Occupational Therapist

U.S. Army Occupational Therapists have the strength to heal our Nation’s defenders

If you are a professional in the field of occupational therapy and want to combine your specialized skills with a desire to serve your country, a career as an Army Occupational Therapist might be the one for you.

Outstanding Opportunities

As an Occupational Therapist and officer in the U.S. Army care team, you’ll learn to use the latest technology to help Soldiers, and their families improve their physical health. As part of our multidisciplinary health care organization, you’ll gain the experience needed to take your career to the next level. U.S. Army Occupational Therapists may provide individualized treatment plans for Soldiers who are experiencing operational combat stress and injuries, as well as administering assessments of battlefield units to determine health statuses. To prepare you for your roles as an Army Occupational Therapist, the U.S. Army provides trainings, continued education programs, seminars and conferences to expose you to as many opportunities as possible during your time in the Army. If you decide to join the Army Reserve, you will be able to serve your country as needed while still supporting your community.

Whether you choose Active duty or Army Reserve, a career as an Army Occupational Therapist allows you to serve your nation in critical ways.

Outstanding Benefits

When you join the Army Medical Specialist Corps, you’ll be making a difference in the lives of our Soldiers and the country at large while gaining access to invaluable opportunities, like supporting humanitarian missions, leadership training and a competitive benefit package.

Benefits may include:

• Repayment of qualified education loans to lending institution, paid annually over a maximum of three years while serving
• Based on your field of concentration, you may be eligible for an accession bonus, paid over a four-year period while serving
• Full-tuition scholarship opportunity for a two-phase, occupational therapy graduate program, focused on academic, scientific research and clinical excellence
• Travel opportunities, to include humanitarian missions
• Up to 30 days of paid vacation earned annually
• Enrollment in a military retirement system that blends the traditional legacy retirement pension with a defined contribution to service members’ Thrift Savings Plan account
• No- to low-cost medical and dental care for you and your family
• Commissary and post exchange shopping privileges
• Specialized training to become a leader in medicine

Eligibility Requirements

• Must have a master’s or doctoral degree from an accredited Occupational Therapist program
• Foreign graduates may apply if they have a permanent certificate from the Educational Council of Foreign Medical Graduates
• Must have a current, unrestricted license to practice medicine in the United States, District of Columbia or Puerto Rico
• Must have a current state license to practice occupational therapy and current Nation Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT)
• Must have completed a training program in occupational therapy
• Be between the ages of 18 and 42 years old (waivers are on a case-by-case basis)
• Must be a U.S. citizen to serve Active Duty
• Must have a permanent U.S. residency for Army Reserve

Have questions or want more information?

To find out more information about becoming an Occupational Therapist in the U.S. Army, visit . You may also reach out to your local Army Healthcare Recruiter to learn how you can get started on your journey as an Army Occupational Therapist.