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Catawba
Hickory, North Carolina

Physical Therapy Assistant / Acute PT,OT,ST Therapies / PRN / Day

Physical TherapistPer Diem

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting

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

Ask the employer about the pay range, the work setting, call expectations and time off.

Posted 1mo ago · Verified live

Job Description

Summary of Performance Expectations.

Under the supervision of a Licensed Physical Therapist, implements physical therapy treatments. Coordinates treatment with interdisciplinary team and helps to maximize patient outcomes. Provides clinical information to the Licensed Physical Therapist regarding patient response to treatment and the need for adjustments to the treatment plan.

Education and Credentials

Required

Completion of an accredited program for Physical Therapy Assistants. Current NC PTA license or licensure from a compact state. BCLS for healthcare providers or completion of BCLS from the American Heart Association within three months of employment date.

Preferred

Work Experience

Required

No previous experience required. Given training and on-the-job experience, incumbent should be proficient in the basic aspects of the job within three months of employment date.

Preferred

One-year experience

About Catawba Valley Medical Center

Comprehensive, Accessible Healthcare Services in the Catawba Valley

As the region’s largest not-for-profit community hospital, we exist to heal and comfort patients, to promote and foster a healthier community, and to ensure access to healthcare to all who need it - regardless of ability to pay. With a wide array of medical specialties, our skilled nurses and providers are trained to treat virtually any type of injury or illness, providing high-quality, easily accessible healthcare close to home.

Our Mission

Exceptional Healthcare. Every Person. Every Time.

At A Glance

  • Region’s only level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
  • Women’s Choice Award winner for America’s Best 100 Hospitals for Patient Experience for six consecutive years
  • American College of Surgeons Accredited Comprehensive Community Cancer Center

High Level of Technical Care from Medical Experts

Catawba Valley Medical Center offers a wide range of services from experienced medical specialists capable of addressing virtually any healthcare concern. Our current hospital holds 258 beds and serves the five-county Hickory area. Through our skilled medical practitioners and our highly trained staff, we strive to provide the highest level of medical expertise using the latest, state-of-the-art technology available.

One of our goals at Catawba Valley Medical Center is to provide seamless care between your primary care provider and our hospital. Being a part of a vast healthcare network allows for easier and more efficient communication between local physicians, medical specialists and our hospital.

No one should have to travel far for the expert level medical treatment they need. We work with a plethora of medical specialists capable of diagnosing, treating and operating on a wide variety of conditions.

Key Responsibilities

Implements physical therapy treatments under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist. Coordinates care with an interdisciplinary team to maximize patient outcomes and provides clinical feedback on patient progress.

Requirements

Requires completion of an accredited physical therapy assistant program and a current North Carolina PTA license. Candidates must hold or obtain BCLS certification for healthcare providers.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure

Key Skills

Patient treatmentInterdisciplinary collaborationClinical documentation

Physical Therapist Career Context

In North Carolina, the Physical Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$90k (583 salary observations; 1,827 listings), vs ~$94k nationally (14,786 salary observations; 56,355 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 North Carolina is 94.3 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 59.2% of North Carolina clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top contract/1099 PTA Jobs

10 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution8 jobs · 7 employers

4
<$75k
1
$79k
2
$85k-95k
1
$96k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks10 jobs · 7 employers

401k / retirement match
100%
Sign-on bonus
80%
CME allowance
60%
Relocation assistance
20%
Loan repayment
10%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Physical Therapist Assistant (Inpatient) - Acute Rehab Therapies (Full-Time, Days)

Enloe Health · Chico, California

$34.02-$45.93/hr
#2

Home Health Physical Therapist Assistant

Center Well · Peachtree City, Georgia

$64k-$88k
#3

Physical Therapist Assistant (FT)

$38-$42/hr
#4

Physical Therapist Assistant - Licensed PTA

$30-$38/hr
+ 8 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 4.8this job 3.0
Better work-life than 20% of Physical Therapist Assistant listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 4,946 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in Hickory

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$292k
Typical market rent
$1,531/mo
Residents’ average commute
21 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
88.5
State income tax
Up to 4.8%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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