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Cleveland Clinic
Fort Gratiot Charter Township, Michigan

Physical Therapist Assistant - Outpatient - Ortho

Physical Therapist AssistantFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

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Job Description

At Cleveland Clinic Health System, we believe in a better future for healthcare. And each of us is responsible for honoring our commitment to excellence, pushing the boundaries and transforming the patient experience, every day.

We all have the power to help, heal and change lives — beginning with our own. That’s the power of the Cleveland Clinic Health System team, and The Power of Every One.

Job Title

Physical Therapist Assistant - Outpatient - Ortho

Location: Massillon

Facility

Jackson Mercy Health Center

Department: Therapy Jackson-Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital

Job Code: D21008

Shift: Days

Schedule: 7:30am-5:30pm/8:00am-6:00pm

Job Summary

Job Details

Join the Cleveland Clinic team, where you will work alongside passionate caregivers and provide patient-first healthcare. Cleveland Clinic is recognized as one of the top hospitals in the nation. At Cleveland Clinic, you will work alongside passionate and dedicated caregivers, receive endless support and appreciation, and build a rewarding career with one of the most respected healthcare organizations in the world.

Physical Therapist Assistants work under the direct supervision of a licensed Physical Therapist to implement a patient's treatment. They teach patients or clients exercises to increase their mobility, strength, and coordination. They also train patients to use crutches, canes, and walkers.

Some Physical Therapist Assistants are also trained in massage to help patients heal and relax. In this role, you will not only be working with a wide variety of patients to help balance the day, but you will have multi-disciplinary exposure, allowing plenty of learning opportunities.

A caregiver in this position works staggered hours, 4 days per week. Hours will vary between 7:30AM – 5:30PM or 8:00M – 6:00PM.

A caregiver who excels in this role will:

Administer patient centered Physical Therapy treatment incorporating evidence-based practice and skilled techniques to achieve optimal functional outcomes under the supervision of a licensed Physical Therapist.

Observe, communicate and document patient progress and response to treatment.

Plan, organize and implement individualized therapeutic programs with patient/family, incorporating evidence-based practice.

Provide education on Physical Therapy related subjects to patients, clients, caregivers, hospital personnel and the community.

Act as a clinical instructor or participate in the education and evaluation of students.

Act as a resource for volunteers and observers.

Minimum qualifications for the ideal future caregiver include:

Associate's Degree or Certificate

  • Graduate of a Physical Therapy Assistant Program accredited by the American Physical Therapy Association
  • State licensure as a Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA)
  • Basic Life Support (BLS) Certification through the American Heart Association (AHA) or the American Red Cross

Preferred qualifications for the ideal future caregiver include:

5 years prior experience in an outpatient orthopedic environment

Physical Requirements

Ability to walk and climb stairs without assistive device and to maintain balance despite sudden load in order to support patient from falling.

Ability to meet physical demands characterized at the heavy level defined by 1993 Leonard Matheson and Ministry of Labor.

Ability to lift and reach with arms sufficiently to lift patient's arm and leg during therapeutic treatment program.

  • Sensation of touch and manual dexterity to be able to palpate muscle tension or to monitor patient pulse.
  • Visual acuity to observe patient's gross and fine motor movements in order to analyze these movements and to read all patient monitors.
  • Ability to speak clearly enough to instruct patients and families.

Ability to hear at a conversational level to understand patient's description of symptoms and response to treatment.

Personal Protective Equipment

Follows standard precautions using personal protective equipment as required.

The policy of Cleveland Clinic Health System and its system hospitals (Cleveland Clinic Health System) is to provide equal opportunity to all of our caregivers and applicants for employment in our drug free environment. All offers of employment are followed by testing for controlled substances.

Cleveland Clinic Health System administers an influenza prevention program. You will be required to comply with this program, which will include obtaining an influenza vaccination on an annual basis or obtaining an approved exemption.

Decisions concerning employment, transfers and promotions are made upon the basis of the best qualified candidate without regard to color, race, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, ancestry, status as a disabled or Vietnam era veteran or any other characteristic protected by law. Information provided on this application may be shared with any Cleveland Clinic Health System facility.

If applying for a Florida position, please see the following website for more information on the background screening requirements required by the Agency of Health Care Administration: info.flclearinghouse.com

Please review the Equal Employment Opportunity poster.

Cleveland Clinic is pleased to be an equal employment opportunity employer.

Key Responsibilities

The Physical Therapist Assistant will implement individualized treatment plans under the supervision of a licensed Physical Therapist to improve patient mobility and strength. They are also responsible for documenting patient progress, educating patients and families, and providing clinical instruction to students.

Requirements

Candidates must hold an Associate's Degree or certificate from an accredited Physical Therapy Assistant program and possess state licensure. A Basic Life Support (BLS) certification is required, and five years of outpatient orthopedic experience is preferred.

Qualifications

Education
Associate degree
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Patient treatmentMobility trainingStrength trainingCoordination trainingCrutch trainingCane trainingWalker trainingMassage therapyDocumentationPatient educationOrthopedic care

Physical Therapist Career Context

In Michigan, the Physical Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$90k (243 salary observations; 1,755 listings), vs ~$94k nationally (11,785 salary observations; 62,466 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2026-01-01 through 2026-11-01; these are not the modal's selected comparable-job medians.

The cost-of-living index for Michigan is 96.2 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 61.8% of Michigan clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

What does the Physical Therapy market look like in Michigan?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed paynot listedPhysical Therapy median $64k (middle half $62k–$68k)27 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Michigan vs national$90k median in Michigan$94k nationally (−4%)243 state / 11,785 national salary observations
Cost of livingMichigan index 96.2US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Physical Therapy listings in Michigan634 active21,621 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedMichigan Physical Therapist listings: 27% state a sign-on bonus (median $10k) · 20% offer loan repayment655 active listings, Nov 2026
New Physical Therapy listings7,749 in the last 30 days4,154 the 30 days before (+87%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Physical Therapy pay trend+1.6% 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.

Top PTA Jobs

12 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

9 jobs · 8 employers
3
<$65k
4
$65k-75k
2
$75k-85k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

11 jobs · 8 employers
401k / retirement match
100%
CME allowance
64%
Sign-on bonus
36%
Loan repayment
27%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Physical Therapist Assistant

NovaCare Rehabilitation · West Bloomfield, Michigan

$25-$40/hr
#2

Physical Therapist Assistant

Quincy Medical Group · Quincy, Illinois

$25-$37.5/hr
#3

Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA), Kent Island

$27-$35/hr
#4

Physical Therapist Assistant

$25-$33.75/hr
+ 10 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.

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