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Ernest Health
Jacksonville, Florida

Physical Therapist Assistant - Per Diem

Physical Therapist AssistantPer 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 8m ago · Verified live

Job Description

Physical Therapist Assistant - Per Diem - Jacksonville, FL.

Duval Regional Rehabilitation Hospital at Jacksonville (Jacksonville, FL) is a modern, 48-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital serving the greater Jacksonville area.

The facility is dedicated to helping patients regain independence following serious illness or injury through individualized rehabilitation programs led by experienced clinical teams. Services include physical, occupational, and speech therapy supported by advanced medical oversight.

Located in one of Florida’s fastest-growing healthcare markets, the hospital offers a collaborative care environment and serves as a vital step in the continuum of care for patients transitioning from acute hospitalization to home.

We are seeking a Per Diem Physical Therapist Assistant to join our team of passionate patient caregivers!

As a participating hospital of Ernest Health, we offer robust recognition, wellness, and retention programs. These programs focus to enhance the employees’ work experience, recognize, and celebrate achievements.

We also encourage employees to share their work experience through “My Ernest Journey” and through our Engagement Survey, where our approach is “You Spoke, We Listened”. These platforms provide additional avenues for employees to give feedback about their work experience and share what is important to them.

Qualifications

Required Skills

  • Current and valid licensure as a Physical Therapist Assistant required.
  • Basic Life Support/CPR Certification from an approved vendor required.
  • One year of direct patient care experience in a hospital setting preferred.

Additional Qualifications/Skills

  • Knowledge of clinical operations and procedures.
  • Demonstrates an understanding of treatment costs and financial support as they relate to quality and efficiency.
  • Demonstrates competency in the provision of care according to established standards
  • Demonstrates appropriate application of age specific standards, policies and procedures and guidelines in caring for pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric patients
  • Demonstrates general computer skills including: data entry, word processing, email, and record management.
  • Leadership skills in delegating, organizing, and educating coworkers and staff.
  • Effective organizational and time management skills.
  • Effective written and verbal communication skills.
  • Ability to maintain proper levels of confidentiality.
  • Ability to work closely and professionally with others.
  • Ability to maintain quality, safety, and/or infection control standards.

Responsibilities

Under the direction of a physical therapist, may be involved in implementing treatment plans with patients. Performs components of physical therapy procedures and related tasks selected by a supervising physical therapist. Records the patient's responses to treatment and reports to the physical therapist the outcome of each treatment. Integrates the hospital’s mission and “Guiding Principles” into daily practice.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure

Certifications

BLS

Key Skills

Treatment planningSafety standardsDelegation

Physical Therapist Career Context

The cost-of-living index for Florida is 103.4 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 58.1% of Florida clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Physical Therapy pay on WeekdayDoc is up 1.5% vs. the prior quarter (through Oct 2026).

What does the Physical Therapy market look like in Florida?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Cost of livingFlorida index 103.4US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Physical Therapy listings in Florida1,377 active22,052 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedFlorida physical therapist listings (all specialties): 21% state a sign-on bonus (median $10k) · 10% offer loan repayment1,000 active listings, Nov 2026
New Physical Therapy listings7,996 in the last 30 days4,462 the 30 days before (+79%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Physical Therapy pay trend+1.5% vs prior quarter—through Oct 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Location & Logistics

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

Top contract/1099 PTA Jobs

15 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

9 jobs
1
$62k
5
$70k-80k
3
$80k-90k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

13 jobs · 11 employers
401k / retirement match
100%
CME allowance
85%
Sign-on bonus
8%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA)

EmpowerMe Wellness · Carlsbad, California

$34-$42/hr
#2

Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) - full-time

BJC HealthCare · Florissant, Missouri

$24.71-$41.03/hr
#3

Physical Therapist Assistant | Adult Rehabilitation

$26.74-$40.11/hr
#4

Physical Therapist Assistant

$32-$38/hr
+ 13 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.

Ernest Health logo

About Ernest Health

Hospitals and Health Care
Mesquite, Texas
501-1,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Recognition, wellness, and retention programs
Employee engagement survey and feedback channels
Collaborative Practice Agreement Required

Living in Jacksonville

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$270k
Typical market rent
$1,589/mo
Residents’ average commute
24 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
99.5
State income tax
None
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Jacksonville, FL metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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