How to hire a registered physical therapist

How to hire a registered physical therapist, step by step

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

What does a registered physical therapist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a registered physical therapist, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or 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 registered physical therapist 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 registered physical therapist that fits the bill.

   This list presents registered physical therapist salaries for various positions.

   Type of Registered Physical Therapist	Description	Hourly rate
   Registered 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
   • Respiratory Care
   • Healthcare
   • PTA
   • Rehabilitation
   • Home Health
   • Ventilation
   • Direct Patient Care
   • Adaptive
   • EKG
   • Physical Therapy
   • Orthotics
   • Traumatic Brain Injury
   • Discharge Planning

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage rehabilitation department and coordinate the rehabilitation program to the facility.
   • Excel in ability to customize/adapt conventional physical therapy techniques to meet the specific needs of patients.
   • Place orders for appropriate assistive devices, orthotics and prosthetics as per patient need.
   • Administer rehabilitation therapies, which improve patient's mobility and movement.
   • Operate and supervise oscillating traction for patients depending on insurance qualification.
   • Evaluate patients and work closely with other clinicians for determining need for and obtaining specialize equipment and/or orthotic devices.

   More registered physical therapist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your registered physical therapist job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A registered physical therapist salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a registered physical therapist in Arkansas may be lower than in California, and an entry-level registered physical therapist usually earns less than a senior-level registered physical therapist. Additionally, a registered physical therapist with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average registered physical therapist salary

   $72,910yearly

   $35.05 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level registered physical therapist salary

   $49,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average registered physical therapist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$117,085	$56
   2	Washington	$104,725	$50
   3	Massachusetts	$99,787	$48
   4	Illinois	$83,936	$40
   5	Rhode Island	$81,907	$39
   6	Wyoming	$78,387	$38
   7	Hawaii	$78,367	$38
   8	Idaho	$77,862	$37
   9	Indiana	$75,880	$36
   10	Nebraska	$75,550	$36
   11	Michigan	$73,266	$35
   12	South Carolina	$70,281	$34
   13	Ohio	$70,198	$34
   14	Colorado	$70,047	$34
   15	Texas	$69,989	$34
   16	New York	$69,963	$34
   17	Georgia	$68,322	$33
   18	Florida	$66,618	$32
   19	Arizona	$64,675	$31
   20	Tennessee	$56,730	$27

   Average registered physical therapist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Functional Pathways	$88,867	$42.72	2
   2	Notre Dame Health Care	$86,596	$41.63	1
   3	Lane Regional Medical Center	$82,412	$39.62	3
   4	Conway Medical Center	$80,566	$38.73	1
   5	Alpena Regional Medical Center	$79,287	$38.12
   6	Clinical Management Consultants	$79,264	$38.11
   7	Careerstaff Unlimited - A Genesis Healthcare Company	$78,871	$37.92
   8	Kootenai Health	$78,292	$37.64	5
   9	Life Care Centers of America	$77,061	$37.05	90
   10	Cooper University Health Care	$77,039	$37.04	8
   11	Anderson Hospital	$76,786	$36.92
   12	Lake Charles Memorial Health System	$75,700	$36.39
   13	Professional Home Care Associates and Neurosport Rehabilitation Associates	$74,968	$36.04
   14	Brattleboro Memorial Hospital	$74,520	$35.83	9
   15	Hutchinson Regional Medical Center	$74,317	$35.73	3
   16	Atrium Health Floyd	$74,119	$35.63	97
   17	Life Care Solutions	$72,279	$34.75	7
   18	Virginia Mason Medical Center	$72,248	$34.73
   19	Penn Medicine Princeton Health	$70,970	$34.12	39
   20	CoxHealth	$70,956	$34.11

4. Writing a registered physical therapist job description

   A job description for a registered physical therapist role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a registered physical therapist job description:

   Registered physical therapist job description example

   Cottesmore of Life Care- Offering a $10,000 Sign on Bonus for FT
   
   $40 - $50 / hour Patient Centered In-house therapy programs Continuing Education and growth opportunities Part of a network of over 200 privately owned facilities PRN opportunities available
   
   Position Summary
   
   The PT - Physical Therapist provides direct rehab care in physical therapy to patients upon physician referral in accordance with all applicable laws, regulations, and Life Care standards.
   
   Education, Experience, and Licensure Requirements
   
   * Graduate of an accredited program in physical therapy, BSPT, MSPT, or DPT (2003 or later must have MSPT or DPT)
   * Currently registered/licensed in applicable State. Must maintain an active license in good standing throughout employment.
   * One (1) year experience in post acute care or related setting preferred
   * CPR certification upon hire or obtain during orientation. CPR certification must remain current during employment.
   
   Specific Job Requirements
   
   * Participates in community health matters/projects as appropriate
   * Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, and e mail
   * Liaisons with patients, families, support departments, etc., to adequately plan for patient needs
   * Must demonstrate good body mechanics at all times
   * Make independent decisions when circumstances warrant such action
   * Knowledgeable of practices and procedures as well as the laws, regulations, and guidelines governing functions in the post acute care facility
   * Implement and interpret the programs, goals, objectives, policies, and procedures of the department
   * Perform proficiently in all competency areas including but not limited to: patient rights, and safety and sanitation
   * Maintains professional working relationships with all associates, vendors, etc.
   * Maintains confidentiality of all proprietary and/or confidential information
   * Understand and follow company policies including harassment and compliance procedures
   * Displays integrity and professionalism by adhering to Life Care's Code of Conduct and completes mandatory Code of Conduct and other appropriate compliance training
   
   Essential Functions
   
   * Follow physical therapy treatment plans for patients
   * Establish, assess, and modify realistic, measurable, timely, and functional goals
   * Oversee and evaluate care given by PTAs, Rehab Aides, and PT and PTA students
   * Chart appropriately and timely
   * Utilize therapy software appropriately and accurately
   * Exhibit excellent customer service and a positive attitude towards patients
   * Assist in the evacuation of patients
   * Demonstrate dependable, regular attendance
   * Concentrate and use reasoning skills and good judgment
   * Communicate and function productively on an interdisciplinary team
   * Sit, stand, bend, lift, push, pull, stoop, walk, reach, and move intermittently during working hours
   * Read, write, speak, and understand the English language
   
   An Equal Opportunity Employer

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find registered 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 registered physical therapist job on Zippia to find and recruit registered 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

   Recruiting registered physical therapists requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   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 registered physical therapist

   Once you've selected the best registered physical therapist candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing 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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How much does it cost to hire a registered physical therapist?