Chicago Ot Jobs Overview
Everyone working in occupational therapy (OT) is a healthcare luminary—inspiring hope and fostering recovery, as they harness the therapeutic use of everyday activities to help people with various conditions. OT jobs may involve anything from injury rehabilitation and home modifications for greater mobility to auxiliary treatments for cerebral palsy (e.g., improving posture and muscle-coordination issues) and arthritis (e.g., joint-stretching).
All around, the OT field is growing. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the employment of occupational therapists is expected to swell at a rate of 17 percent over the next decade, which roughly translates to 10,100 job openings each year during this period. Additionally, positions for occupational therapy assistants and aides are predicted to bloom at a sweeping 34 percent. Both of those percentages are much faster than the average for the full breadth of jobs in all industries.
You can expand your search for healthcare jobs by checking out these similar positions:
About Working in Chicago, Illinois
If you're going to Chicago to experience "da Bears," deep-dish pizza, and windy streets, native Chicagoans say "fogetta 'bout it!" While these have made Chicago famous, you'll find many locals eating thin-crust, tavern-style pie. Plus, the city isn't on any list of the windiest cities in the U.S.—a local newspaper named it "The Windy City" after the Chicago elite's propensity toward boastfulness and self-promotion. And while the Chicago jobs list (hit jobs, that is) includes notorious mobsters from Chicago like Al Capone, John Dillinger, and Baby Face Nelson, linguists are noticing that the "Chicago accent" is disappearing.
However, there's a reason Condé Nast Traveler has named Chicago the "best big city in the U.S." Chicago is home to top universities, including Northwestern University, Wheaton College, and Valparaiso. And if you're looking for Chicago jobs, you can relocate to any one of the city's unique neighborhoods, such as North Center with its cozy Irish pubs and breweries or Uptown, the lively entertainment district. For those who want to live further out from the city, you can also find jobs in popular suburbs including Cicero, Oak Park, and Evanston.
Update Your Chicago Ot Resume
Open your resume with an enticing OT career summary. Even if you don’t have much experience, you can still provide some background here, while interspersing the text with occupational therapy keywords for OT jobs, which will help your resume get past any HR screening software. If you’re at an intermediate or senior career level, make sure to provide examples of your accomplishments, as shown in our occupational therapy resume sample.
Want to be even more competitive? The OT field can get crowded, as demand for OT workers will keep increasing. So boost your chances of getting noticed by telling your story—and sharing your keen interest in the position you’re applying to—with a persuasive cover letter.
How Much Do Ot Jobs Pay in Chicago, Illinois?
Got money on your mind? You should! Make sure you’re getting paid what you’re worth. Our Salary Tools can help you understand what you can expect to make in OT jobs in Chicago, Illinois, as well as the skills that can boost your value and what the next steps in your career might be. Right now, the median occupational therapist pay in Chicago is $38.31 per hour, which is 0% lower than the national average.
Find Your Next Chicago Ot Job. Monster Can Help Get You Started
Are you prepared for a career in OT? If so, set up your profile on Monster for free and begin clicking on those OT jobs. When you sign up with us, you’ll receive custom job alerts and expert advice on how to negotiate your salary in Chicago, how to nail your job interview, and more.