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Kaiser Permanente
San Diego, California

Inpatient Physical Therapist

Physical TherapistIncludes weekendsFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

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

Posted 1mo ago · Verified live

Job Description

Responsible for the physical therapy management of patients. Will report to Director, Assistant Director and/or Clinical Supervisor.

Essential Responsibilities

Evaluates patients and interprets examination findings to determine the nature and extent of dysfunction relative to persons limited by medical problems, birth defects, or health related conditions to restore their abilities to move and perform functional activities in their daily lives. Performs clinical testing to determine muscle strength, reflexes, sensation, coordination, range of motion, and other sensory motor skills while performing clinical analysis and treatment of postural, gait, and ADL disorders.

  • Establishes plan of care to achieve established goals relative to age, medical history and dysfunction.
  • Administers or prescribes modalities and other physical agents.
  • Administers or prescribes exercise programs/development of patient care programs.

Demonstrates professional competence and clinical reasoning in assessing patients condition at the onset and through all phases of skilled physical therapy.

Routinely takes usual and special precautions relative to the age, medical history and condition of the patient, and the type of treatment being given.

Regularly reassesses clinical signs and symptoms to determine effectiveness of treatment, progression towards goals, and the need for modification of treatment and/or goals.

  • Implements the treatment program through direct treatment of the patient.
  • May delegate a portion of the treatment plan to appropriate supportive personnel.
  • Coordinates the treatment plan and participates in discharge planning with other health care personnel as appropriate.
  • May participate in relevant patient care rounds and case management conferences.
  • Provides advice and education to patient and family.

Discharges patients from physical therapy services when skilled therapy is no longer medically necessary and when clinically appropriate.

Upholds Kaiser Permanentes Policies and Procedures, Principles of Responsibilities and applicable state, federal and local laws.

Follows department guidelines on cleanliness of assigned areas and reports non-functioning of patient care equipment by following department equipment maintenance policies and procedures.

Provides accurate and timely documentation of physical therapy services provided per State and Federal requirements and relevant medical group policies and guidelines.

  • Works in partnership with Management to complete all mandatory compliance requirements
  • May be required to be trained to cover a diverse population of patients depending on local medical center need.
  • May be involved in the clinical competency of PT Assistants and PT Aides.

Adequately supervises PT assistants and PT aides when patient related and non-patient related tasks are delegated to them.

Demonstrates internal and external customer service at all times and behaves in accordance with Principles of Responsibility.

Basic Qualifications

  • Experience
  • N/A

Education

Completion of an accredited PT training program with a Bachelors, Masters, or Doctorate degree in Physical Therapy.

  • License, Certification, Registration
  • Physical Therapist License (California) required at hire OR Physical Therapist License - Applicant (California) required at hire
  • Physical Therapist License (California) within 4 months of hire
  • Basic Life Support required at hire from American Heart Association
  • National Provider Identifier required at hire

Additional Requirements

Must be able to work in a Labor/Management Partnership environment.

Preferred Qualifications

Member APTA

Notes

  • 8 hour shifts
  • Up to 5 hospital weekend shifts/month.
  • Minor and Major Holiday commitment.
  • Schedule may change based on operational need.

Key Responsibilities

The physical therapist evaluates patients, establishes individualized treatment plans, and implements therapy to restore functional movement and daily living abilities. They also coordinate care with other healthcare personnel, provide patient education, and supervise supportive staff.

Requirements

Candidates must have completed an accredited physical therapy program and hold or be eligible for a California Physical Therapist license. Basic Life Support certification from the American Heart Association is also required at the time of hire.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure

Certifications

BLS

Key Skills

Patient evaluationTreatment planningGait analysisExercise prescriptionSupervision

Physical Therapist Career Context

Of the 50 active Physical Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 8% are remote, 42% have no call, 60% require no weekends.

In California, the Physical Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$116k (1,517 salary observations; 3,892 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 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 Distribution50 jobs · 36 employers

19
<$120k
8
$120k-140k
12
$140k-160k
8
$160k-180k
3
$180k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks39 jobs · 36 employers

401k / retirement match
85% this job
CME allowance
59%
Sign-on bonus
49%
Relocation assistance
15%
Loan repayment
13%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Physical Therapist (PT) - School BasedContract

Genesis Administrative Services · New Hyde Park, New York

$90.00 /Hr
#2

Outpatient Physical Therapist II

Sutter Health · Antioch, California

$63.78-$89.28/hr
#3

Physical Therapist, Home Health

$64.42-$86.55/hr
#4

Home Health Physical Therapist - $5k Sign On Bonus!

$55.42-$86.03/hr
+ 48 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 4.8this job 3.0
Better work-life than 30% of Physical Therapy listings

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

  • Includes weekends

Living in San Diego

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$1.01M
Typical market rent
$3,036/mo
Residents’ average commute
24 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
111.9
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.

BEA 2024 · San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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

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About Kaiser Permanente

Medical Practices
Oakland, California
51-200 employees

Benefits & Perks

Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
Retirement Plan
Paid Time Off