How to hire a physical therapist technician

How to hire a physical therapist technician, step by step

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

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your physical therapist technician 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 a physical therapist technician 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a physical therapist technician to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a physical therapist technician that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of physical therapist technician salaries for various roles:

   Type of Physical Therapist Technician	Description	Hourly rate
   Physical Therapist Technician	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.	$22-49
   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
   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

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Rehabilitation
   • Patient Care
   • Electrical Stimulation
   • Traction
   • Physical Therapy Treatment
   • Scheduling Appointments
   • Front Desk
   • Therapy Equipment
   • Patient Charts
   • Patient Treatment
   • Treatment Rooms
   • Vital Signs
   • Therapeutic Modalities

   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.
   • Order supplies for patients needs such as braces, wheelchairs, and walkers.
   • Administer traction to relieve cervical and lumbar pain, using intermittent and static traction equipment.
   • Fit patients for orthopedic braces, prostheses, and supportive devices, such as crutches.
   • Provide a variety of modalities to therapy patients including: cryotherapy, thermotherapy, ultrasound, electrical stem.
   • Instruct patients as to proper exercise techniques and monitor during sessions to ensure safety and facilitate efficient rehabilitation.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, physical therapist technicians' average salary in tennessee is 47% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level physical therapist technicians 54% less than senior-level physical therapist technicians.
   • Certifications. A physical therapist technician 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 a physical therapist technician's salary.

   Average physical therapist technician salary

   $70,364yearly

   $33.83 hourly rate

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   Entry-level physical therapist technician salary

   $47,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

4. Writing a physical therapist technician job description

   A physical therapist technician 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. To help get you started, here's an example of a physical therapist technician job description:

   Physical therapist technician job description example

   Under the direct supervision of a licensed Physical Therapist, performs treatments and provides exercise instruction, demonstration and education for patients at an entry to intermediate skill level. Under general supervision, performs diversified secretarial/clerical duties requiring knowledge of medical terminology and healthcare billing protocols. Provides support for department head and department staff as needed. Assists therapists and/or therapist assistants in preparing patients for therapy, treating patients and gathering supplies.
   Duties and Responsibilities:
   
   The following are essential job accountabilities:
   1. Carries out a program of exercise and treatment for assigned patients, as determined by evaluation performed by the Physical Therapist.
   2. Assists the Physical Therapist during patient testing, evaluations and complex procedures according to the rules and regulations of the APTA and PPTA.
   3. Coordinates physical therapy activities in collaboration with the other members of the interdisciplinary team to facilitate achievement of established goals.
   4. Ensures compliance with regulations set forth by the regulatory agencies and state governing bodies.
   5. Conducts or participates in training medical and nursing personnel in physical therapy techniques and objectives.
   6. Utilizes safe patient handling techniques for all patient transfers, lifts and positioning.
   7. Complies with PA practice act related to communication with supervising Physical Therapist.
   8. Answers telephones, routes callers, takes messages and provides routine information to callers.
   9. Greets and registers patients in accordance with established policies and procedures.
   10. Schedules patient appointments within established parameters.
   11. Performs a variety of billing functions including recording patient information, preparing and submitting patient charge vouchers and processing insurance information.
   12. Bills insurance carriers for appropriate payments.
   13. Contacts carriers to follow up on balances due.
   
   14. Maintains up-to-date patient accounts.
   15. Prepares and maintains records of patient charges.
   16. Creates medical records for new patients.
   17. Establishes and maintains files and records on an ongoing basis.
   18. Schedules meetings, training and other requirements for staff.
   19. Enters and/or retrieves data from established computer files using knowledge of various computer software applications.
   20. Compiles data for and prepares regularly scheduled or special reports, analyses and statements.
   21. Prepares the treatment areas for patient care including: sets up, removes, cleans, appropriately stores, and organizes equipment and supplies including linens. Assists with monitoring of supply stock, informing front office when supplies are low.
   22. Monitor temperatures of applicable equipment per policy.
   23. Clean hydroculators, ice pack machines, and paraffin baths and document on cleaning logs
   24. Assists department in preparation for regulatory surveys, utilizing checklists to ensure compliance.
   
   Qualifications:
   
   Minimum Education: Associate's Degree Graduate of an accredited physical therapist assistant program Req Cert/Registration: Certified Physical Therapist Assistant BLS certification Minimum Experience: Up to 6 months Must possess a valid driver's license in the current state of residence. Driving record must meet requirements established by WellSpan Risk Management. Willing/able to drive in varying weather conditions and in urban/rural settings.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right physical therapist technician 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.

   To find physical therapist technician candidates, you can consider the following options:

   • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
   • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with physical therapist technician 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.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you 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 physical therapist technician

   Once you have selected a candidate for the physical therapist technician 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 also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new physical therapist technician first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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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