Physical Therapist
Listed compensation
$52.04-$77.42/hr
The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed
Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.
Job Description
Where You’ll Work
Founded in 1887, Dignity Health - California Hospital Medical Center is a 318-bed, acute care, nonprofit hospital located in downtown Los Angeles, California.
Serving over 100,000 patients annually, the hospital offers a full complement of services including a Level II Trauma Center, Level III NICU, heart care, women’s health, and a family birth center.
In 2025, we opened our new patient tower, Grand Tower, featuring a dramatically expanded Emergency Department and Family Birth Center that will increase patient comfort and privacy.
Additionally, California Hospital Medical Center has been recognized as an LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. It is a Joint Commission-certified Primary Stroke Center, and recently was awarded the AMA/ASA’s Get the Guidelines - Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement, recognizing the hospital’s commitment to providing the best stroke care.
California Hospital Medical Center shares a legacy of humankindness with Dignity Health and CommonSpirit Health, one of the nation’s largest health care systems, dedicated to providing compassionate, high-quality, and affordable patient-centered care. One Community. One Mission. One California
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. Some duties & responsibilities are as follows:
Evaluates and treats all patient diagnoses comprehensively, and identifies appropriate treatment plan and goals consistent with physician's referral, patient's diagnosis, abilities and age -using objective, measurable data, within departmental policy timelines.
Communicates professionally and effectively (SBAR format) with the entire health care team (rehab, nursing, physicians, case managers) to effectively provide the best possible care for the patient.
Communicates with Director and supervisor effectively, and in a timely manner, regarding any issues, requests or ideas. Completes and forwards all required hospital and department forms, such as timecards, time-off requests, projects, without need for reminders.
All required Medical record documentation is timely, complete, legible and compliant with all departmental standards and regulatory guidelines, including the justification for skilled Physical Therapy need.
Consistently maintains productivity level at or above department standard and demonstrates excellent time management, including adjusting schedule as needed to complete assignments, communicating with the team and using downtime effectively.
- Job Requirements
- Required
- Current California Physical Therapy license or eligible for same
- Bachelors degree from a Physical Therapy institution accredited by the APTA.
- Masters degree from a Physical Therapy institution accredited by the APTA.
- Doctorate of Science from a Physical Therapy institution accredited by the APTA.
- Basic Life Support - CPR
- Fire Safety, within 90 Days
- Preferred
- 1-3 years experience as a licensed Physical Therapist in a hospital setting
Key Responsibilities
Evaluate patients, develop and update individualized plans of care, and provide treatments to improve physical function, reduce pain, and support quality of life. Coordinate care with patients, families, and the interdisciplinary team while maintaining timely, compliant documentation and meeting productivity standards.
Requirements
Requires a current California Physical Therapy license or eligibility for one, and a degree from an APTA-accredited physical therapy institution; the posting lists bachelor's, master's, and Doctor of Science degrees. Basic Life Support/CPR and Fire Safety are required within 90 days; 1–3 years of licensed physical therapist experience in a hospital setting is preferred.
Qualifications
- Education
- Master's degree (postgraduate degree)
Certifications
Key Skills
Physical Therapist Career Context
In California, the Physical Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$118k (1,220 salary observations; 4,366 listings), vs ~$94k nationally (12,288 salary observations; 64,780 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 California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$135k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $122k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).
| Measure | This job | Market |
|---|---|---|
| Listed pay | $108k–$161k | Physical Therapy median $129k (middle half $122k–$137k)27 comparable listings, Nov 2026 |
| California vs national | $118k median in California | $94k nationally (+26%)1,220 state / 12,288 national salary observations |
| Cost-of-living adjusted pay | ~$122k in purchasing power | California index 110.7 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) |
| Physical Therapy listings in California | 1,801 active | 22,064 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026 |
| Work setting | on-site | peers: 58% no call · 46% no weekends50 benchmarked listings |
| Sign-on & loan repayment | not stated | California physical therapist listings (all specialties): 20% state a sign-on bonus (median $10k) · 8% offer loan repayment1,000 active listings, Nov 2026 |
| New Physical Therapy listings | 7,998 in the last 30 days | 4,221 the 30 days before (+89%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026 |
| Physical Therapy pay trend | +1.8% vs prior quarter | —through Oct 2026 |
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