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Erlanger Health System
Chattanooga, Tennessee

Physical Therapist Assista

Physical TherapistNo callNo weekendsFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the pay range, the work setting, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 4mo ago

Job Description

A licensed physical therapist assistant employed by Erlanger Health System, is responsible for direct and indirect care in the rehabilitation of the patient.

Education

Required: Associate's degree in physical therapy assistant

Preferred

Experience

Required: Knowledge of general physical therapy principles and practical skills.

Preferred

  • Position Requirement(s): License/Certification/Registration
  • Required: Physical Therapy Assistant licensure in Tennessee
  • BLS completed prior to going to the unit/ department and maintained going forward

Completion of 8 hours of education specific to Total Ankle, Hip and Knee Replacement (if assigned to that unit)

Completion of 4 of these hours as Erlanger Online Education upon hire (EOLs and other training will be assigned by Department Leadership and /or Educator).

Preferred

Department Position Summary

Provides patient care treatments following the written treatment plan of the Physical Therapist. Teaches appropriate exercise programs, bed mobility, transfers. Provides appropriate wound care and debridement. Issues appropriate assistive devices when necessary. Participates in team meetings and discharge planning.

Educates patients and their families in the patient's treatment program. Maintains accurate written reports. Maintains standards as set down by the American Physical Therapy Association regarding treatment procedures and professional ethics. Participates in continuing education programs.

Participates in community education. Acts as clinical instructor for PTA students. Participates in the Continuous Quality Improvement efforts of the department and the Medical Director.

Key Responsibilities

Provides direct and indirect patient care and rehabilitation treatments following a Physical Therapist's written plan. Responsibilities include teaching exercise programs, managing wound care, and educating patients and their families.

Requirements

Requires an Associate's degree in physical therapy assistant and a valid Tennessee PTA license. Candidates must also have BLS certification and complete specific education for joint replacements if assigned to those units.

Qualifications

Education
Associate degree

Key Skills

Exercise ProgrammingPatient TransfersClinical Instruction

Physical Therapist Career Context

Of the 50 active Physical Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 58% have no call, 58% require no weekends.

In Tennessee, the Physical Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$85k (299 salary observations; 1,476 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 Tennessee is 91.9 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 58.6% of Tennessee clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Physical Therapist Assista at Erlanger Health System 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. Contributing factors include no on-call duties, no weekend requirements.

Location & Logistics

Tennessee has no state income tax, which can significantly increase take-home pay compared to high-tax states.

Top Physical Therapist Jobs

37 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution31 jobs · 24 employers

11
<$100k
10
$100k-110k
7
$110k-120k
1
$125k
2
$140k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks34 jobs · 24 employers

401k / retirement match
94%
CME allowance
74% this job
Sign-on bonus
56%
Loan repayment
35%
Relocation assistance
12%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Physical Therapist - Studio City

Myo · Los Angeles, California

$90k-$140k
#2

Physical Therapist - West Hollywood

Myo · West Hollywood, California

$90k-$140k
#3

Physical Therapist Home Health

$109k – $125k
#4

Physical Therapist - Bardonia, NY

$75k-$115k
+ 35 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.

  • No call
  • No weekends

Living in Chattanooga

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$327k
Typical market rent
$1,513/mo
Residents’ average commute
19 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
91.5
State income tax
None
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Chattanooga, TN-GA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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