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Sanford Health
Rapid City, South Dakota

Physical Therapist Assistant - PRN

Physical TherapistNo nightsPRN

Listed compensation

$24-$38.5/hr

The week · per this posting

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 1h ago · Verified live

Job Description

Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the United States, is dedicated to transforming the health care experience and providing access to world-class health care in America’s heartland.

Work Shift

Day (United States of America)

Scheduled Weekly Hours

0

Compensation

Salary Range: $24.00 - $38.50

Union Position

  • No
  • Department Details

Summary

Assists patients/residents/clients with therapy activities and exercises scheduled in a treatment plan, under the supervision of a physical therapist, to improve patients'/residents'/clients' quality of life and ability to perform daily activities.

Job Description

Provides, monitors and records therapy services to patients/residents/clients with physical, cognitive, developmental impairments, in line with related standard concepts, practices and procedures.

The physical therapist assistant selects, implements, and makes modifications to therapeutic activities and interventions that are consistent with demonstrated competency levels, patient's/resident's/client's goals, and the requirements of the practice setting and/or state licensure.

Contributes to this process by exchanging information with and providing documentation to the physical therapist about the patient's/resident's/client's responses to and communications during intervention.

Responsible for being knowledgeable about the patient's/resident's/client's targeted physical therapy outcomes and for providing information and documentation related to outcome achievement. Follows and adheres to accepted clinical practice guidelines of professional organization.

As needed, performs other related duties as requested. Based on facility needs and assigned locations, may focus on those receiving intervention in the post-acute, long term care and home health care environments.

Qualifications

Appropriate education level required in accordance with state licensure. Must also be a graduate through an approved American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) program as a Physical Therapist Assistant.

Must be licensed as a Physical Therapist Assistant in the state(s) of practice. Conforms to the supervision and licensing standards of the state(s) where services are provided. Basic Life Support (BLS) certification required within six months of employment. When applicable, may require valid driver's license.

Sanford is an EEO/AA Employer M/F/Disability/Vet.

If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request an accommodation for help with your online application, please call 1-877-949-5678 or send an email to talent@sanfordhealth.org.

Key Responsibilities

Assists patients with therapy activities and exercises under the supervision of a physical therapist to improve their quality of life. Monitors and records therapy services while documenting patient responses and progress toward clinical outcomes.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure

Key Skills

Patient careClinical documentationPatient monitoringRehabilitationIntervention planning

Physical Therapist Career Context

The cost-of-living index for South Dakota is 88.6 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$65k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $73k in an average-cost state. 58.2% of South Dakota clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

What does the Physical Therapy market look like in South Dakota?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Work-life score5.1 / 10 · above average in physical therapist assistantranked against 4,946 Physical Therapist Assistant listingslisting-based score, 0–10
Listed pay$50k–$80kPhysical Therapy median $94k (middle half $81k–$104k)129 comparable listings, Oct 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$73k in purchasing powerSouth Dakota index 88.6 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Physical Therapy listings in South Dakota49 active21,777 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Oct 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index (4,946 Physical Therapist Assistant listings), BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Oct 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Location & Logistics

South Dakota has no state income tax, which can significantly increase take-home pay compared to high-tax states. At the posted ~$65k midpoint, that is roughly $3k–$5k a year versus a typical 4–7% state rate.

Top contract/1099 PTA Jobs

4 matches · ranked by pay
#1

Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA), Millsboro Delaware

Aquacare & Fitness Forum Physical Therapy · Millsboro, Delaware

$27-$35/hr
#2

Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA), Millville Delaware

Aquacare & Fitness Forum Physical Therapy · Millville, Delaware

$27-$35/hr
#3

Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA)

$26-$35/hr
#4

Physical Therapist / Physical Therapist Assistant

up to $32K
+ 2 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 4.8this job 5.1
Better work-life than 50% of Physical Therapist Assistant listings

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

  • No nights

Living in Rapid City

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$347k
Typical market rent
$1,445/mo
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
89.2
State income tax
None
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Sep 2026), Zillow market rents (Sep 2026).

BEA 2024 · Rapid City, SD metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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