Gundersen Health System logo
Gundersen Health System
Onalaska, Wisconsin

Outpatient Physical Therapist | Ortho/General

Physical TherapistNo weekendsFull-Time

Listed compensation

$82,305+

The week · per this posting · Monday – Friday

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

Posted 1mo ago · Verified live

Job Description

Love + medicine is who we are, it's what we do, it's why people want to work here. If you’re looking for a job to love, apply today.

Scheduled Weekly Hours

40

Emplify Health by Gundersen is looking for a fulltime Physical Therapist to join our Onalaska outpatient therapy team. You will primarily work with and treat our orthopedic and general physical therapy populations, with an opportunity to treat pelvic floor patients if desired, as we bring patient-centered care close to home for our patients. Upcoming PT graduates are encouraged to apply.

What You'll Do

As an outpatient Physical Therapist on our team, you will work with patients and families to examine, evaluate, diagnose, prognose, and intervene to ensure optimal outcomes.

You will be responsible for developing plans of care and providing treatment techniques and interventions to improve mobility, reduce pain, and restore function through collaboration with referring providers and other clinical staff ensuring optimal patient care through appropriate and timely methods of communication and treatment.

Typical caseloads include total knee and hip post op, sprains/strains, back pain, hip, shoulder, ankle, knee, chronic or acute pain. The Onalaska therapy team consists of 1 Lead PT, 15 PTs, 2 OTs, 2 PTAs, 5 Rehabilitation Technicians, and Scheduling Specialist support.

What's Available

  • Fulltime, 80 hours biweekly (1.0 FTE)
  • Monday - Friday, variable clinic hours between 7a-6p, no weekends or holidays
  • Starting salary of $82,305 and up, based on your years of experience

45-minute appointment lengths, schedule allows for up to 47 patients/week, with 4.75 hours of blocked time each week for office time

What You'll Need

Bachelor's degree, or higher, in Physical Therapy from an American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) approved curriculum in Physical Therapy

State of Wisconsin Physical Therapist License

  • Current Infant-Adult BLS for Health Care Providers from American Heart Association or American Red Cross
  • Physical Therapist board-certified Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist (OCS) desired
  • Prior experience with outpatient ortho patients or internship desired
  • Knowledge and skills in Dry Needling is beneficial
  • Must be credentialed with Gundersen prior to starting

What You'll Get

Unlimited potential at one of the leading health systems in the midwestern United States

A highly adaptable and mission-driven organization with a work environment that supports you personally and professionally and a work culture where you are valued and appreciated

A care team with longevity and low turnover, shared office spaces for therapist collaboration, and the ability to work with complex patient cases both independently and as a team

Continuing Education and Patient Education through MedBridge: All PTs, PTAs, OTs, OTAs, and SLPs receive a silver level membership to MedBridge for patient home programs and continuing education

Strong onboarding and mentoring program for new staff

Competitive Compensation: Enjoy an attractive salary, based on your years of experience, ensuring your skills and dedication are valued and rewarded

A comprehensive and generous benefits package (Medical, Dental, Life Ins, HSA/FSA) ensuring your comfort and well-being as a valuable team member

Substantial retirement contribution including 401k match & annual discretionary base contribution

Paid Time Off (PTO) combines vacation, sick, and personal days into one balance to allow you the flexibility to use your time off as you need

Support for your career growth through Professional Development Opportunities, our Tuition Investment Program, and our Career Development Center

Other benefits include a Wellness program with incentives, employer-paid life insurance and AD&D, optional short-term and long-term disability coverage, an employee assistance program, identity theft protection, pet insurance, Inspire & Celebrate colleague recognition and rewards program, a discount program, and more!

Relocation Assistance Available

Inside our walls and our neighborhoods, we deliver world-class medical care and the right amount of love. We call it LOVE + MEDICINE and it’s more than our practice. It is who we are. You can be an Physical Therapist anywhere. But not everywhere practices LOVE + MEDICINE. Join our mission in changing healthcare by applying today to join our highly skilled and dedicated therapy team all while doing the work you love in the beautiful coulee region of La Crosse, Wisconsin!

About Us

Emplify Health by Gundersen is the leading provider of primary and specialized care in western Wisconsin, southeast Minnesota, and northeast Iowa; serving more than 500,000 residents throughout 19 counties annually.

Our physician-led, not-for-profit healthcare system includes a 325-bed teaching hospital and Level II Trauma Center; community clinics; affiliate hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes; behavioral health services; vision centers; pharmacies; and air and ground ambulance services. Together, we inspire your best life by relentlessly caring, learning, and innovating.

If you need assistance with any portion of the application or have questions about the position, please contact HR-Recruitment@gundersenhealth.org or call 608-775-0267.

We inspire your best life by relentlessly caring, learning and innovating. This is our purpose. Together with our values — belonging, respect, excellence, accountability, teamwork and humility — our pillars set our foundation and our future.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Key Responsibilities

The Physical Therapist will examine, evaluate, and treat patients with orthopedic and general conditions to improve mobility and reduce pain. They are responsible for developing individualized plans of care and collaborating with clinical staff to ensure optimal patient outcomes.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a Bachelor's degree or higher in Physical Therapy from an APTA-approved program and possess a valid Wisconsin Physical Therapist license. Current Infant-Adult BLS certification is required, and prior experience or internships in outpatient orthopedics are preferred.

Qualifications

Education
Bachelor degree

Certifications

Board Certification

Key Skills

Orthopedic physical therapyPatient examinationDiagnosisTreatment planningPelvic floor therapyClinical documentationPain managementMobility restoration

Physical Therapist Career Context

The cost-of-living index for Wisconsin is 94.1 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 60.7% of Wisconsin clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 50 active Physical Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 4% are remote, 44% have no call, 60% require no weekends.

What does the Physical Therapy market look like in Wisconsin?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Work-life score6.0 / 10 · above average in physical therapyranked against 21,894 Physical Therapy listingslisting-based score, 0–10
Listed paynot listedPhysical Therapy median $88k (middle half $75k–$104k)14 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost of livingWisconsin index 94.1US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Physical Therapy listings in Wisconsin314 active21,872 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 4% remote · 44% no call · 60% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedWisconsin Physical Therapist listings: 20% state a sign-on bonus (median $20k) · 12% offer loan repayment335 active listings, Nov 2026
New Physical Therapy listings7,820 in the last 30 days4,435 the 30 days before (+76%)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 (21,894 Physical Therapy listings), BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Outpatient Physical Therapist | Ortho/General at Gundersen Health System a 6.0 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the Above average in Physical Therapy — ranked against 21,894 active Physical Therapy listings on WeekdayDoc. Contributing factors include no weekend requirements.

Top Physical Therapist Jobs

29 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

29 jobs · 16 employers
13
<$110k
10
$110k-125k
1
$125k
5
$140k-155k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

29 jobs · 16 employers
401k / retirement match
97% this job
CME allowance
62% this job
Sign-on bonus
45%
Loan repayment
21%
Relocation assistance
7% this job

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Home Health Physical Therapist - Berkeley/Richmond

CVHCare · Berkeley, CA, United States

$150k
#2

Home Health Physical Therapist - GlendalePer Diem

CVHCare · Glendale, California

$150k
#3

Home Health Physical Therapist - Hayward

$150k
#4

Physical Therapist

$110k-$145k
+ 27 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 4.8this job 6.0
Better work-life than 70% of Physical Therapy listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 21,894 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • No weekends
Gundersen Health System logo

About Gundersen Health System

Hospitals and Health Care
La Crosse, WI
1,001-5,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Medical, Dental, Life Insurance
HSA/FSA
401k match & annual discretionary base contribution
Paid Time Off (PTO)
MedBridge continuing education membership
Tuition Investment Program
Career Development Center
Wellness program with incentives

Living in Onalaska

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$339k≈ 4.1× annual pay
Typical market rent
$1,394/mo≈ 20% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
17 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
91.8
State income tax
Up to 7.7%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

Ratios use this listing’s gross annual pay. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.