Hackensack Meridian Health logo
Hackensack Meridian Health
North Bergen, New Jersey

Physical Therapist Clinical Specialist (Per Diem)

Physical TherapistIncludes weekendsPer Diem

Listed compensation

$44.77 Hourly

The week · per this posting

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

Posted 42m ago · Verified live

Job Description

Our team members are the heart of what makes us better. At Hackensack Meridian Health we help our patients live better, healthier lives — and we help one another to succeed. With a culture rooted in connection and collaboration, our employees are team members. Here, competitive benefits are just the beginning.

It’s also about how we support one another and how we show up for our community. Together, we keep getting better - advancing our mission to transform healthcare and serve as a leader of positive change.

Provides physical therapy treatment and education to inpatients and outpatients. Assists in the education and development of departmental and other hospital staff.

Responsibilities

A day in the life of a Physical Therapist Clinical Specialist at Hackensack Meridian Health includes:

Performs physical therapy assessment and evaluations, on a daily basis, on-going re-assessment and administers physical therapy treatment to patients in conjunction with a licensed care practitioner authorized to prescribe treatment.

Implements, on a daily basis, treatment modalites which may include exercise, heat, light, ultrasound, water, electricity, massage, gait raining, balance training and other rehabilitation techniques.

Provides, on a daily basis, for patient and family education programs and assistance in exercise programs and assistance in understanding and participation in physical therapy goal setting.

Uses, on a daily basis, multidisciplinary approach in executing patient treatment. Coordinates with Case Management, Nursing and Physicians to participate in patient`s timely discharge and continuation of treatment upon hospital discharge.

  • Provides In-service programs for Physical Therapy Staff.
  • Organizes Journal Club for Rehab In-service program.
  • Serves as Clinical Resource for Junior Staff.
  • Provides In-service programs for Nursing Staff and other Ancillary Staff on equipment use, transfer training and body mechanics.
  • Monitors equipment use for safety and wear and tear in the department.
  • Ensures delivery of excellent customer service resulting in positive and improving patient satisfaction scores for department and Medical Center.
  • Guides, on a daily basis, departmental support personnel.
  • Prepares, on a daily basis, schedules for inpatients and outpatients.
  • Attends hospital and department in-service program as required.
  • Assists the Director in developing and implementation of a Quality Improvement Program in Physical Therapy.
  • Performs educational in-service for both department and hospital staff.
  • Attends continuing education programs outside the hospital to maintain professional competence.
  • Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

  • Education, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:
  • Masters Degree in Physical Therapy with Clinical Specialist Certification through the APTA or Doctorate in Physical Therapy from an Accredited Physical Therapy Program with two years clinical experience.
  • Prior acute care and outpatient experience required.
  • Requires ability to read and concentrate frequently to check accuracy of reports, correspondence, computer records, etc.
  • Requires ability to read, understand, analyze and interpret policies and procedures.

Requires ability to deal with stress of dealing with public, frequent interruptions, and working on more than one task concurrently.

Requires flexibility in order to respond to changes in priorities, special project assignments, and emergency situations.

Apply principals of logical or scientific thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions in order to provide effective patient care.

Licenses and Certifications Required

  • Physical Therapist License.
  • BLS AHA Basic Health Care Life Support HCP Certification.

Working Conditions

  • General Office Conditions
  • Extensive employee and outside contacts.

High Stress

  • Works indoors in a well lighted and ventilated area.
  • Possibility of cuts or minor burns from instruments and equipment
  • Some direct exposure to contagion, but risk is minimal when proper safety precautions are observed.
  • Possibility of strains due to moving patients (or objects).
  • Requires substantial standing, walking, stooping, and lifting.
  • Willingness to work with the realization that errors and incompetency may have serious consequences to patient
  • Long periods of sitting with frequent standing or moving to other areas to retrieve or return documents, and make copies.
  • Requires periods of keying on computer terminal to input information.
  • Requires constant verbal communication in person or using the phone.
  • Requires frequent reading of correspondence, reports, material, etc.
  • Frequently lifts objects from 10 - 150 lbs.
  • Frequently lifts with assistance objects greater than 150 lbs.
  • Frequently carries objects weighing up to 50 lbs.
  • Frequently pushes objects up to 500 lbs with assistance from others.
  • If you feel the above description speaks directly to your strengths and capabilities, then please apply today!
  • Starting Minimum Rate
  • Minimum rate of $44.77 Hourly

Job Posting Disclosure

HMH is committed to pay equity and transparency for our team members.

The posted rate of pay in this job posting is a reasonable good faith estimate of the minimum base pay for this role at the time of posting in accordance with the New Jersey Pay Transparency Act and does not reflect the full value of our market-competitive total rewards package.

The starting rate of pay is provided for informational purposes only and is not a guarantee of a specific offer.

Posted hourly rates may be stated as an annual salary in the offer and posted annual salaries may be stated as an hourly rate in the offer, depending on the level and nature of the job duties and credentials of the candidate.

The base compensation determined at the time of the offer may be different than the posted rate of pay based on a number of non-discriminatory factors, including but not limited to: Labor Market Data: Compensation is benchmarked against market data to ensure competitiveness.

Experience: Years of relevant work experience. Education and Certifications: Level of education attained, including specialized certifications, credentials, completed apprenticeship programs or advanced training. Skills: Demonstrated proficiency in relevant skills and competencies.

Geographic Location: Cost of living and market rates for the specific location. Internal Equity: Compensation is determined in a manner consistent with compensation ranges for similar roles within the organization.

Budget and Grant Funding: Departmental budgets and any grant funding associated with the job position may impact the pay that can be offered. Some jobs may also be eligible for performance-based incentives, bonuses, or commissions not reflected in the starting rate.

Certain positions may also be eligible for shift differentials for work performed on evening, night, or weekend shifts.

In addition to our compensation for full-time and part-time (20+ hours/week) job positions, HMH offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health, dental, vision, paid leave, tuition reimbursement, and retirement benefits.

Qualifications

Education
Doctoral or professional degree (postgraduate degree)
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Patient AssessmentGait TrainingPatient EducationMultidisciplinary CollaborationEquipment SafetyDocumentationOutpatient CareBLS Certification

Physical Therapist Career Context

Of the 46 active Physical Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 7% are remote, 39% have no call, 67% require no weekends.

In New Jersey, the Physical Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$98k (144 salary observations; 276 listings), vs ~$93k nationally (2,823 salary observations; 9,097 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2026-01-01 through 2026-10-01; these are not the modal's selected comparable-job medians.

The cost-of-living index for New Jersey is 108.8 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 63.8% of New Jersey clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top contract/1099 Physical Therapist Jobs

46 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution19 jobs

4
<$100k
1
$114k
3
$120k-140k
11
$140k-160k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks25 jobs · 22 employers

401k / retirement match
56% this job
CME allowance
52% this job
Sign-on bonus
28%
PSLF eligible
8%
Loan repayment
4%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Home Health Physical TherapistPer Diem

Transition Care Telemetry · Escondido, California

$80-$110/hr
#2

Home Health Physical Therapist (PT) – PRNPer Diem

Concierge Home Care · St. Cloud, Florida

$70-$100/hr
#3

Home Care Physical Therapist- Independent Contractor (Union County)

$74-$95/hr
#4

Home Care Physical Therapist- Per Diem (Ocean County)

$72-$95/hr
+ 44 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 22,081 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • Includes weekends

Living in North Bergen Township

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$654k
Typical market rent
$2,856/mo
State income tax
Up to 10.8%
Sources & methodology

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

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

Hackensack Meridian Health logo

About Hackensack Meridian Health

Hospitals and Health Care
Edison, New Jersey
10,000+ employees

Benefits & Perks

Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
Paid Leave
Tuition Reimbursement
Retirement Benefits