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Adventist Health
Bakersfield, California

Physical Therapist, Per Diem, Evening

Physical TherapistIncludes weekendsNo callNo nightsPer Diem

Listed compensation

$52.62-$72.18/hr

The week · per this posting

Ask the employer about the work setting, benefits and time off.

Posted 1mo ago

Job Description

Central to all that California has to offer, Adventist Health Bakersfield has been providing an extraordinary team of world-class physicians, top-notch medical technology, caring professionals and award-winning quality since 1910.

We are comprised of a 254-bed acute care hospital and 20 primary and specialty care medical offices. As one of America's fastest growing cities, Bakersfield offers affordable housing on the West Coast, beautiful weather, high-quality education and it is just a few hours away from Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks, the Central California Coast and Southern California's great sports, theaters, concerts and amusement parks.

Job Summary

Plans and conducts segments of treatment programs designed to restore and improve physical, social and mental functions, while meeting department objectives. Serves as co-leader in interdisciplinary approach to patient groups.

Job Requirements

Education and Work Experience

  • Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree: Required; only if obtained license on or after January 2016; or foreign equivalent.
  • Two years' Physical Therapy experience: Preferred

Licenses/Certifications

  • Physical Therapy licensure in state of practice: Required
  • Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) certification or Basic Life Support (BLS) certification from approved vendor per AH policy: Required

Facility Specific License/Certifications

  • Basic Life Support (BLS) certification from approved vendor per AH policy:

Required

Essential Functions

  • Completes evaluations to ensure quality standards and addresses assessment areas that require attention. Uses appropriate clinical techniques and tools and establishes individualized treatment plans for patients.
  • Provides therapy interventions using appropriate treatment protocols and techniques. Establishes individualized care and discharge plans and ensures plans are communicated to appropriate parties.
  • Completes comprehensive and accurate clinical documentation within established deadlines.
  • Supervises assigned assistants.
  • Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

Organizational Requirements

Adventist Health is committed to the safety and wellbeing of our associates and patients. Therefore, we require that all associates receive all required vaccinations as a condition of employment and annually thereafter, where applicable. Medical and religious exemptions may apply.

Adventist Health participates in E-Verify. Visit

adventisthealth.org for more information about

E-Verify. By choosing to apply, you acknowledge that you have accessed and read the E-Verify Participation and Right to Work notices and understand the contents therein.

Adventist Health is a faith-based, nonprofit, integrated health system serving more than 100 communities on the West Coast and Hawaii with over 440 sites of care, including 27 acute care facilities.

Founded on Adventist heritage and values, Adventist Health provides care in hospitals, clinics, home care, and hospice agencies in both rural and urban communities.

Our compassionate and talented team of more than 38,000 includes employees, physicians, Medical Staff, and volunteers driven in pursuit of one mission: living God's love by inspiring health, wholeness and hope.

Key Responsibilities

The physical therapist will conduct patient evaluations and develop individualized treatment plans to restore physical and mental functions. They will also provide therapy interventions, maintain accurate clinical documentation, and supervise assigned assistants.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree and possess a valid state physical therapy license. Additionally, current BLS or CPR certification is required, and two years of experience is preferred.

Qualifications

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

Key Skills

Patient evaluationTreatment planningSupervisionInterdisciplinary collaboration

Physical Therapist Career Context

Of the 50 active Physical Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 10% are remote, 40% have no call, 50% require no weekends.

In California, the Physical Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$116k (1,518 salary observations; 3,892 listings), vs ~$94k nationally (14,787 salary observations; 56,350 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, Evening at Adventist Health a 6.9 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the Above average in Physical Therapy — ranked against 22,005 active Physical Therapy listings on WeekdayDoc. Contributing factors include no on-call duties, no night shifts.

Top contract/1099 Physical Therapist Jobs

49 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution31 jobs

6
<$120k
5
$120k-140k
11
$140k-160k
8
$160k-180k
1
$180k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks30 jobs

401k / retirement match
77%
Sign-on bonus
43%
CME allowance
37%
Relocation assistance
10%

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 Care Physical Therapist- Independent Contractor (Union County)Contract

US Physical Therapy · Union County, New Jersey

$74-$95/hr
#3

Home Care Physical Therapist- Per Diem (Ocean County)

$72-$95/hr
#4

Physical Therapist Acute Care

$63.78-$89.28/hr
+ 47 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 4.8this job 6.9
Better work-life than 70% of Physical Therapy listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 22,005 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • No call
  • No nights
  • Includes weekends

Living in Bakersfield

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$357k
Typical market rent
$1,858/mo
Residents’ average commute
24 min
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

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

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