Education level

Bachelor or higher degree

Job area

Allied health

Your role as an occupational therapist

You'll support people who may have a lifelong condition or recovering from an injury or illness and finding it hard to do everyday tasks. You'll help them overcome physical and mental barriers so they can:

  • do daily tasks, like showering and getting dressed
  • enjoy hobbies and doing things they love
  • take part in social activities
  • work and learn.

What your day might look like

Occupational therapists (OT) work in a lot of different settings. You could be in a hospital, a community health clinic, aged care facility, school or a workplace.

The work of an OT is very varied. Depending on where you work, you might be:

  • helping someone with the movements they need to do everyday tasks or hobbies
  • checking that a patient's home is safe for them to go back to after an injury or illness
  • teaching someone to use a new prosthetic device or adaptive equipment to build independence
  • finding safe work tasks for people so they can go back to work after injury or illness
  • working with someone to develop coping strategies that help them manage stress and emotions throughout the day
  • helping a child reach goals and developmental milestones that help them join in with play and school.

You'll learn what each patient needs and wants to do and what they can do now. You'll use your skills and knowledge to help them bridge the gap between those things.

You'll work with other health professionals, patients and their families to find the best solutions. You'll advocate for your patient's needs and help them build confidence and independence.

Read more about working as an occupational therapist on Your Career.

Hear from occupational therapists working at Queensland Health.
Duration: 02:53

[Music plays]

>>Participant 1: I think the key attraction to me, for Queensland Health is opportunities. Do something different each day, work with a different person a different community each day.

>>Participant 2: You can work with adults, you can work with children. You can work in mental health, you can work in a hospital. You can work in the community. And really, you can travel anywhere with it. You can work in, you know, the big cities or go more regional or remote. So I think that's the great flexibility of being an OT in Queensland Health, isn't it? That you can really go anywhere and do anything.

>>Participant 3: In terms of career options, diversity in terms of consumers, diagnosis, you know, you can be a clinician, you can be a team leader, you can be a whole range of things within Queensland Health which is really nice.

>>Participant 4: So for me it was really that ability to work in sometimes chaotic but always vibrant and enjoyable sort of teams that brought me back to Queensland Health.

>>Participant 5: It's one of the best things about Queensland Health, I think. There's so many, so much variety, you never quite know what you're going to walk into.

>>Participant 6: You're always thinking and you're always on your feet and you're always learning, which I also really love about this job and this role as well.

>>Participant 4: It's not just about the clinical work and occupational therapy, but it's also opened, a whole host of doors, in terms of senior leadership roles that, you know, that allows you to work in these organisations.

>>Participant 7: You’re really supported to, to be the best leader you can be there. There’s, there’s training opportunities. there’s amazing mentors there. There's just people around who can really guide you through that process of becoming a leader. So for me it's been a really rewarding experience to become a leader and, and work really closely with my team.

>>Participant 2: Also throughout my career, I had the one-on-one supervision with a team leader, and and now I'm obviously on the other end of that offering that to other staff. How about you?

>>Participant 8: I always look forward to our weekly supervision, so that's part of being a new grad, is you have booked in protected time.

>>Participant 5: It's both formal and informal, isn't it? It's the casual chats around, what would you do in this situation? But it's also the sit down and actually working through some things, which is amazing and so valued.

>>Participant 7: I'm a team leader, I'm an occupational therapist, I still see patients. But I'm also able to go home and leave work behind. And then live that life with the family that, that I really want to do.

>>Participant 9: I've definitely benefited from having flexible options with work. Trying to juggle, you know, progressing your career and still looking after a family. And having opportunities such as working part time, really helps, you know, look after your own well being as well.

>>Participant 4: Actually this afternoon after work I have to go down and train for the World Surf Lifesaving Championships. So, it certainly keeps you busy. And good work life balance.

[Text on screen] Queensland Government

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Qualifications

Bachelor's or master's degree in occupational therapy

Professional registration

Eligible for registration with the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia

Pay and benefits

Your pay rate and benefits will depend on your role and your pay point. In your first year you’ll start at health professional grade HP3, pay point 1. You’ll get a different rate if you’re in a higher level role.

We also offer:

  • regular wage increases
  • a superannuation rate of 12.75%
  • a supportive workplace with flexible working arrangements
  • several types of leave
  • salary packaging
  • help with ongoing professional development costs.

If you're moving to start a new job with us, you may be able to get help with moving and travel costs.

Learn more about working for us

A woman leaning on a pole in a farm.

Rural and remote opportunities

You may also be able to get financial incentives and other benefits if you work in rural and remote areas.

Read about our opportunities for rural allied health careers.

Professional growth

Continuing professional development (CPD) is an essential part of being an occupational therapist. You'll have access to courses, training, research and other educational experiences to keep developing your skills and knowledge.

Career paths

Doing more training after you become an occupational therapist can lead to roles in specialist or advanced clinical practice. You can also move into occupational therapy leadership, education or project management.

If you plan to do more study, ask your training provider if your past studies can count towards a higher qualification.

Hear from our occupational therapists

Brandon

Mental health, children and young people
Townsville

I work in a specialist mental health team supporting children and young people who are finding life really hard right now. Some struggle with big emotions. Some find school overwhelming. Others are learning how to trust adults and feel safe after experiencing trauma, loss, or major changes in their lives.

Some days are quiet and reflective. Some days are fast-paced and emotional. But every day, the work matters.

What I enjoy most is watching a young person begin to believe in themselves. It might be a small moment — a smile, a laugh, or a quiet ‘I can do this’. But those moments are powerful.

Liam

Rural Generalist
Biloela

I'm seeing patients of all ages for a variety of different conditions. The scope really changes depending on who you're seeing and what you're seeing them for. We've got outreach trips as well. Those days you're in a completely different town, seeing a whole different population of people. No two days are even remotely similar.

I really like being able to make a difference with someone's occupations - the things people need and want to do. Like with hand injuries, seeing someone go from not being able to use their hand at all to recovering and being back to normal, back to work, back to school. Sport even. It's rewarding to see the progress people make.

Mahnee

Adult rehabilitation
Gold Coast

We see people who have injuries to their brain, whether that’s from a stroke, car accident, fall or fight. We see lots of people with spinal cord injuries as well. We really focus on looking at what they need to be able to do to get home from hospital.

We've got an area set up like a real-life shop and a living room and bedroom that we use to practise occupations and simulate what home is going to be like for a patient.

We’ve also got the first robot used in Australia to help people's arms to get moving again. So, there's lots of technology and advances in what we're doing, and it's exciting to be a part of it.

Last updated: April 2026

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