Certified hand therapists, OTs, and PTs
Hand therapist jobs, discussed in private
Hand therapy openings rarely show up as a clean listing. If you are a certified hand therapist, or an occupational or physical therapist who already treats the hand and upper extremity, you can talk through what is open without your current employer knowing.
The first call is private. A résumé is not required. There is no charge to you.
Why certified hand therapist roles are scarce
The credential is a narrow gate, and the federal occupation tables do not list hand therapists at all.
To sit for the Certified Hand Therapist exam, the Hand Therapy Certification Commission (opens in a new tab) requires an active occupational therapy or physical therapy credential, at least three years of practice, and 4,000 hours of direct hand-therapy practice. Those hours are patient care. Administration, teaching, research, and time as a student or under a temporary license do not count. Assistants are not eligible.
HTCC’s 2022 position statement on orthotics states that there are over 7,000 certified hand therapists practicing throughout the world. That is a worldwide credential count from 2022, not a current count of open jobs in the United States. Read the HTCC statement (PDF) (opens in a new tab).
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics counted about 169,600 occupational therapist jobs in 2025. It publishes physical therapist employment separately. It does not publish a hand-therapist or certified hand therapist occupation, so these openings are mixed into general OT and PT listings or never posted. Occupational therapists, Occupational Outlook Handbook (opens in a new tab) · Physical therapists, Occupational Outlook Handbook (opens in a new tab).
HTCC also notes that many employers prefer to hire a certified hand therapist, and that some will hire an OT or PT and train them. The work sits in hand surgery and orthopedic practices, hospital hand clinics, and outpatient groups with an upper-extremity caseload. A lot of those seats are filled by a direct conversation.
What to ask before you consider a move
The useful differences are the surgeons, the day, and the time you have for custom work.
- Surgeon partnership: how closely you work with the hand surgeons, and how referrals and protocols are shared.
- Caseload: patients per day, visit length, and the mix of post-operative, trauma, and conservative care.
- Custom orthoses: whether fabrication time and supplies are protected on the schedule.
- Mentorship: other certified hand therapists on the team, and support if you are working toward the credential.
- Setting: an orthopedic or plastic surgery practice, a hospital hand clinic, or an outpatient therapy group.
We do not publish a certified hand therapist salary on this page. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not separate that credential from other occupational therapists and physical therapists, and we will not invent a number.
How we represent passive clinicians
You stay employed and unnamed until you decide otherwise.
Most of the hand therapists worth talking to are in the middle of a full caseload. A first call is about the work you want next: the surgeons, the schedule, and whether a move is worth it. It is not an application.
- Your current employer is not contacted.
- Your name and résumé are not shared with any practice unless you agree.
- You can be specific. If only one kind of role is worth a look, say so.
- A résumé can wait. Send one later if you want us to keep you in mind.
Book a confidential career call
Pick a time below. The conversation is for clinicians. Tell us you are a certified hand therapist or that your caseload is hand and upper extremity, and what would make a role worth a look.
For practices
This calendar is for clinicians. If you are hiring a hand therapist, use the employer hiring guide. It is separate from this page, and it does not name a candidate.
If the calendar does not load, open the confidential career calendar (opens in a new tab). It is the same booking page.
Prefer to write first?
Use the confidential résumé form already on the site.
A résumé is not required before the call. If you would rather send a note first, the form collects your background and keeps it private. We do not share it with a practice unless you agree. In the note, say that you are a certified hand therapist or that your caseload is hand and upper extremity.
Send a confidential noteQuestions clinicians ask first
Do I need the CHT credential to talk about a hand therapy job?
No. The Hand Therapy Certification Commission certifies occupational therapists and physical therapists who meet its rules and pass the exam. Clinics also hire OTs and PTs who already treat the hand and upper extremity and are working toward that credential. You can book a call either way.
Will my current employer find out I spoke with you?
No. The call is confidential. Engaged Headhunters does not contact your current employer. We do not share your name or résumé with any practice unless you agree.
Why are certified hand therapist openings hard to find?
The credential is specific, and national labor statistics do not list hand therapists as their own occupation. HTCC requires an active OT or PT credential, at least three years of practice, and 4,000 hours of direct hand-therapy practice before the exam. These roles are often folded into general therapy listings or filled through a private conversation.
What should I ask before I consider a hand therapy role?
Ask how closely you would work with the surgeons, how many patients are on a day, whether visits are one-to-one, the mix of post-operative and conservative care, and whether time for custom orthoses is on the schedule. If you are working toward the CHT credential, ask whether other certified hand therapists are on the team.
Is hand therapy only for occupational therapists?
No. HTCC eligibility is for occupational therapists and physical therapists. Occupational therapy assistants and physical therapist assistants are not eligible for the CHT exam. This page is for OTs and PTs who treat the hand and upper extremity, including those who already hold the credential.
Related pages
- What to compare in a hand therapy roleSurgeon partnership, caseload, custom work, and how pay is usually structured.
- Send a confidential noteThe existing résumé form. A résumé is not required before the first call.
- Occupational therapist recruitingFor OTs whose work is broader than a hand caseload.
- Physical therapist recruitingFor PTs comparing outpatient and specialty practice.
- Employer guide: hiring a certified hand therapistWritten for practices. It is not a candidate job posting.
- How we protect a confidential searchWhat stays private, and what we share only with your permission.