Cayuga Medical Center logo
Cayuga Medical Center
Ithaca, New York

Physical Therapist - Inpatient - Per Diem

Physical TherapistPer Diem

Listed compensation

$41-$57/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 1h ago · Verified live

Job Description

About Cayuga Health

Cayuga Health offers patient-centered, comprehensive health services at Cayuga Medical Center in Ithaca; Schuyler Hospital in Montour Falls; and more than 40 medical offices in the Finger Lakes and Central New York. Cayuga Health employs more than 450 providers from 40+ specialties. Additional services include a neo-natal intensive care unit, a home health care agency, an addiction recovery organization, and a skilled nursing facility.

Cayuga Health is a member of Centralus Health, a community-based integrated delivery system. Our mission is to deliver high-quality care, empower our teams to succeed, and improve the wellbeing of the communities we serve.

Our commitment to quality personalized care begins with our exceptional team—over 6500 employees strong. At Cayuga Health, you will work in a collaborative environment that values excellence, integrity, compassion and stewardship. Together, we create an environment where empathy, honesty and a dedication to quality thrive, empowering us to make a positive impact on the lives we touch.

We offer competitive wages, comprehensive benefits, and professional development opportunities to help our employees grow and thrive. Whether you are just starting your career or taking the next step in healthcare, we invite you to join us in shaping the future of care in our communities.

Learn more at cayugahealth.org.

Roles and Responsibilities

Clinical Decision-Making: Completes comprehensive chart review to determine PT appropriateness. Chooses appropriate exam & integrates findings into a comprehensive plan of care that is person & goal centered. Uses evidenced based practice to guide decision making & therapy intensity. Assesses response to intervention & adjusts interventions/plan of care appropriately.

Communication: Selects appropriate communication style based on age, learning style, cognition, and culture. Educates patient & family/caregivers using compassionate communication. Clearly communicates patient's PT needs & barriers to plan with interdisciplinary team to facilitate throughput. Initiates and maintains professional communication with every team member at all times including adverse, challenging, and crucial conversations.

Safety: Uses medical record & patient presentation to identify relative & absolute contraindications to participation in PT. Surveys patient and environment for safe movement barriers. Maintains expertise in use of all safe patient handling equipment.

Patient Management: Progresses interventions to facilitate achievement of patient's goals. Reassesses progress towards goals & adjusts plan of care. Produces clear, defensible documentation that supports clinical decision making. Uses clinical judgement to determine when immediate communication beyond documentation is required for safe coordinated patient care.

Discharge Planning: Synthesizes patient's life context and current functional status to determine discharge destination, level of support, additional services, and follow-up needs. Determines appropriate equipment needs and provides caregiver training as appropriate.

Required Skills and Experience

Education: Successful completion of accredited physical therapy program; may be Bachelor's, Master's, or Doctorate level program

  • Licensure: Current NYS Physical Therapy license
  • Certification(s): Current CPR Certification
  • Continual Training: Must complete yearly mandatory safety trainings and e-learning courses

Preferred Skills and Experience

  • Problem solving
  • Attention to detail
  • Time management
  • Flexibility in prioritizing and adjusting workload
  • Good written and oral communication skills

Physical Requirements

Ability to Move/lift Patients with Assistance

  • Repetitive use of hands and fingers (e. g., use of computer keyboard)
  • Sitting, walking, or standing for long periods of time
  • Must be able to physically operate the equipment used for the job

Location and Travel Requirements

Location: Onsite at Cayuga Medical Center - 101 Dates Drive, Ithaca, NY 14850

Shift

Per Diem. May be scheduled during various shifts to support coverage needs within the department.

Travel Requirements: 0% to 5% local area travel may be expected

Pay Range Disclosure

Standard Rate of $41.00 - $57.00 per hour

Cayuga Health System and its affiliates are committed to treating all patients, providers, staff and volunteers equitably and with dignity, ensuring the highest levels of safety, care and respect, and striving to recognize and overcome biases and policies that contribute to disparities in healthcare access, equitable care and positive health outcomes for all.

We are proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer, supporting the growth and health of our employees and community by embracing the rich diversity, needs and circumstances of all peoples and prioritizing opportunities to build a diverse and inclusive workplace. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable protected characteristics.

Key Responsibilities

The physical therapist will conduct comprehensive patient assessments, develop goal-centered care plans, and provide evidence-based interventions. They are also responsible for coordinating with the interdisciplinary team to facilitate safe patient discharge and maintain accurate clinical documentation.

Requirements

Candidates must have successfully completed an accredited physical therapy program and hold a current NYS Physical Therapy license. Additionally, a current CPR certification and the ability to perform physical tasks such as lifting patients are required.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure

Key Skills

Patient assessmentCare planningEvidence-based practicePatient educationInterdisciplinary communicationSafety protocols

Physical Therapist Career Context

Of the 40 active Physical Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 10% are remote, 30% have no call, 50% require no weekends.

In New York, the Physical Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$98k (763 salary observations; 1,875 listings), vs ~$94k nationally (15,149 salary observations; 57,960 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 New York?
MeasureThis jobMarket
New York vs national$98k median in New York$94k nationally (+5%)763 state / 15,149 national salary observations
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$94k in purchasing powerNew York index 107.9 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Physical Therapy listings in New York771 active21,803 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Oct 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 10% remote · 30% no call · 50% no weekends40 benchmarked listings
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing 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

39 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

22 jobs
4
<$100k
5
$100k-120k
5
$120k-140k
8
$140k-160k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

22 jobs
401k / retirement match
82%
CME allowance
55%
Sign-on bonus
14%
Loan repayment
9%
Relocation assistance
9%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Home Health Physical TherapistPer Diem

Transition Care Telemetry · Remote - Nationwide

$80-$110/hr
#2

Pediatric Physical Therapist

Family of Kidz · Baldwin, New York

$90-$110/hr
#3

Home Health Physical Therapist

$80-$110/hr
#4

Home Health Physical Therapist (PT) – PRN

$70-$100/hr
+ 37 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 4.8this job 1.5
Below most Physical Therapy listings for work-life

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 21,942 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • On-site
Cayuga Medical Center logo

About Cayuga Medical Center

Hospitals and Health Care
Ithaca, New York
1,001-5,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Competitive wages
Comprehensive benefits
Professional development opportunities

Living in Ithaca

Typical market rent
$1,975/mo
Residents’ average commute
19 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
103.3
State income tax
Up to 10.9%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Ithaca, NY metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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