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UnitedHealth Group
Columbia, South Carolina

Physical Therapist Per Diem

Physical TherapistPer Diem

Listed compensation

$87k-$130k

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 1h ago · Verified live

Job Description

Explore opportunities with Providence Home Health, a part of LHC Group. As part of the Optum family of businesses, we provide home health, hospice and community-based services that help people receive quality care where they feel most comfortable: at home.

Rooted in personalized care, we support patients and provide comfort through each stage of their health journey, while building trusted relationships along the way. Find a home for your career here. Join us and embrace a culture of Caring. Connecting. Growing together.

As the Physical Therapist in Home Health, you will be completing assessments and evaluations of patient care needs related to functional status/mobility, endurance/stamina, pain and other medical conditions. Based on this assessment and evaluation, you will work to help determine a treatment plan, perform interventions aimed at improving and enhancing the patient's well-being, and evaluate the patient's progress.

Primary Responsibilities

Evaluates the patient's functional status and physical therapy needs. Assists the physician in the development of the therapy plan of care

Provides services within the scope of practice as defined by the state laws governing the practice of physical therapy, in accordance with the plan of care, and in coordination with other members of the health care team

Observes and reports the patient's response to treatment and any changes in his/her condition to the supervising nurse and/or the physician

Treats patients to relieve pain, develop and restore function, and/or maintain maximum functioning using acceptable standards of practice

Instructs and informs participating members of the health care team, the patient, and the family/caregivers regarding the plan of care, functional limitations, and progress toward goals

Visits patients according to Plan of Treatment, completes a progress note for each visit, and submits progress notes per LHC policy

  • Completes all patient evaluations and develops the PT plan of care within state specific guidelines
  • Reports outcomes of evaluation, goals, and anticipated projected frequency of care

Ability to function in any home situation regardless of age, race, creed, color, sex, disability, or financial condition of the client

You’ll be rewarded and recognized for your performance in an environment that will challenge you and give you clear direction on what it takes to succeed in your role as well as provide development for other roles you may be interested in.

Required Qualifications

  • Current Physical Therapy licensure in state of practice
  • Current driver’s license and vehicle insurance, access to a dependable vehicle, or public transportation

Preferred Qualifications

Current CPR certification or ability to complete within 90 days of hire

Pay Range

  • $86,607 - $129,910 annual total cash target pay
  • $49.97 - $74.95 per visit point
  • $41.64 - $62.46 hourly rate

Annual total cash compensation for this role assumes full-time employment (40 weekly hours) at full productivity and generally follows the range above.

Total cash compensation includes earnings from per visit point pay and hourly pay and is based on several factors including but not limited to local labor markets, education, work experience and may increase over time based on productivity and performance in the role.

This role receives two types of compensation depending on the work being performed. When conducting visits, you will be paid per visit point rate compensation. Your per visit pay will be calculated by multiplying your per visit point rate by the productivity points you accrue for various types of visits.

Each type of visit is assigned a certain number of productivity points that is inclusive of “direct” and “indirect” patient care activities. Visits are assigned based on patient and business needs.

The number of visits performed each week will vary based on individual productivity targets and the productivity points assigned to the visits performed. You will be paid your hourly rate for certain non-visit activities such as orientation. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.

In addition to your pay, we offer benefits such as, a comprehensive benefits package, recognition programs, equity stock purchase and 401k contribution (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements).

No matter where or when you begin a career with us, you’ll find a far-reaching choice of benefits and incentives.

At UnitedHealth Group, our mission is to help people live healthier lives and help make the health system work better for everyone. Together, we are shaping the future of healthcare by harnessing technology and innovation to make care simpler to navigate, more affordable and more connected for the people we serve.

We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels welcomed, valued, heard and respected, empowering people to bring their authentic selves to work and strengthening our collective impact through diverse talents, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.

#lhcjobs

UnitedHealth Group and its affiliated brands are an Equal Employment Opportunity employer under applicable law and qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations.

UnitedHealth Group and its affiliated brands are a drug-free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment..

Key Responsibilities

The Physical Therapist will conduct patient assessments and evaluations to develop and implement personalized treatment plans in a home health setting. They are responsible for providing interventions to improve patient mobility and function while coordinating care with the broader healthcare team.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a current Physical Therapy license in the state of practice and possess a valid driver's license with access to a reliable vehicle. The role requires the ability to perform physical therapy services in various home environments and maintain accurate patient progress documentation.

Qualifications

Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Patient assessmentTreatment planningFunctional status evaluationMobility assessmentPain managementHome health careIntervention planningPatient educationCare coordinationClinical evaluation

Physical Therapist Career Context

Of the 50 active Physical Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 2% are remote, 44% have no call, 60% require no weekends.

In South Carolina, the Physical Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$90k (277 salary observations; 1,261 listings), vs ~$94k nationally (10,783 salary observations; 58,901 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2026-01-01 through 2026-10-01; these are not the modal's selected comparable-job medians.

What does the Physical Therapy market look like in South Carolina?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$87k–$130kPhysical Therapy median $88k (middle half $76k–$104k)548 comparable listings, Oct 2026
South Carolina vs national$90k median in South Carolina$94k nationally (−4%)277 state / 10,783 national salary observations
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$116k in purchasing powerSouth Carolina index 93.7 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Physical Therapy listings in South Carolina505 active21,909 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Oct 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 2% remote · 44% no call · 60% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedSouth Carolina Physical Therapist listings: 26% state a sign-on bonus (median $10k) · 23% offer loan repayment525 active listings, Oct 2026
UnitedHealth Groupsilver tier, 74/100Top Employers work-life index1,513 active listings
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, Top Employers work-life index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Oct 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Top contract/1099 Physical Therapist Jobs

32 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

32 jobs · 18 employers
14
<$110k
12
$110k-125k
2
$125k-140k
3
$150k
1
$170k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

32 jobs · 18 employers
401k / retirement match
88% this job
CME allowance
50%
Sign-on bonus
38%
Loan repayment
9%
Relocation assistance
6%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Physical Therapist (PT) - Home Health

Pivot Home Health · Lakewood, Colorado

$50k-$170k
#2

Home Health Physical Therapist - Berkeley/Richmond

CVHCare · Berkeley, CA, United States

$150k
#3

Home Health Physical Therapist - Glendale

$150k
#4

Home Health Physical Therapist - Hayward

$150k
+ 30 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 4.8this job 1.7
Below most Physical Therapy listings for work-life

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 22,001 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

UnitedHealth Group logo

About UnitedHealth Group

Hospitals and Health Care
Eden Prairie , Minnesota
10,000+ employees

Benefits & Perks

Comprehensive benefits package
401k contribution
Equity stock purchase
Recognition programs

Living in Columbia

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$218k≈ 2.5× annual pay
Typical market rent
$1,500/mo≈ 21% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
18 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
93.7
State income tax
Up to 6.5%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Columbia, SC metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

Ratios use this listing’s gross annual pay. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.