How to hire an outpatient physical therapist

How to hire an outpatient physical therapist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step outpatient 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 outpatient physical therapist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new outpatient physical therapist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an outpatient physical therapist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your outpatient 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 outpatient 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 outpatient physical therapist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, outpatient 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.

   The following list breaks down different types of outpatient physical therapists and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Outpatient Physical Therapist	Description	Hourly rate
   Outpatient 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.	$19-51
   Clinician	A clinician specializes in providing diagnosis, treatment, and direct care to patients with different illnesses. A clinician's duties mainly revolve around conducting extensive research and analysis, providing medical care through various therapies, and improving one's overall health condition... Show more	$16-49
   Behavioral Health Technician	A behavioral health technician participates in treating patients with behavioral problems caused by mental health issues. They are primarily responsible for monitoring the behavior of the patient, following the guidelines of treatment from a mental health professional, and regularly reporting any progress or problems... Show more	$12-22

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Physical Therapy
   • Rehabilitation
   • Patient Care
   • Therapy Services
   • Social Work
   • Home Health
   • Discharge Planning
   • Compassion
   • Outpatient Therapy
   • Substance Abuse
   • Crisis Intervention
   • Mental Health
   • Community Resources

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Facilitate development of coping techniques to manage psychiatric symptoms effectively; educate patients on importance of medication management and compliance.
   • Demonstrate working knowledge of community mental health services identify in the Medicaid guidelines and attain contractual outcomes within designate time frames.
   • Perform assessments with clients to determine diagnosis and need of services.
   • Complete intake assessment and formulate diagnosis.
   • Assist veterans with transportation to interviews.
   • Provide active case management service for veterans in residential treatment.

   More outpatient physical therapist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your outpatient physical therapist job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An outpatient physical therapist salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, outpatient physical therapists' average salary in vermont is 71% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level outpatient physical therapists earn 63% less than senior-level outpatient physical therapists.
   • Certifications. An outpatient physical therapist with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an outpatient physical therapist's salary.

   Average outpatient physical therapist salary

   $66,359yearly

   $31.90 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level outpatient physical therapist salary

   $40,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 16, 2026

   Average outpatient physical therapist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$91,091	$44
   2	Arizona	$76,788	$37
   3	Washington	$76,708	$37
   4	Oregon	$69,931	$34
   5	New Mexico	$69,749	$34
   6	Texas	$64,032	$31
   7	Colorado	$55,339	$27
   8	Kansas	$49,908	$24
   9	Kentucky	$44,633	$21
   10	Missouri	$44,422	$21
   11	Florida	$41,581	$20
   12	Oklahoma	$41,030	$20
   13	South Dakota	$39,029	$19
   14	Minnesota	$37,420	$18
   15	Illinois	$33,540	$16
   16	Maryland	$32,320	$16
   17	Pennsylvania	$29,131	$14
   18	Michigan	$27,733	$13
   19	Connecticut	$27,423	$13
   20	Virginia	$27,278	$13

   Average outpatient physical therapist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Accountable Healthcare Holdings Corp.	$105,807	$50.87
   2	Aegis Therapies	$99,089	$47.64	514
   3	Concept Rehab	$98,317	$47.27	171
   4	Favorite Healthcare Staffing	$98,148	$47.19	1
   5	Suncoast Center	$98,134	$47.18	6
   6	Mayo Clinic	$98,031	$47.13	56
   7	Infinity Rehab	$94,978	$45.66	57
   8	Interstate Rehab	$93,271	$44.84
   9	University of California-Berkeley	$91,334	$43.91	3
   10	Thriveworks	$91,324	$43.91	371
   11	Aya Healthcare	$89,340	$42.95	14
   12	Tenet Healthcare	$89,339	$42.95	226
   13	American Mobile Healthcare	$87,990	$42.30	1
   14	Concentra	$87,558	$42.10	234
   15	Careerstaff Unlimited - A Genesis Healthcare Company	$87,401	$42.02
   16	Mental Health Partners	$86,341	$41.51
   17	Heartland Home Health Inc.	$85,608	$41.16	10
   18	Brooks Rehabilitation	$85,242	$40.98	75
   19	Alleghany	$84,828	$40.78	2
   20	Club Staffing	$84,175	$40.47

4. Writing an outpatient physical therapist job description

   An outpatient 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 outpatient physical therapist job description:

   Outpatient physical therapist job description example

   Join our amazing Rehabilitation Team. Resource team members provide coverage within our spaces, working variable shifts and hours based on business needs
   
   Multiple opportunities in both our inpatient and outpatient settings. Regional opportunities in our locations ranging from: Zeeland, Grand Haven, Holland, Hastings, Fremont, Big Rapids, Greenville, Ludington, and Muskegon
   
   Provides therapy to patients based on patient need and medical direction. Provides patient/caregiver education and arranges for adaptive equipment as needed.
   Essential Functions Performs evaluation procedures to assess the level of disability with regard to scope of practice, goals and a plan of treatment, and to make appropriate recommendations. Provides a treatment program and education to restore and return maximal function to the patient. Assesses effectiveness of treatment and modifies goals / treatment methods, as needed to meet changing needs. Documents evaluation and treatment of each patient in compliance with department standards, medical-legal and reimbursement procedures. Instructs and trains other rehabilitation staff, nursing, other medical personnel and students regarding patient needs and rehabilitation services. Participates in ongoing process improvement, patient satisfaction initiatives/improvement, program development and marketing activities. Demonstrates productivity as indicated by department standard. Improves skill areas as demonstrated by applying continuing education in-services, participating in competencies in applicable areas, and developing new concepts of patient care and additional skills with various population groups. Qualifications Bachelor's Degree or equivalent from an accredited physical therapy program (Required) Master's Degree (Preferred) 6 months of relevant experience (Preferred) Physical Therapist - STATE_MI State of Michigan Upon Hire (Required) Driver's License - STATE_MI State of Michigan Home Care Business Lines Upon Hire (Required) Basic Life Support (BLS) - AHA American Heart Association or Basic Life Support (BLS) - ARC American Red Cross within 90 Days of Hire (Required) Primary Location SITE - Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital - 1 Atkinson Dr - Ludington Department Name Resource Rehab Employment Type Part time Shift Day (United States of America) Weekly Scheduled Hours 0.04 Hours of Work Days Worked Weekend Frequency CURRENT SPECTRUM HEALTH TEAM MEMBERS - Please apply through Find Jobs from your Workday team member account. This career site is for Non-Spectrum Health team members only. Spectrum Health is committed to providing a safe environment for our team members, patients, visitors and community. That is why we require a drug-free workplace and various vaccinations as a requirement for employment.
   
   Spectrum Health grants equal employment opportunity to all qualified persons without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, religion, genetic information, marital status, height, weight, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other legally protected category.
   
   An interconnected, collaborative culture where all are encouraged to bring their whole selves to work, is vital to the health of our organization. As a health system, we advocate for equity as we care for our patients, our communities, and each other. From workshops that develop cultural intelligence, to our inclusion resource groups for people to find community and empowerment at work, we are dedicated to ongoing resources that advance our values of diversity, equity, and inclusion in all that we do. We invite those that share in our commitment to join our team.
   
   If you are a qualified individual with a disability, you may request assistance in completing the application process by calling . We are committed to granting reasonable accommodations in accordance with applicable laws.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right outpatient physical therapist for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your outpatient physical therapist job on Zippia to find and attract quality outpatient physical therapist candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with outpatient physical therapist candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   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 outpatient physical therapist

   Once you've decided on a perfect outpatient physical therapist candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new outpatient physical therapist. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are 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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How much does it cost to hire an outpatient physical therapist?