How to hire an orthopedic physical therapist

How to hire an orthopedic physical therapist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step orthopedic physical therapist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an orthopedic physical therapist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new orthopedic physical therapist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your orthopedic physical therapist job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an orthopedic physical therapist for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An orthopedic physical therapist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, orthopedic physical therapists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of orthopedic physical therapists.

   Type of Orthopedic Physical Therapist	Description	Hourly rate
   Orthopedic Physical Therapist	Physical therapists, sometimes called PTs, help injured or ill people improve their movement and manage their pain. These therapists are often an important part of the rehabilitation, treatment, and prevention of patients with chronic conditions, illnesses, or injuries.	$23-51
   Therapist	A therapist is responsible for improving the patients' health conditions by evaluating their needs and providing physical and mental support. Therapists are licensed, medical professionals who specialize in different areas to perform treatments and bring relief to patients... Show more	$18-38
   In Home Therapist	An in-home therapist provides case management, counseling, resource system development, support system development, and crisis intervention services for family members and children. They provide goal-oriented and structured therapy on referral issues for families that help recover from neglect, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, or physical abuse... Show more	$19-31

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Rehabilitation
   • Patient Care
   • Home Health
   • Discharge Planning
   • Discharge Summaries
   • Inpatient Services
   • Program Development
   • Outpatient Clinic
   • Injury Prevention
   • PTA
   • Functional Mobility
   • Crutches
   • Treatment Techniques

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Demonstrate working knowledge of community mental health services identify in the Medicaid guidelines and attain contractual outcomes within designate time frames.
   • Restore functional mobility for patients and prevent or lessen disabilities following disease or injury.
   • Provide physical therapy services to a vast patient base, including individuals with physical impairments requiring use of specialize adaptive equipment.
   • Supervise PTAs and therapy techs daily in the administration of therapeutic interventions and patient care.
   • Develop and implement an activity checklist for post-operative patients to reduce incidence rate of pneumonia.
   • Supervise treatment conduct by physical therapist assistants and delegate appropriate tasks to rehabilitation technicians on a daily basis.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your orthopedic physical therapist job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An orthopedic physical therapist can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, orthopedic physical therapists' average salary in tennessee is 49% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level orthopedic physical therapists 56% less than senior-level orthopedic physical therapists.
   • Certifications. An orthopedic physical therapist with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an orthopedic physical therapist's salary.

   Average orthopedic physical therapist salary

   $72,799yearly

   $35.00 hourly rate

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   Entry-level orthopedic physical therapist salary

   $48,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 28, 2025

4. Writing an orthopedic physical therapist job description

   An orthopedic physical therapist job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of an orthopedic physical therapist job description:

   Orthopedic physical therapist job description example

   Job DescriptionWomen’s Advantage / Men’s Optimal Health Physical Therapy is a specialty pelvic health clinic that has been in the South Bay Beach Cities south of Los Angeles for over 20 years and is growing rapidly. We are ready to add full time Orthopedic Physical Therapist to our team in Torrance asap. This position is specifically for a candidate who has strong orthopedic, manual skills to treat a range of diagnoses, such as spine, hip, pelvis, but also would love to also support pregnant and postpartum moms in their pregnancy journey, birth prep and postpartum recovery. Mentorship is available for the right fit for our culture and clinical skill set.
   
   Our main clinic, located in Torrance, just moved into a new expanded space (5200 sq. ft. with 12 private treatment rooms) and we also have a satellite clinic in Long Beach. Our Long Beach location will be looking to add staff as well in the next year.
   
   We treat all genders for pelvic health challenges, pediatric bladder and bowel dysfunctions, as well as some oncology rehab and general ortho. We also offer cash Pilates classes to clients during or after their physical therapy plan of care. We are insurance based practice with 45 min sessions one on one with the PT or PTA, and do not utilize aides.
   
   We were approved and accredited for a 12 month pelvic health residency program in 2020/21, and just graduated our first resident, with our second resident halfway through our program. Our residency starts on Nov 1st each year.
   
   We are very focused on education and evidence based medicine, and in 2021 have hosted 14 satellite courses for Herman Wallace Pelvic Rehab Institute, with 13 being hosted in 2022. Our Director of Physical Therapy, Dr Jenni Gabelsberg, has been on HW faculty for 16 years and teaches the pelvic series and the OB series. All experienced staff have the opportunity to TA these satellite courses and we are open to staff developing subspecialty programs within our company.
   
   Our Core Values are:Rise by Lifting OthersRelentless CuriosityAdapt and Thrive Conscious CommunicationCultivate Community Embody Self-Care
   
   If these sound like characteristics that are important to you too, and you demonstrate these traits on a daily basis, we would love to meet you!
   
   Required:California PT license (or another state with plans to move to California) Strong orthopedic background and manual skills
   Interest in Pregnancy and Postpartum Conditions
   Recommended:1-2 years experience in orthopedic PT Experience/training in Pilates mat and reformer
   Check out our website for more information about our current staff and company.
   www.womensadvantagept.com

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5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find orthopedic physical therapists for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your orthopedic physical therapist job on Zippia to find and recruit orthopedic physical therapist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit orthopedic physical therapists, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new orthopedic physical therapist

   Once you have selected a candidate for the orthopedic physical therapist position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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