Occupational Therapist (Full-Time + Benefits!) - Cape Coral, FL

Thrive Therapies Group

2d • $73,000 - $85,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Mid Cape Global Academy is a school full of students who are waiting for a consistent, skilled Occupational Therapist — not a revolving door of short-term contractors who leave before they learn which kid needs a fidget tool and which one needs a bear hug. These students deserve someone who knows them, who builds trust over time, and who shows up on Monday already thinking about what Tuesday’s session will look like.
That’s the kind of OT we’re looking for. And we’ve built a compensation and support model designed to make sure you can be that person without sacrificing your own wellbeing, your finances, or your professional growth.
Lee County School District recently gave special instructional staff a 5.25% raise — an acknowledgment that the talent market is tighter than ever. Our offer starts well above the district’s adjusted scale. We don’t match the market. We set it.
THE POSITION
School: Mid Cape Global Academy, Cape Coral, FL
Start Date: Immediate — students are actively waiting for OT services
Schedule: School day hours, Monday through Friday. Optional paid Extended School Year available.
Workload: Aligned to AOTA best practice standards. We negotiate workload expectations with our school partners because your sustainability is what makes student outcomes possible.
Setting: K–8 global academy serving diverse learners in a collaborative, supportive school environment
Cape Coral offers waterfront living, no state income tax, and a cost of living well below Miami or Tampa. A Thrive salary in Southwest Florida buys a quality of life that most metro OTs can only dream about.
The staffing agencies that serve Lee County schools pay OTs $35–$42/hr as 1099 contractors — no benefits, no PTO, no stability. Those same agencies bill the schools $68–72/hr. The math isn’t hard. The people doing the actual work are getting the smallest share of the value they create.
Thrive flipped the model:
✓ W-2 employment with full benefits — not a 1099 arrangement with a handshake
✓ Higher base pay than any staffing agency in the region
✓ We cover your employer taxes, your health insurance, and your professional dues
✓ A dedicated account manager who knows your campus and goes to bat for you
✓ A clinical community of OTs, SLPs, and BCBAs who meet regularly, share resources, and support each other
✓ When a workload becomes unsustainable, we step in. That’s not a slogan — it’s a structural commitment.
You already know why you became an OT. Here’s what this role looks like at Mid Cape:
• Provide direct OT services to K–8 students — fine motor skills, sensory processing, self-regulation, handwriting, functional independence, and classroom participation
• Conduct initial evaluations and triennial re-evaluations with the depth and care each child deserves
• Partner with classroom teachers to embed OT strategies into daily routines — making therapy part of school life, not separate from it
• Bring your clinical expertise to IEP meetings where your voice is valued and your recommendations are implemented
• Build the kind of trusting relationships with students and families that only come from consistency and commitment
• Be the person a child looks for when they walk through the door. That’s the privilege of this work. We want to make sure the work is worthy of you in return.
WHY THRIVE
• Workloads aligned to AOTA best practice standards — because quality outcomes require sustainable conditions
• A company that sees you as a person first, a clinician second, and a line item never
• Professional development that’s real: $750/year for CEUs, conferences, and materials, plus all licensure and NBCOT fees covered
• A no non-compete policy. We believe if you stay, it should be because this is the best professional home you’ve ever had — not because a clause in a contract says you can’t leave
• The chance to be part of something different. We’re not a staffing agency that happens to care. We’re a company built from the ground up on the belief that investing in providers is the only way to truly invest in students.

Requirements

• Master’s degree (or higher) in Occupational Therapy from an ACOTE-accredited program
• Active Florida OT license (or ability to obtain within 30 days)
• NBCOT certification (current or eligible)

Nice To Haves

• Pediatric or school-based experience preferred
• Bilingual (Spanish) is a meaningful plus — premium compensation applies

Responsibilities

• Provide direct OT services to K–8 students — fine motor skills, sensory processing, self-regulation, handwriting, functional independence, and classroom participation
• Conduct initial evaluations and triennial re-evaluations with the depth and care each child deserves
• Partner with classroom teachers to embed OT strategies into daily routines — making therapy part of school life, not separate from it
• Bring your clinical expertise to IEP meetings where your voice is valued and your recommendations are implemented
• Build the kind of trusting relationships with students and families that only come from consistency and commitment
• Be the person a child looks for when they walk through the door.

Benefits

• Full medical/dental/vision paid
• 10 days PTO + sick leave
• 401(k) with company match
• $750/year CEU Stipend
• NBCOT / Licensure Fully reimbursed
• $2,000 Signing Bonus (paid at 90 days)
• $1,000 per semester Retention Bonus

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level