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Ernest Health
Thornton, Colorado

Physical Therapist Per Diem

Physical TherapistPer Diem

Listed compensation

$56/Hr

The week · per this posting

Schedule not stated in this posting — no days, weekends, call or nights given.

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

Posted 8m ago · Verified live

Job Description

Physical Therapist - Per Diem - Thornton, Colorado

Join our world-class team of driven, passionate healthcare professionals who are focused on service excellence and providing top quality care!

Denver Regional Rehabilitation Hospital, serving the greater Denver, Colorado area, provides specialized inpatient rehabilitative services in a warm and patient-focused setting.

We offer intensive therapy programs for patients recovering from strokes, neurological injuries, spinal cord and orthopedic trauma, and other debilitating conditions.

Our dedicated team of rehabilitation experts works closely with each patient and their family to create personalized treatment plans – including physical, occupational, and speech therapies – aimed at restoring function and hope.

Accredited and stroke rehabilitation-certified, Denver Regional Rehabilitation Hospital has earned national recognition for effective, timely care, allowing patients to receive the highest level of rehab close to home.

What You Bring

A passion for patient care, a team player, motivating and collaborating therapist to assist patients to reach the best outcome.

  • Graduate Degree from an accredited program in Physical Therapy.
  • Current State Physical Therapist License.

Current CPR

As a participating hospital of Ernest Health, we offer robust recognition, wellness, and retention programs. These programs focus on enhancing the employees’ work experience, recognizing, and celebrating achievements.

We also encourage employees to share their work experience through “My Ernest Journey” and through our Engagement Survey, where our approach is “You Spoke, We Listened”. These platforms provide additional avenues for employees to give feedback about their work experience and share what is important to them.

Qualifications

Required Skills

  • Current and valid licensure as a Physical Therapist required.
  • Basic Life Support/CPR Certification from an approved vendor required.
  • One year of direct patient care experience in a hospital setting preferred.

Additional Qualifications/Skills

  • Knowledge of clinical operations and procedures.
  • Demonstrates an understanding of treatment costs and financial support as they relate to quality and efficiency.
  • Demonstrates competency in the provision of care according to established standards
  • Demonstrates appropriate application of age specific standards, policies and procedures and guidelines in caring for pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric patients
  • Demonstrates general computer skills including: data entry, word processing, email, and record management.
  • Leadership skills in delegating, organizing, and educating coworkers and staff.
  • Effective organizational and time management skills.
  • Effective written and verbal communication skills.
  • Ability to maintain proper levels of confidentiality.
  • Ability to work closely and professionally with others.
  • Ability to maintain quality, safety, and/or infection control standards.

Responsibilities

Provides services that help restore function, improve mobility, relieve pain, and prevent or limit permanent physical disabilities of patients suffering from injuries or disease. Examines patient's medical history, evaluates their physical abilities, determines their potential to respond to therapy, and develops treatment plans. Integrates the hospital’s mission and “Guiding Principles” into daily practice.

Minimum Salary

USD $56.00/Hr.

Maximum Salary

USD $56.00/Hr.

Qualifications

Education
Master's degree (postgraduate degree)

Certifications

BLS

Key Skills

Treatment planningDelegationSafety standards

Physical Therapist Career Context

In Colorado, the Physical Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$93k (520 salary observations; 1,380 listings), vs ~$94k nationally (12,162 salary observations; 66,743 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 Colorado is 103.1 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 60.9% of Colorado clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

What does the Physical Therapy market look like in Colorado?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed paynot listedPhysical Therapy median $93k (middle half $80k–$107k)958 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Colorado vs national$93k median in Colorado$94k nationally (−1%)520 state / 12,162 national salary observations
Cost of livingColorado index 103.1US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Physical Therapy listings in Colorado485 active22,052 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 3% remote · 40% no call · 48% no weekends40 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedColorado physical therapist listings (all specialties): 28% state a sign-on bonus (median $10k) · 21% offer loan repayment516 active listings, Nov 2026
New Physical Therapy listings7,996 in the last 30 days4,462 the 30 days before (+79%)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, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Top contract/1099 Physical Therapist Jobs

38 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

19 jobs
2
<$100k
3
$100k-120k
4
$120k-140k
10
$140k-160k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

28 jobs · 23 employers
401k / retirement match
86%
CME allowance
54%
Loan repayment
7%
Sign-on bonus
4%
Relocation assistance
4%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Home Health Physical Therapist-NEW GRADS WELCOMEPer Diem

Transition Care Telemetry · San Diego, California

$80-$120/hr
#2

Home Health Physical Therapist - Per DiemPer Diem

Transition Care Telemetry · San Diego, California

$80-$110/hr
#3

Home Health Physical Therapist

$75-$80/hr
#4

Home Health Physical Therapist

$75-$80/hr
+ 36 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 4.8this job 3.0
Better work-life than 30% of Physical Therapy listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 22,012 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Ernest Health logo

About Ernest Health

Hospitals and Health Care
Mesquite, Texas
501-1,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Wellness programs
Retention programs
Recognition programs

Living in Thornton

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$467k
Typical market rent
$1,894/mo
Residents’ average commute
30 min
State income tax
Up to 4.4%
Sources & methodology

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

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