Occupational Therapists

Salary

Based on the PSA and APEX collective agreements, Occupational Therapists have a 9-step progression salary scale.

• Base salaries generally range between NZD$72,000 and NZD$103,000.

Senior or specialist Occupational Therapists may receive higher salary bands depending on the level of experience or seniority of the role.

• Senior/specialist salaries generally range between NZD$110,000 and NZD$119,000.

Overtime and penal rates apply for work outside normal hours, including weekends and public holidays.

Allowances

• Higher duties allowance.
• On-call allowance if applicable.

Leave

• 4 weeks of paid annual leave, which increases to 5 weeks after 5 years of service.
• Shift employees may receive up to an additional 5 days’ annual leave after 12 months of shift work.
• Minimum of 10 days of paid sick leave per year.
• 6 to 12 months of parental leave, depending on length of service.
• Up to 14 weeks of paid parental leave provided by the New Zealand Government.

Additional benefits

• Reimbursement of your professional registration fees.
• Professional indemnity insurance is covered by Health NZ.
• Time and funding for Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
• If eligible, at least a 3% superannuation contribution from Health New Zealand.
• 12 paid public holidays, plus time in lieu or an alternative holiday if rostered on.

Collective agreement

Occupational Therapists working at Health NZ are employed under the terms of the:

1. Occupational Therapists Multi-Employer Collective Agreement (MECA) between Health NZ and APEX, or
2. Allied Health, Scientific and Technical Multi-Employer Collective Agreement (MECA) between Health NZ and PSA.

These agreements outline pay, conditions and entitlements and are available on the Health New Zealand website.

Employment agreements — Health NZexternal link

Career development opportunities

• Access to internal educational courses and support for Continuous Professional Development
• Coaching, mentoring and achieving learning outcomes for all staff.

Roles and responsibilities

Occupational Therapists play a vital role in supporting patients to overcome physical, cognitive and environmental challenges that affect their daily functioning. Their responsibilities may include:

• evaluating patients’ needs across physical, cognitive and environmental domains to identify barriers to independence and participation
• designing and implementing personalised interventions aimed at restoring skills and promoting autonomy
• leading rehabilitation programmes to support recovery from injury, illness or trauma
• supporting patients’ mental health by teaching coping strategies to manage stress, anxiety and trauma
• educating patients and their caregivers on self-care techniques and prevention strategies
• collaborating closely with doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals to deliver holistic, patient-centred care.

Clinical settings

Occupational Therapy practice varies depending on the clinical setting. Our services cover a broad range of environments, including:

• inpatient hospital care, including emergency department and intensive care
• paediatrics
• neurosciences
• stroke rehabilitation
• trauma and orthopaedics
• hand therapy
• burns and plastics
• older persons’ health
• community-based rehabilitation services
• vocational rehabilitation
• mental health services.

Additional responsibilities

Additional responsibilities may include the following.

• Applying an understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and incorporating its principles into practice.
• Engaging with local communities to improve health outcomes and equity.
• Assessing and enabling patients at various stages of their health journey.
• Working effectively with patients from diverse social and cultural backgrounds, collaborating with whānau and the wider multidisciplinary team to achieve the best outcomes.
• Identifying opportunities for service improvement and contributing actively to quality initiatives.

Occupational Therapist qualification

You must hold an approved qualification in occupational therapy. Common pathways include:

• a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy or equivalent qualification from a New Zealand institution
• an overseas qualification assessed as equivalent to New Zealand standards by the Occupational Therapy Board of New Zealand (OTBNZ)

Registration with the Occupational Therapy Board of New Zealand (OTBNZ)

All Occupational Therapists must be registered with the OTBNZ to practise legally in New Zealand.

Applicants need to submit proof of their qualifications, identification, and evidence of fitness to practise.

Occupational Therapy Board of New Zealandexternal link

Annual practising certificate (APC)

To work as an Occupational Therapist, you must hold a valid Annual Practising Certificate (APC), renewed each year.

To maintain your APC, you must:

• provide evidence of ongoing competence
• participate in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activities.

Information for international candidates

Internationally qualified Occupational Therapists include practitioners who hold a recognised overseas occupational therapy qualification and:

• have at least 2 years of relevant post-qualification experience
• are registered and in good standing with a recognised overseas regulatory authority.

Applicants with less than 2 years' experience can still apply. Their application will be assessed by the Occupational Therapy Board of New Zealand, which may include a Competency Assessment Programme.

All other overseas qualifications are assessed case-by-case basis to determine if the applicant meets the OTBNZ registration requirements. Qualifications are assessed against the Board’s standards. Learn more about registration on the OTBNZ website.

Registration — OTBNZexternal link

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