Job description template

Physical Therapist Job Description Template

A copy-ready physical therapist job description with responsibilities, qualifications, skills and pay guidance: customize it for your company in minutes.

Updated By the Career Education Institute Curriculum Team
How to use this template

Copy the template below, replace the bracketed fields and tailor duties to your workplace. For pay, national BLS data shows physical therapists earn a median of $102,760 ($49.40/hour); the middle 50% earn $86,160–$121,160.

Job title

Physical Therapist

Job summary

[Company name] is seeking a dependable physical therapist to join our team in [city, state]. In this role, you will examine and evaluate patients, diagnose movement problems and support our team’s commitment to safety, quality and service.

Responsibilities

  • Examine and evaluate patients
  • Diagnose movement problems
  • Design treatment plans
  • Guide therapeutic exercise
  • Provide manual therapy
  • Educate patients and families
  • Supervise PT assistants and aides
  • Follow company policies, safety procedures and applicable regulations

Required qualifications

  • Doctoral or professional degree
  • Current license or certification as required by [state]
  • Working knowledge of musculoskeletal evaluation and therapeutic exercise
  • Motivation skills and empathy
  • [Add role-specific requirements, such as driver’s license or ability to pass a background check, if job-related]

Preferred qualifications

  • NPTE
  • State PT license
  • Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist (OCS)
  • Experience with exercise equipment

Skills

  • Manual therapy
  • Neurologic rehab
  • Gait training
  • Documentation
  • Communication
  • Patience

Work environment and schedule

PTs work in outpatient clinics, hospitals, nursing facilities, homes, schools and sports settings. Most work full-time; clinics often offer early morning and evening hours.

Pay and benefits

$[min]–$[max] per [hour/year], depending on experience. [List benefits: health insurance, paid time off, retirement plan, training and certification support.]

Equal opportunity

[Company name] is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law, and we provide reasonable accommodations upon request.

Tips for a physical therapist job posting that attracts applicants

  • Use the title candidates search for. “Physical Therapist” is the clearest; alternates include PT, DPT, Physiotherapist.
  • Show the pay range. Postings with pay get more qualified applicants, and a growing number of states and cities require pay ranges in job postings.
  • Separate must-haves from nice-to-haves. Long requirement lists discourage qualified candidates, especially career changers.
  • Describe a real day. Borrow from our day in the life of a physical therapist so applicants self-select accurately.
  • Mention training. Highlighting structured onboarding: such as Physical Therapist training: widens your applicant pool.

Next steps

Screen and interview with our Physical Therapist hiring guide, then onboard with the 30-60-90 day plan.

Team pricing