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UnitedHealth Group
Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Senior Living Physical Therapist Assistant Per Diem

Physical TherapistIncludes weekendsPer Diem

Listed compensation

$28-$42/hr

The week · per this posting

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 1h ago · Verified live

Job Description

Explore opportunities with LHC Group, a leading post-acute care partner for hospitals, physicians and families nationwide. As members of the Optum family of businesses, we are dedicated to helping people feel their best, including our team members who create meaningful connections with patients, their families, each other and the communities we serve. Find a home for your career here. Join us and embrace a culture of Caring. Connecting. Growing together.

As the Senior Living Physical Therapist Assistant you will provide provides age-appropriate services for adult to geriatric patients, under the direction and supervision of the Physical Therapist.

The PTA assists in carrying out the treatment plan to individuals and groups as designed by the Physical Therapist, supervises treatment delivered by the PTA student or technician, provides patient/family instruction, participates in PI programs and documents services according to facility and department policies and procedures. This position involves direct patient care.

Primary Responsibilities

Utilizes equipment in a proper and safe manner, maintains equipment inspection, maintenance, and cleaning logs, and reports broken or faulty equipment

Follows medical regimen developed for the patient, aware of and adheres to precautions (THR, TKR, Cardiac, Wound, etc.)

Utilizes safe treatment techniques including the following: transfers, positioning, feeding, splinting, paraffin bath, cryotherapy, etc.

Ability to function in any home situation regardless of age, race, creed, color, sex, disability, or financial condition of the client

You’ll be rewarded and recognized for your performance in an environment that will challenge you and give you clear direction on what it takes to succeed in your role as well as provide development for other roles you may be interested in.

Required Qualifications

  • Current, licensed, registered, or certified to assist in the practice of physical therapy in state of practice
  • Current driver’s license and vehicle insurance, access to a dependable vehicle, or public transportation
  • Available to work a weekend rotation

Preferred Qualifications

Current CPR certification or ability to complete within 90 days of hire

Ability to perform physical tasks required for patient care, including lifting, transferring, and assisting with mobility

Pay Range

  • $58,241 - $87,361 annual total cash target pay
  • $33.60 - $50.40 per visit point
  • $28.00 - $42.00 hourly rate

Annual total cash compensation for this role assumes full-time employment (40 weekly hours) at full productivity and generally follows the range above.

Total cash compensation includes earnings from per visit point pay and hourly pay and is based on several factors including but not limited to local labor markets, education, work experience and may increase over time based on productivity and performance in the role.

This role receives two types of compensation depending on the work being performed. When conducting visits, you will be paid per visit point rate compensation. Your per visit pay will be calculated by multiplying your per visit point rate by the productivity points you accrue for various types of visits.

Each type of visit is assigned a certain number of productivity points that is inclusive of “direct” and “indirect” patient care activities. Visits are assigned based on patient and business needs.

The number of visits performed each week will vary based on individual productivity targets and the productivity points assigned to the visits performed. You will be paid your hourly rate for certain non-visit activities such as orientation. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.

In addition to your pay, we offer benefits such as, a comprehensive benefits package, recognition programs, equity stock purchase and 401k contribution (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements).

No matter where or when you begin a career with us, you’ll find a far-reaching choice of benefits and incentives.

At UnitedHealth Group, our mission is to help people live healthier lives and make the health system work better for everyone. We believe everyone–of every race, gender, sexuality, age, location and income–deserves the opportunity to live their healthiest life.

Today, however, there are still far too many barriers to good health which are disproportionately experienced by people of color, historically marginalized groups and those with lower incomes.

We are committed to mitigating our impact on the environment and enabling and delivering equitable care that addresses health disparities and improves health outcomes — an enterprise priority reflected in our mission.

UnitedHealth Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer under applicable law and qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations.

UnitedHealth Group is a drug-free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.

Key Responsibilities

Provide age-appropriate physical therapy services to adult and geriatric patients under the direction of a Physical Therapist, implementing treatment plans for individuals and groups. Use and maintain equipment safely, follow medical precautions, instruct patients and families, supervise PTA students or technicians, and document care in accordance with policies.

Requirements

Applicants must hold a current state license, registration, or certification to assist in physical therapy practice, have a valid driver’s license and insurance with dependable transportation or access to public transportation, and be available for a weekend rotation. CPR certification is preferred or must be completed within 90 days of hire; the role also requires the ability to perform patient-care tasks such as lifting, transferring, and assisting with mobility.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Physical Therapy AssistanceTreatment Plan ImplementationPatient TransfersPatient PositioningMobility AssistancePatient And Family InstructionEquipment Safety And MaintenanceDocumentationPatient SupervisionCommunication

Physical Therapist Career Context

In North Carolina, the Physical Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$90k (587 salary observations; 1,858 listings), vs ~$94k nationally (15,030 salary observations; 57,422 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)), so the posted ~$73k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $77k in an average-cost state. 59.2% of North Carolina clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

UnitedHealth Group holds silver-tier status on WeekdayDoc's Top Employers work-life index, composite score 75/100, 1,400 active listings.

Top contract/1099 PTA Jobs

7 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution5 jobs

1
$54k
0
$55k-60k
0
$60k-65k
1
$69k
3
$73k

Annual compensation range

Work-Life Balance Distribution7 jobs · 6 employers

0
1-2
0
3-4
4
5-6
1
7-8
2
9-10

Higher = better work-life balance

#1

Physical Therapist Assistant - PRNPer Diem

Select Physical Therapy · Huntersville, North Carolina

$35/hr
#2

Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA)Per Diem

Healthpro Heritage · Lillington, North Carolina

$30/hr
#3

Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA), Millsboro Delaware

$27-$35/hr
#4

Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA), Millville Delaware

$27-$35/hr
+ 5 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 4.8this job 1.7
Below most Physical Therapist Assistant listings for work-life

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

  • Includes weekends

Living in Chapel Hill

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$544k
Typical market rent
$1,690/mo
Residents’ average commute
20 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
97.6
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 · Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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

UnitedHealth Group logo

About UnitedHealth Group

Hospitals and Health Care
Eden Prairie , Minnesota
10,000+ employees

Benefits & Perks

Comprehensive Benefits Package
Recognition Programs
Equity Stock Purchase
401k Contribution