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Essentia Health
Brainerd, Minnesota

Physical Therapist - 0.6FTE Flex - Brainerd Area

Physical TherapistIncludes weekendsNo callPart-Time

Listed compensation

$38.22-$57.33/hr

The week · per this posting

Ask the employer about the work setting, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 1h ago · Verified live

Job Description

Building Location

St Josephs - Rehabilitation

Department: 4003800 PHYSICAL THERAPY - SJMC

Job Description

Evaluates, plans, treats and implements care for patients in accordance with professional standards of the American Physical Therapy Association and policies and procedures of Essentia Health.

This is a Flex FTE Physical Therapist position primarily serving outpatient clinics in Brainerd and surrounding areas. Minimum commitment of 0.6 FTE (24 hours per week), with the opportunity to flex up to 0.9 FTE through outpatient or hospital coverage.

Education Qualifications

Bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree in Physical Therapy from a physical therapy accredited program

This position includes a $5,000 sign-on bonus for qualified hires.

Key Responsibilities

Provide therapy evaluation, develop individualized treatment plans, implement evidence-based interventions, provide patient/caregiver education, and discharge planning for a full patient caseload.

Provide all ancillary/administrative requirements for a full caseload of patients, including documentation, billing, scheduling management, and other administrative duties

Demonstrates appropriate communication, professionalism and supervision of support staff (licensed assistants, aides, volunteers)

  • Collaborate with a multidisciplinary care team to ensure optimal clinical and financial outcomes.
  • Work closely with Essentia Health leadership and coordinate with referring physicians to ensure cohesive patient care.
  • Comply with organizational policies and procedures and the code of conduct
  • Meet professional organization core values, code of ethics, &/or scope of practice

Work where the patient need is highest (including flexing to other departments) when home department schedule allows

May serve as a clinical instructor, participate in department or therapy discipline committees, and complete credential/certification that would benefit patient care

This role requires a minimum of 24 scheduled hours per week (0.6 FTE), with flexibility to increase to 0.9 FTE based on department needs and candidate availability. This role includes a Saturday and Sunday rotation at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Brainerd approximately once every 10–12 weeks.

Licensure/Certification Qualifications

Current Physical Therapist license in the state where services are performed

Organizational Highlights

  • Our mission and values are patient-centered, emphasizing the delivery of quality care
  • An annual continuing education budget is provided to support therapists in advancing their education and clinical skills*
  • Reimbursement for licensure expenses*
  • A rehabilitation career ladder is in place to reward high-performing therapists*

Leadership opportunities including staff education, committee participation, and staff onboarding and mentorship.

Employment at Essentia Health qualifies you for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). Please refer to the U.S. Department of Education’s website for the most current information regarding PSLF

*Must meet minimum FTE requirements

FTE

0.6

Possible Remote/Hybrid Option

Shift Rotation

FTE Flex Days (United States of America)

Shift Start Time

Shift End Time:

Weekends

Hospital rotation every 10-12 weeks

Holidays

No

Call Obligation

No

Union

Union Posting Deadline:

Compensation Range

$38.22 - $57.33

Employee Benefits at Essentia Health: At Essentia Health, we’re committed to supporting your well-being, growth, and work-life balance. Our comprehensive benefits include medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance, along with supplemental options to fit your needs.

We offer a 401(k) plan with employer contributions to help you plan for the future, and we invest in your professional development through training, tuition reimbursement, and educational programs.

To help you thrive both at work and at home, we provide flexible scheduling, generous time off, and wellness resources focused on your physical, mental, and emotional health. Please note that benefit eligibility may vary.

For full details, refer to your benefit summary or contact our HR Service Center at (218) 576-0000.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree in Physical Therapy from an accredited program. A current Physical Therapist license in the state of practice is required.

Qualifications

Education
Doctoral or professional degree (postgraduate degree)

Key Skills

Patient evaluationTreatment planningPatient educationClinical instructionMultidisciplinary collaborationProfessional communication

Physical Therapist Career Context

Of the 40 active Physical Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 43% have no call, 50% require no weekends.

In Minnesota, the Physical Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$97k (286 salary observations; 806 listings), vs ~$94k nationally (12,871 salary observations; 62,396 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 Minnesota?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Work-life score6.9 / 10 · top 25% in physical therapyranked against 21,724 Physical Therapy listingslisting-based score, 0–10
Listed pay$79k–$119kPhysical Therapy median $100k (middle half $81k–$104k)13 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Minnesota vs national$97k median in Minnesota$94k nationally (+3%)286 state / 12,871 national salary observations
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$101k in purchasing powerMinnesota index 98.6 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Physical Therapy listings in Minnesota279 active21,744 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 43% no call · 50% no weekends40 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repayment$5k sign-on · loan repaymentMinnesota Physical Therapist listings: 24% state a sign-on bonus (median $8k) · 18% offer loan repayment306 active listings, Nov 2026
New Physical Therapy listings7,556 in the last 30 days4,853 the 30 days before (+56%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Physical Therapy pay trend+2.2% vs prior quarter—through Oct 2026
Essentia Healthsilver tier, 73/100Top Employers work-life index142 active listings
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index (21,724 Physical Therapy listings), Top Employers work-life index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Physical Therapist - 0.6FTE Flex - Brainerd Area at Essentia Health a 6.9 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the top 25% in Physical Therapy — ranked against 21,724 active Physical Therapy listings on WeekdayDoc. Contributing factors include no on-call duties.

Top Physical Therapist Jobs

40 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

31 jobs · 26 employers
10
<$110k
12
$110k-125k
5
$125k-140k
4
$140k-155k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

33 jobs · 26 employers
401k / retirement match
88% this job
CME allowance
33% this job
Sign-on bonus
30% this job
Loan repayment
18% this job
Relocation assistance
9%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Home Health Physical Therapist-NEW GRADS WELCOMEPer Diem

Transition Care Telemetry · San Diego, California

$80-$120/hr
#2

Home Health Physical Therapist

Elite Care Management · Merrillville, Indiana

$75-$80/hr
#3

Home Health Physical Therapist

$75-$80/hr
#4

Physical Therapist-PT Per Diem

$65-$75/hr
+ 38 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 4.8this job 6.9
Better work-life than 80% of Physical Therapy listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 21,724 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • No call
  • Includes weekends
Essentia Health logo

About Essentia Health

Hospitals and Health Care
Duluth, MN
5,001-10,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Disability Insurance
401(k) with employer contributions
Tuition reimbursement
Annual continuing education budget
Reimbursement for licensure expenses
PSLF eligible
$5,000 sign-on bonus

Living in Brainerd

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$320k
Typical market rent
$1,011/mo
Residents’ average commute
20 min
State income tax
Up to 9.8%
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.