Physical Therapist (PT) - School-Based Pediatric, Dalton GA

Physical TherapistContract

Listed compensation

$72-$88/hr

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 1mo ago

Job Description

Position Overview

CLF Consultants LLC seeks a Georgia-licensed Physical Therapist (PT) with pediatric experience to deliver IEP-driven physical therapy to students ages 3 through 21 across Whitfield County School System sites in Dalton, Georgia. The role supports students with mobility, gross motor, postural, gait, and functional movement needs identified through Individualized Education Programs.

The PT joins a multi-discipline contracted team aligned with Whitfield County's Special Education department. Caseloads run approximately 55-65 students per direct-service discipline; assignment volumes vary by service model, campus distribution, and IEP changes across the school year.

CLFC works with the Whitfield County Special Education department to balance caseloads, cluster campuses to minimize drive time between schools, and rotate coverage as needed. The 8-hour billable workday is anchored to student school hours; service delivery is in-person preferred.

Whitfield County provides instructional materials, computers, printers, and evaluation toolkits, with district-level support for adaptive equipment coordination.

Key Responsibilities

Deliver physical therapy services in accordance with each student's IEP

Conduct evaluations, re-evaluations, and progress assessments tied to IEP goals - gait, balance, transfers, mobility, postural control, and access to the school environment

Develop and implement individualized intervention plans focused on functional school-based outcomes, with autonomy in clinical decision-making and treatment planning

Produce service-delivery logs matching each student's IEP service hours, in compliance with Medicaid billing documentation standards

Attend IEP meetings during the 8-hour school day as scheduled, contributing PT findings, treatment progress data, and goal recommendations to the IEP team

Recommend adaptive equipment, mobility devices, orthotics, and classroom accommodations, with district-level support for equipment coordination through CLFC and Whitfield County Special Education

Required Qualifications

  • Active Georgia license for Physical Therapy in good standing
  • Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) or Master's degree in Physical Therapy from a CAPTE-accredited program
  • Current CPR / Basic Life Support (BLS) certification
  • Demonstrated experience providing school-based or pediatric physical therapy to students ages 3-21
  • Working knowledge of IEP development, IDEA compliance, and special education service delivery standards
  • Successful completion of background check per Whitfield County School System and Georgia Department of Education requirements
  • Reliable transportation to multiple school sites within Whitfield County

Strongly Preferred Qualifications

Pediatric Specialist Certification (PCS) through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS) - eligible for the PCS specialty differential (see compensation details)

PCS-track clinicians actively pursuing ABPTS Pediatric Specialist Certification - eligible for development-tier engagement (see compensation details)

Three or more years of K-12 school-based or pediatric PT experience

Specialty training in neurodevelopmental treatment (NDT), pediatric mobility, adaptive seating/equipment, or orthotic/prosthetic management

Experience with cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, autism spectrum, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, and similar pediatric populations

Compensation

Hourly base range: $72.00 - $82.00 per hour for experienced school-based pediatric PTs (independent contractor / 1099)

PCS specialty differential: +$3.00 - $6.00 per hour for ABPTS Pediatric Specialist Certified clinicians, with combined ceiling up to $88.00 per hour

PCS-track development tier: PT clinicians actively pursuing PCS certification are eligible for a $2.00 - $4.00 per hour development differential during their certification track, recognizing their commitment to pediatric specialty advancement

  • Bilingual differential (Spanish/English): +$2.00 - $4.00 per hour
  • Bi-weekly pay frequency per CLFC standard contractor terms

Position Reference: 01CLFCS005 - Please use this reference in all correspondence and document submissions for this position.

About CLF Consultants LLC

CLF Consultants LLC (DBA: CLFC Healthcare and Communications) is a federal, state, and local government services prime contractor delivering healthcare staffing and language access services nationwide. Our network of 500+ healthcare professionals and 200+ interpreters supports federal, state, and local agencies. Equal Opportunity Employer.

Requirements

Candidates must hold an active Georgia Physical Therapy license and a DPT or Master's degree from a CAPTE-accredited program. Experience in pediatric or school-based physical therapy and current CPR/BLS certification are required.

Qualifications

Education
Doctoral or professional degree (postgraduate degree)
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Gait analysisFunctional movement assessmentOrthotic management

Pediatrics — Physical Therapist Career Context

In Georgia, the Physical Therapist weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$89k (490 salary observations; 2,352 listings), vs ~$94k nationally (12,884 salary observations; 63,735 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2026-01-01 through 2026-10-01; these are not the modal's selected comparable-job medians.

Of the 50 active Physical Therapist listings this role was benchmarked against, 2% are remote, 46% have no call, 60% require no weekends.

Physical Therapist by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$150k–$183kPhysical Therapist median $66k (middle half $60k–$71k)12 comparable listings, Oct 2026
Georgia vs national$89k median in Georgia$94k nationally (−5%)490 state / 12,884 national salary observations
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$173k in purchasing powerGeorgia index 96.3 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Physical Therapist listings in Georgia924 active22,909 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Oct 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 2% remote · 46% no call · 60% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedGeorgia Physical Therapist listings: 36% state a sign-on bonus (median $20k) · 30% offer loan repayment924 active listings, Oct 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Oct 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Top contract/1099 Physical Therapist Jobs

35 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

35 jobs · 24 employers
16
<$105k
9
$105k-120k
5
$120k-135k
2
$135k-150k
3
$150k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

32 jobs · 24 employers
401k / retirement match
100%
Sign-on bonus
53%
CME allowance
53%
Loan repayment
28%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Home Health Physical Therapist - Berkeley/Richmond

CVHCare · Berkeley, CA, United States

$150k
#2

Home Health Physical Therapist - GlendalePer Diem

CVHCare · Glendale, California

$150k
#3

Home Health Physical Therapist - Hayward

$150k
#4

Physical Therapist Director-Outpatient Ortho

$125k-$140k
+ 33 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 4.8this job 3.0
Better work-life than 20% of Pediatrics (Physical Therapy) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 459 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

CLFC Healthcare and Communications logo

About CLFC Healthcare and Communications

Hospitals and Health Care
Arlington, Virginia

Benefits & Perks

Independent Contractor (1099)
PCS Specialty Differential (+$3-$6/hr, ceiling $88/hr)
PCS-Track Development Differential (+$2-$4/hr)
Bilingual Differential (+$2-$4/hr)
Bi-weekly Pay

Living in Dalton

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$250k
Typical market rent
$1,451/mo
Residents’ average commute
18 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
89.8
State income tax
Up to 5.8%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Sep 2026), Zillow market rents (Sep 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

BEA 2024 · Dalton, GA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.