| Among the most rewarding jobs in the country | | | | community health centers, nursing homes, nursing |
| today is that of the occupational and physical | | | | schools, university health centers, teaching |
| therapists. Apart from the issue of reward, there | | | | hospitals, geriatric centers, private and public |
| are also openings in the sector. According to | | | | hospitals, and other similar places. Institutions in |
| statistics, physical and occupational therapist jobs | | | | the sports sector for instance make use of |
| are expected to grow at the rate of between 21 | | | | physical therapists to take care of sportsmen and |
| and 35% in 2008. The jobs also allows for | | | | sportswomen, while therapists are needed in |
| flexibility. The physical and occupational therapist | | | | schools for teaching and other purposes. |
| can operate as the situation demands. Practice | | | | FUNCTIONS |
| facility, position, location, and position can be | | | | Therapists can function as athletic therapy |
| adapted to quite easily by the professionals. There | | | | assistants, counselors, and occupational therapy |
| are other sources of information besides the ones | | | | assistants. The work of an occupational therapist |
| stated above using which you can make a | | | | is to cater for patients with behavioral troubles |
| presence in the sector you are planning to get | | | | and hearing impairment, as well as to handle cases |
| into. | | | | that concern premature babies in private and |
| NATURE OF WORK | | | | public hospitals, children who are afflicted with |
| The therapist can work through many formats. | | | | illnesses such as Down syndrome and cerebral |
| They can make their work to be short term or | | | | palsy, and people suffering from illnesses like |
| long term, full time or part time, permanent or | | | | stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and mental health |
| temporary, depending on the options available, the | | | | problems. |
| temperament of the person involved, the | | | | REMUNERATION |
| remuneration attached to the appointment, the | | | | Many factors determine how much the therapist |
| location of the job, and the conditions given by | | | | earns. Examples such factors are years of |
| the employer. Some therapists take the job on | | | | experience, qualifications, location, and position of |
| travel basis, while some make it Per Diem. | | | | the therapist involved. For therapists with years |
| However, both permanent therapist and those, | | | | of experience on the job, annual salaries can be |
| who prefer a Per Diem arrangement, have bonus | | | | quite high. Reports say that experienced |
| packages and benefits suitable to their situations. | | | | therapists can earn as much as $63,000 per |
| EMPLOYER | | | | annum. Added to this are incentives like extra |
| Occupational and physical therapists can be | | | | pay, free housing, referral bonus, life insurance, |
| employed by institutions in the health, sports, and | | | | healthcare insurance, and relocation allowance. |
| education sectors. Examples of the institutions are | | | | |