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Kern Medical
California

Physical Therapist - Per Diem - Physical Therapy Services - Shift

Physical TherapistPer Diem

Listed compensation

$71.18/hr

The week · per this posting

Schedule not stated in this posting — no days, weekends, call or nights given.

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

Posted 5mo ago · Verified live

Job Description

Position: Per Diem Physical Therapist - Shift

Kern Medical strives to recruit the highest quality candidates, resulting in a high performance workforce that consistently delivers quality patient care.

  • Per Diem employees supplement department staffing needs, with no guarantee of minimum hours.
  • Per Diem minimum scheduling expectation is four (4) shift per four week schedule.

Job Description

Under direction, to plan, implement and perform individual therapy programs for the physical rehabilitation of patients.

Compensation

The estimated pay for this position is $71.1760 per hour. This reflects only a portion of the total compensation package for this position. Additional compensation may be available for this role through differentials, incentives, and bonuses.

Distinguishing Characteristics

Physical Therapist is used exclusively at Kern Medical, and is included in the flexible classification of Pre-Registered Physical Therapist/Physical Therapist/Occupational Therapist.

Essential Functions

  • Consults with physicians regarding appropriate types and modalities of physical therapy;
  • Evaluates indications and contraindications of various types of physical therapy treatment with regard to the patient's diagnosis and other signs and symptoms; performs manual muscle testing; tests and records range of motion;
  • Plans physical therapy treatment routine;
  • Administers a wide variety of specialized physical therapy treatment and modalities;
  • Provides active, passive, assisted, resistive and postural exercises in isometric, isotonic and isokinetic modes;
  • Performs muscle training and re-education;
  • Provides crutch fitting and training;
  • Instructs patients in pain management, injury prevention, posture correction and body mechanics;
  • Supervises the work of Physical Therapy Aides;
  • Maintains records of services provided;
  • Oversees the preparation and submission of treatment authorization requests; assures that authorization for physical therapy has been obtained;
  • Participates in quality assurance program;
  • Participates in in-service training;
  • Maintains treatment areas and equipment in good working order;
  • Dependent upon area of practice or department assignments, demonstrates clinical;
  • Knowledge and skill in the care of the newborn, infant, toddler, child, adolescent, adult and geriatric patient ranging up to 100+ years of age.

Additional Duties

  • Assists in scheduling physical therapy services, and coordinating physical therapy with other types of therapy provided;
  • Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

Employment Standards

  • Graduation from an approved school of Physical Therapy;
  • Current licensure by the State of California as a Registered Physical Therapist;
  • Appointees not possessing the American Heart Association Provider Basic Life Support (BLS) card at time of hire must successfully complete appropriate training and qualify for the RQI Provider certification within 30 days of employment. As a continued condition of employment, employee must maintain RQI Provider certification and competency.
  • Employees must maintain all health requirements designated by Kern Medical;
  • Other unit specific certification may be required.

Knowledge Of

  • The principles and purposes of physical therapy;
  • Various types of physical therapy treatments and procedures;
  • Operation and care of various types of physical therapy equipment;
  • Human anatomy and physiology.

Ability To

  • Administer various types of physical therapy treatments and procedures;
  • Establish and maintain effective working relationships with allied health personnel;
  • Communicate effectively with patients; teach and supervise subordinate staff.

Supplemental

  • Employees must maintain all health requirements designated by Kern Medical;
  • Depending on assignment incumbents may be required to possess and maintain specific certificates of competency as a condition of employment;
  • A background check may be required for this classification.

All Kern Medical employees are designated “Disaster Service Workers”. In the event of a disaster or civil disorder, all Kern Medical employees are to remain at work or to report to work in a safe and practicable manner.

Key Responsibilities

Plan and implement individual physical rehabilitation programs for patients of all ages. Consult with physicians to administer specialized therapy modalities and supervise physical therapy aides.

Requirements

Must be a graduate of an approved Physical Therapy school and hold a current California state license as a Registered Physical Therapist. BLS certification is required within 30 days of hire.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Patient EvaluationRange Of Motion TestingPatient EducationClinical CareTreatment PlanningStaff Supervision

Physical Therapist Career Context

Of the 49 active Physical Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 8% are remote, 47% have no call, 43% require no weekends.

In California, the Physical Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$116k (1,541 salary observations; 3,957 listings), vs ~$94k nationally (15,018 salary observations; 57,383 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2026-01-01 through 2026-10-01; these are not the modal's selected comparable-job medians.

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).

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Physical Therapist - Per Diem - Physical Therapy Services - Shift at Kern Medical a 7.2 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as very good. This places the position in the top 10% in Physical Therapy — ranked against 22,180 active Physical Therapy listings on WeekdayDoc.

Top contract/1099 Physical Therapist Jobs

48 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution24 jobs

4
<$100k
0
$100k-120k
5
$120k-140k
14
$140k-160k
1
$166k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks32 jobs · 25 employers

401k / retirement match
88%
CME allowance
38%
Sign-on bonus
28%
Relocation assistance
13%
Loan repayment
6%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Home Health Physical TherapistPer Diem

Transition Care Telemetry · San Juan Capistrano, California

$80-$110/hr
#2

Home Health Physical Therapist (PT) – PRNPer Diem

Concierge Home Care · St. Cloud, Florida

$70-$100/hr
#3

Home Care Physical Therapist- Independent Contractor (Union County)

$74-$95/hr
#4

Home Care Physical Therapist- Per Diem (Ocean County)

$72-$95/hr
+ 46 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 4.8this job 7.2
Among the best 10% of Physical Therapy listings for work-life

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 22,180 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.