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St. Joseph Medical Center
Tacoma, Washington

Physical Therapist - Orthopedic

Physical TherapistFull-Time

Listed compensation

$47.41-$78.23/hr

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

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

Posted 54m ago · Verified live

Job Description

Where You’ll Work

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health has a rich history of providing exceptional healthcare, dating back to 1891.

Building upon a legacy of compassionate care and innovation, our organization has evolved over the years through strategic partnerships and integrations to expand our reach and services across the Puget Sound area.

Today, as Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, we remain deeply committed to healing the whole person – body, mind, and spirit – in the communities we serve. This commitment is strengthened by the diverse expertise and shared values brought together through our growth.

Our dedicated providers offer a full spectrum of health care services, from routine wellness to complex disease management, all grounded in rigorous research and education.

Our comprehensive network of 10 hospitals and nearly 300 care sites strategically located across the greater Puget Sound region reflects our ongoing commitment to accessibility and comprehensive care.

We are proud of our pioneering medical advances and numerous awards and accreditations that reflect our dedication to excellence.

When you join Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, you become part of a team that delivers top-quality, professional healthcare in modern, well-equipped facilities, and contributes to a legacy of service built on collaboration and shared purpose.

Job Summary and Responsibilities

As our Physical Therapist, you will help patients rebuild or maintain their physical wellbeing so they can function at their best level, reduce pain, and improve their quality of life.

Every day you will perform initial evaluations, develop and update individualized plans of care, and provide a variety of direct treatments.

You will be expected to consistently meet patient care productivity standards, collaborate with the interdisciplinary team and families, and promote a positive customer service environment.

To be successful in this role, you must possess strong age-appropriate competency skills, excellent communication abilities, and a collaborative, patient-centered approach to care.

  • Performs patient assessment/data collection, interprets findings and formulates treatment plans.
  • Reviews medical record/documentation prior to initial evaluation to familiarize self with patient’s history and obtains necessary information to perform a thorough, quality assessment.
  • Develops Physical Therapy plan of care to meet established goals and individualized needs of patient/client.
  • Selects and administers assessment tools according to standards as established by profession and department.

Implements and updates therapeutic plan of care and treatment based on patient needs throughout patient’s course of care.

Implements treatment and conducts treatment program which may include but is not limited to: transfer and mobility training, strengthening, range of motion, use of therapeutic modalities, home evaluation, family training, equipment recommendations and ordering.

Regularly assesses clinical signs and symptoms to determine effectiveness of treatment, progress of patient towards goals, the need for modifying goals and treatment.

Performs treatment according to according to established protocols or accepted clinical standards of practice using a variety of modalities and implements new and innovative treatment approaches.

Adheres to most recent treatment plan and documented frequency per evaluation/certification or reassessment/recertification.

  • Initiates discharge from physical therapy when the patient has received maximum benefit from services.
  • Identifies and implements strategies to meet the educational needs of the patient/family/significant others as it relates to physical therapy.
  • Participates in supervision and performance feedback of staff, aides, students, volunteers as requested.

Completes all required documentation, in an accurate and thorough manner, of Physical Therapy treatment in accordance with FHS documentation standard.

Utilizes documentation that meets the accepted clinical, hospital and departmental standards and chart review criteria.

Completes documentation responsibilities in a timely manner according to hospital and departmental criteria.

Participates in chart review process and adjusts practices according to feedback as provided.

Cultural Sensitivity and Competence: Demonstrates proper use of communication tools/materials for effective communication and understands how the culture(s) of patient populations can affect communication, collaboration and the provision of care, treatment and services. Patient Population Served: Demonstrates knowledge and proper skills associated with the department’s defined specific populations served.

Job Requirements

Required

  • Graduation from an accredited Physical Therapy Program and completion of Clinical Fieldwork, upon hire
  • Physical Therapist: WA, upon hire and
  • Basic Life Support - CPR, upon hire

Preferred

Knowledge and experience in rehabilitation, orthopedic, medical/surgical settings that demonstrates attainment of the requisite job knowledge skills/abilities and

PAIN Management

Two (2) years full-time experience within the last five years, with caseload emphasis on physical disabilities, medical/surgical, orthopedic, or pain management and

LYMPHEDEMA: Two (2) years full-time experience within last five years recommended, with caseload emphasis acute physical disabilities, especially in the treatment of lymphedema.

Key Responsibilities

The Physical Therapist will perform initial evaluations, develop individualized plans of care, and provide direct treatments to help patients improve their physical wellbeing and quality of life. They will also collaborate with an interdisciplinary team and maintain accurate clinical documentation in accordance with hospital standards.

Requirements

Candidates must have graduated from an accredited Physical Therapy program and hold a valid Washington state Physical Therapist license and Basic Life Support certification. Preferred qualifications include experience in orthopedic, medical/surgical, or pain management settings.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure
Experience
2+ years of experience

Certifications

BLS

Key Skills

Orthopedic rehabilitationTreatment planningLymphedema treatmentPatient educationInterdisciplinary collaboration

Orthopedic Surgery — Physical Therapist Career Context

Of the 50 active Orthopedic Surgery listings this role was benchmarked against, 60% have no call, 58% require no weekends.

Orthopedic Surgery pay on WeekdayDoc is down 1.9% vs. the prior quarter (through Oct 2026).

Orthopedic Surgery by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$99k–$163kOrthopedic Surgery median $114k (middle half $95k–$129k)15 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$122k in purchasing powerWashington index 107.0 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Orthopedic Surgery listings in Washington6 active411 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 60% no call · 58% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedWashington physical therapist listings (all specialties): 34% state a sign-on bonus (median $9k) · 24% offer loan repayment526 active listings, Nov 2026
New Orthopedic Surgery listings347 in the last 30 days203 the 30 days before (+71%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Orthopedic Surgery pay trend−1.9% 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.

Location & Logistics

Washington has no state income tax, which can significantly increase take-home pay compared to high-tax states. At the posted ~$131k midpoint, that is roughly $5k–$9k a year versus a typical 4–7% state rate.

Top Physical Therapist Jobs

36 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

36 jobs · 19 employers
12
<$105k
14
$105k-120k
4
$120k
3
$135k-150k
3
$150k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

35 jobs · 19 employers
401k / retirement match
94%
Sign-on bonus
60%
CME allowance
57%
Loan repayment
31%
Relocation assistance
14%

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

Traveler Physical Therapist: Dutch Harbor, AK

$2800/week
+ 34 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.0this job 3.0
Better work-life than 20% of Orthopedic Surgery (Physical Therapy) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 408 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in Tacoma

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$483k
Typical market rent
$1,773/mo
Residents’ average commute
29 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
111.1
State income tax
None
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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