Inpatient Physical Therapist - Per Diem

Physical TherapistPer Diem

Listed compensation

$64/hour

Listing transparency1 of 6 stated

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

Employment & setting
Per Diem
Call expectations
Not specified
Weekends
Not specified
Posted 5mo ago · Verified live

Job Description

Bargaining Unit: Non Represented

Rate of Pay: $64.35/hour + DOE (Base Pay of $57.20 includes 12.5% per diem premium)

Summary

Under the direct supervision of the manager, the Physical Therapist (PT) is responsible for providing patient care services consisting of evaluation and implementation of modalities and treatments in accordance with established departmental policies and procedures and as indicated by licensing agencies in the State of practice (CA/NV). The Physical Therapist is committed to providing high quality health care services and to accommodating to the changing needs of the various communities that Tahoe Forest Hospital serves.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

  • Organizes and conducts medically prescribed Physical Therapy programs.
  • Effectively utilizes appropriate resources to ensure sensitive, personal care to individuals who require physical therapy services.
  • Plans and performs individualized therapy programs for each patient, which includes but is not limited to the use of modalities, soft tissue massage/mobilization, traction, therapeutic exercise, manual techniques and home programs.
  • Collaborates with other team members and services in the hospital to assure that services and activities can be properly maintained to meet the needs of the patients.
  • Applies diagnostic and prognostic muscle, joint and functional ability tests.
  • Evaluates, records, and reports patient progress for review.
  • Assures that patients and visitors follow established policies and procedures at all times.
  • Interprets physical therapy policies and procedures to patients and family members, as necessary.
  • Participates in peer feedback to improve performance of line of service.
  • Clinician will practice fiscal responsibility and strive to maintain minimum targeted key performance indicators as set by Director of Therapy and Clinical Manager of department.
  • Extends courtesy and consideration to others in interpersonal relationships.
  • Demonstrates a professional manner in the workplace at all times.
  • Seeks clarification of duties when needed.
  • Channels suggestions, criticisms, and questions to appropriate personnel.
  • Participates in the Quality Improvement process and Quality Assurance (QA) audit program.
  • Participates in staff meetings or reviews meeting minutes if not present.
  • Follows standard operational workflows established for the department (includes preferred communication methods to other staff members, EPIC documentation requirements, and patient scheduling).
  • Establishes good rapport with all team members, patients and other health care providers.
  • Instructs, motivates and assists patients to perform physical activities which may require assistive devices.
  • Instructs family and patients in patient education and home programs, and appropriately documents such.
  • PT will participate in activities to meet the health needs of people locally, nationally, or globally as recommended by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) code of ethics.
  • Demonstrates System Values in performance and behavior.
  • Complies with System policies and procedures.
  • Other duties as may be assigned.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Supervisory Responsibilities

No supervisory responsibilities.

Minimum Education and Experience

Bachelor's Degree of Physical Therapy from an accredited physical therapy program, be licensed to practice and pass the National Physical Therapy Examination administered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy(FSBPT.) - see qualification for new graduate below.

Required Licenses and Certifications

Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers - Upon Hire

BLS: Employee will be enrolled in the Resuscitation Quality Improvement (RQI) Basic Life Support (BLS) Entry or Prep Curriculum (depending on their previous BLS certification). - Within 3 months of being hire into job

Other Experience/Qualifications

Required

  • California Physical Therapy license if practicing in California
  • Nevada Physical Therapy license if practicing in Nevada
  • Bachelors or Certificate degree from an accredited Physical Therapy Program
  • Approved and authorized "Graduate of Physical Therapy" (if applying for licensure in Nevada) or Physical Therapy Licensed Applicant (if applying for licensure in California) eligible to work under direct supervision of a supervising Physical Therapist, as dictated by the Physical Therapy State Board of California or Nevada. The applicant will need verification of meeting the guidelines as dictated by the state licensing board of CA or NV in order to be cleared to work as a Graduate of Physical Therapy or Physical Therapy Licensed Applicant

Preferred

  • Masters or Doctorate Degree from an accredited Physical Therapy Program

Key Responsibilities

The Physical Therapist is responsible for evaluating and implementing individualized therapy programs for patients in an inpatient setting. They collaborate with the healthcare team to ensure high-quality care while maintaining accurate documentation and adhering to departmental policies.

Qualifications

Education
Bachelor degree

Key Skills

Patient evaluationSoft tissue mobilizationClinical assessmentFunctional ability testingInterpersonal skills

Physical Therapist Career Context

In California, the Physical Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$117k (469 salary observations; 1,117 listings), vs ~$93k nationally (4,705 salary observations; 16,929 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2026-01-01 through 2026-09-01; these are not the modal's selected comparable-job medians.

Of the 50 active Physical Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 12% are remote, 30% have no call, 72% require no weekends.

Physical Therapy pay on WeekdayDoc is down 3.3% vs. the prior quarter (through Aug 2026).

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Physical Therapist Jobs

50 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution34 jobs · 33 employers

5
<$105k
3
$105k-130k
13
$130k-155k
13
$155k-180k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks31 jobs

401k / retirement match
65%
CME allowance
55%
Sign-on bonus
23%
Relocation assistance
10%
PSLF eligible
10%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Home Health Physical TherapistPer Diem

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$80-$110/hr
#2

Physical Therapist Acute CarePer Diem

Sutter Health · San Francisco, California

$63.78-$89.28/hr
#3

Physical Therapist II, Santa Cruz, Soquel, Per Diem

$63.78-$89.28/hr
#4

Physical Therapist, Per Diem, Evening

$52.62-$72.18/hr
+ 48 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 5.1this job 3.0
Higher than about 2 in 10 of 21,438 Physical Therapy listings

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