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Ernest Health
Thornton, Colorado

Physical Therapist Assistant Per Diem

Physical Therapist AssistantPer Diem

Listed compensation

$38/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 9m ago · Verified live

Job Description

Physical Therapist Assistant - Per Diem - Thornton, Colorado

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.

Experience the perfect balance of city life and natural beauty in Thornton, Colorado. Just eight miles from downtown Denver and a short drive to Rocky Mountain National Park, the area offers 300 days of sunshine annually and endless recreational opportunities.

Whether you’re catching a game from one of Denver’s four professional sports teams or enjoying a concert at the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheater, there’s always something exciting nearby. Nestled at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, Thornton is an ideal destination for outdoor lovers and urban explorers alike.

We are seeking a Physical Therapist Assistant to join our team of passionate patient caregivers!

As a participating hospital of Ernest Health, we offer robust recognition, wellness, and retention programs. These programs focus to enhance the employees’ work experience, recognize, and celebrate 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 Assistant 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

Under the direction of a physical therapist, may be involved in implementing treatment plans with patients. Performs components of physical therapy procedures and related tasks selected by a supervising physical therapist. Records the patient's responses to treatment and reports to the physical therapist the outcome of each treatment. Integrates the hospital’s mission and “Guiding Principles” into daily practice.

Posted Total Compensation

The wage range for this role takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including, but not limited to, skill sets, experience, education and training, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs.

It’s not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is $

Minimum Salary

USD $38.00/Hr.

Maximum Salary

USD $38.00/Hr.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure

Certifications

BLS

Key Skills

Treatment planningSafety standardsDelegation

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
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
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 PTA Jobs

15 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

12 jobs · 11 employers
3
<$75k
5
$75k-80k
1
$83k
2
$85k-90k
1
$96k

Annual compensation range

Work-Life Balance Distribution

15 jobs · 11 employers
0
1-2
0
3-4
2
5-6
12
7-8
1
9-10

Higher = better work-life balance

#1

Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) PRNPer Diem

EmpowerMe Wellness · Longmont, Colorado

$39-$48/hr
#2

Physical Therapist Assistant

Healthpro Heritage · Hawthorne, New Jersey

$40-$45/hr
#3

Physical Therapist Assistant - Part Time- Knox, IN

$26/hr
#4

Home Health Physical Therapist Assistant

$70k-$96k
+ 13 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 4.8this job 3.0
Better work-life than 20% of Physical Therapist Assistant listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 4,946 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

Recognition programs
Wellness programs
Retention 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.