Avera Health logo
Avera Health
Yankton, South Dakota

Physical Therapist

Physical TherapistNo weekendsFull-Time

Listed compensation

$37.25-$56.25/hr

The week · per this posting · Monday – Friday

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

Posted 1mo ago

Job Description

Location: Avera Fox Run Medical Plaza

Worker Type

Regular

Work Shift

As Needed (United States of America)

Pay Range

The pay range for this position is listed below. Actual pay rate dependent upon experience.

$37.25 - $56.25

Position Highlights

  • Hours are M-F 8-5
  • May be eligible for a $10,000 sign on bonus!!

Student Loan Repayment: This position may be eligible for Avera’s Student Loan Repayment Program, which helps you pay off your loans and save money. Each month an extra payment of $167 (up to $10,000) from Avera will help pay down your principal balance faster.

You Belong at Avera

Be part of a multidisciplinary team built with compassion and the goal of Moving Health Forward for you and our patients. Work where you matter.

A Brief Overview

Responsible for the daily coordination and delivery of physical therapy services implementing specific treatment program for individual patients and patient groups according to the principles and practices of physical therapy and established objectives of the department.

What You Will Do

Evaluates assigned patients, gathering data from a variety of sources such as patient records, interviews, observation and team members.

Develops and implements individualized treatment programs for the patients needing services. Reviews plan of care with patient. Instructs patient, family, caregivers in home program or exercise as appropriate.

Uses selected activities and/or tasks to promote and maintain health, and to achieve treatment goals, establish and modify intervention and strategies for patients’ treatment program based on ongoing evaluation.

Provides direct therapy services to patients using various functional settings and strategies, plans therapy within the patient’s individual physical, emotional and intellectual capabilities as indicated and coordinated with the rehabilitation, medical, and nursing care plans.

Prepares documentation as required by the profession and the department, such as evaluation results, individualized treatment plans, progress notes, and other such reports.

Communicates effectively with the patient, family, physician, and other disciplinary team members regarding the patient’s status, progress and needs. Attends care conferences when applicable.

Establishes rapport and work cooperatively with interdisciplinary team members (including family/physician) throughout the patient’s intervention program.

Enhances professional growth and development through participation in educational programs, current literature, in-service meetings, workshops, etc.

Oversees physical therapy assistants, techs, and students in an efficient and effective manner that ensures safe patient care and smooth departmental operation.

Maintains knowledge of proper use of equipment for patient care.

Essential Qualifications

The individual must be able to work the hours specified.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job function satisfactorily including having visual acuity adequate to perform position duties and the ability to communicate effectively with others, hear, understand and distinguish speech and other sounds.

These requirements and those listed above are representative of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the essential job functions.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions, as long as the accommodations do not cause undue hardship to the employer.

Required Education, License/Certification, or Work Experience:

Physical Therapist - Licensing Board An active license in the state of practice Upon Hire

Preferred Education, License/Certification, or Work Experience:

Licensed physical therapist

Expectations and Standards

Commitment to the daily application of Avera’s mission, vision, core values, and social principles to serve patients, their families, and our community.

  • Promote Avera’s values of compassion, hospitality, and stewardship.
  • Uphold Avera’s standards of Communication, Attitude, Responsiveness, and Engagement (CARE) with enthusiasm and sincerity.
  • Maintain confidentiality.

Work effectively in a team environment, coordinating work flow with other team members and ensuring a productive and efficient environment.

Comply with safety principles, laws, regulations, and standards associated with, but not limited to, CMS, The Joint Commission, DHHS, and OSHA if applicable.

Benefits You Need & Then Some

Avera is proud to offer a wide range of benefits to qualifying part-time and full-time employees. We support you with opportunities to help live balanced, healthy lives. Benefits are designed to meet needs of today and into the future.

  • PTO available day 1 for eligible hires.
  • Up to 5% employer matching contribution for retirement
  • Career development guided by hands-on training and mentorship

Avera is an Equal Opportunity Employer - Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, Veteran Status, or other categories protected by law. If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request an accommodation for help with your online application, please call 1-605-504-4444 or send an email to talent@avera.org.

Key Responsibilities

Responsible for the daily coordination and delivery of physical therapy services by implementing individualized treatment programs for patients. Collaborates with interdisciplinary team members to evaluate patient status and ensure effective care delivery.

Requirements

Requires an active physical therapist license in the state of practice. Must possess the ability to perform essential job functions including effective communication and physical assessment skills.

Key Skills

Patient evaluationTreatment planningInterdisciplinary collaborationPatient educationClinical assessmentCare coordinationEquipment maintenance

Physical Therapist Career Context

The cost-of-living index for South Dakota is 88.6 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$97k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $110k in an average-cost state. 58.2% of South Dakota clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 50 active Physical Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 4% are remote, 48% have no call, 50% require no weekends.

What does the Physical Therapy market look like in South Dakota?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Work-life score6.0 / 10 · above average in physical therapyranked against 21,894 Physical Therapy listingslisting-based score, 0–10
Listed pay$77k–$117kPhysical Therapy median $94k (middle half $71k–$105k)283 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$110k in purchasing powerSouth Dakota index 88.6 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Physical Therapy listings in South Dakota51 active21,500 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 4% remote · 48% no call · 50% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repayment$10k sign-on · $10k loan repaymentUS Physical Therapist listings: 26% state a sign-on bonus (median $10k) · 19% offer loan repayment1,000 active listings, Nov 2026
New Physical Therapy listings7,629 in the last 30 days4,307 the 30 days before (+77%)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 (21,894 Physical Therapy listings), 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 at Avera Health a 6.0 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the Above average in Physical Therapy — ranked against 21,894 active Physical Therapy listings on WeekdayDoc. Contributing factors include no weekend requirements.

Location & Logistics

South Dakota has no state income tax, which can significantly increase take-home pay compared to high-tax states. At the posted ~$97k midpoint, that is roughly $4k–$7k a year versus a typical 4–7% state rate.

Top Physical Therapist Jobs

32 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

32 jobs · 14 employers
18
<$110k
8
$110k-125k
0
$125k-140k
5
$140k-155k
1
$165k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

31 jobs · 14 employers
401k / retirement match
97% this job
Sign-on bonus
52% this job
CME allowance
52%
Loan repayment
19% this job
Relocation assistance
3%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Physical Therapist

Home Care Providers Group · Yuba City, California

$165,000
#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 6.0
Better work-life than 70% of Physical Therapy listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 21,894 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • No weekends
Avera Health logo

About Avera Health

Non-profit Organizations
South Dakota

Benefits & Perks

PTO available day 1
Up to 5% employer matching contribution for retirement
Career development guided by hands-on training and mentorship
$10,000 sign-on bonus
Student Loan Repayment Program (up to $10,000)

Living in Yankton

Typical market rent
$1,050/mo
Residents’ average commute
13 min
State income tax
None
Sources & methodology

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

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