Gundersen Health System logo
Gundersen Health System
La Crosse, Wisconsin

Outpatient Physical Therapist | Ortho/General

Physical TherapistNo weekendsFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

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

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 outpatient therapy team to primarily work with and treat our orthopedic and general physical therapy populations as we bring patient-centered care close to home for our patients. Upcoming PT graduates are encouraged to apply.

What You'll Do

As a 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, and more. Our outpatient La Crosse therapy team consists of 15 PTs, 3 OTs, 3 PTAs, and Rehabilitation Technician support.

What's Available

  • Fulltime, 80 hours biweekly (1.0 FTE)
  • Monday - Friday, variable clinic hours between 7a-6:30p - no weekends or holidays
  • Starting salary of $82,035 and up, commensurate with your years of experience
  • 45-minute appointment lengths, schedule allows for up to 47 patients/week

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 BLS for Health Care Providers from American Heart Association or American Red Cross
  • Prior experience with outpatient ortho patients or internship desired
  • Physical Therapist board-certified Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist (OCS) desired
  • Knowledge and skills in Dry Needling and/or Pelvic Health is beneficial
  • Must be credentialed with Emplify Health by 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

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 a 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 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 a Physical Therapist anywhere. But not everywhere practices LOVE + MEDICINE.

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, tertiary referral center, 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.

Our mission is simple yet profound: 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 to improve mobility, reduce pain, and restore function. They are responsible for developing individualized plans of care and collaborating with referring providers 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 BLS certification for Health Care Providers is also required.

Qualifications

Education
Bachelor degree

Certifications

Board Certification

Key Skills

Orthopedic physical therapyPatient evaluationTreatment planningPain managementMobility restorationClinical documentation

Physical Therapist Career Context

Of the 50 active Physical Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 2% are remote, 50% have no call, 66% require no weekends.

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).

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Outpatient Physical Therapist | Ortho/General at Gundersen Health System a 6.4 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the Above average in Physical Therapy — ranked against 22,005 active Physical Therapy listings on WeekdayDoc. Contributing factors include no weekend requirements.

Top Physical Therapist Jobs

29 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution29 jobs · 15 employers

8
<$95k
16
$95k-115k
1
$115k
3
$140k
1
$160k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks27 jobs · 15 employers

401k / retirement match
100% this job
CME allowance
70% this job
Sign-on bonus
67%
Loan repayment
26%
Relocation assistance
19% this job

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Physical Therapist (PT) Home Health | $150,000 Annual Salary (Redding)

Home Care Providers Group · Yuba City, California

$150k-$160k
#2

Physical Therapist - Studio City

Myo · Los Angeles, California

$90k-$140k
#3

Physical Therapist - West Hollywood

$90k-$140k
#4

Physical Therapist Marlboro NJ

$140k
+ 27 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 4.8this job 6.4
Better work-life than 70% of Physical Therapy listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 22,005 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • No weekends

Living in La Crosse

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$277k≈ 3.4× annual pay
Typical market rent
$1,080/mo≈ 16% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
16 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
91.8
State income tax
Up to 7.7%
Sources & methodology

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

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 Ins, HSA/FSA
401k match & annual discretionary base contribution
Paid Time Off (PTO)
Continuing Education through Medbridge
Relocation assistance
Wellness program
Employer-paid life insurance and AD&D
Optional short-term and long-term disability