they are offering now

    The pay range and median across current postings, and how many were posted this month.

  3. 3
    Roles open for you right now

    Every current opening near you with pay, shift and start date. Reply with one click.

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Pay report · OT near Portsmouth, VA
Valorem Health Shift ReportFrom your recruiting team · [email protected]

Your OT pay reportPortsmouth, VA · pay published by hospitals, collected October 15, 2026

1Pay for your role at other hospitals

  • AmedisysGloucester, VA · 3 postings$58.88/ hr$43–$66
  • Sentara HealthcareHampton, VA · 9 postings$56.92/ hr$46–$68
  • Carilion ClinicRoanoke, VA · 2 postings$46.09/ hr$37–$55
  • VCU Health SystemRichmond, VA · 4 postings$42.09/ hr$33–$51

Median posted pay per hour, with the range each employer published.

2What they are offering now

Low$34Median$56.92High$68

25 OT postings with published pay in Virginia, 20 of them posted in the last 30 days. Month-by-month history by employer comes with your full report.

3Open now: 25 OT roles

  1. Occupational Therapist- HomecarePermanent
    $36.87–$55.31/ hour
    Carilion Clinic · Roanoke, VA · posted today
  2. Occupational Therapist- Home CarePermanent
    $36.87–$55.31/ hour
    Carilion Clinic · Radford, VA · posted today

+ 23 more in your report. Each one has pay, shift and start date.

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