Physical therapist job description template: setting, caseload, NPTE and compact lines, and per-visit pay

A physical therapist reading "PT needed, outpatient, competitive salary" cannot tell whether the clinic books two patients an hour with an aide or one patient an hour without, whether there is a documentation block, or whether the job is really home health with per-visit pay. Those details decide whether an experienced PT applies, and the licensing lines decide whether they can start. A useful physical therapist job description names the setting, the caseload and scheduling model, the support staff, the license line in your state's terms and the pay structure. Below are the setting choices, the licensing, compact and classification lines with sources, a copy-ready template, screening and scorecard rows built from the must-haves, and the mistakes that cost rehab teams good applicants. For the call itself, use physical therapist screening questions.

Decide the setting and the scheduling model

Then settle the numbers PTs compare between offers: patients per day or visits per week, whether patients overlap, evaluation length, how many PTAs and aides support the PT, documentation time built into the schedule and the weekend rotation. Put them in the summary.

Degree, licensure and compact lines, with sources

Degree and license. BLS says physical therapists need a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from an accredited program, that all states require PTs to be licensed, which includes passing a qualifying exam, and that some states also require a law exam or a criminal background check (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, last modified August 27, 2026). The qualifying exam is the National Physical Therapy Examination, administered through the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy. FSBPT's eligibility rules call for a degree from a CAPTE-accredited program or a credentials evaluation showing substantial equivalence, and approval by the licensing authority of the state where the candidate seeks licensure (FSBPT NPTE eligibility). Licenses can be checked through FSBPT's license verification or the state board.

The PT Compact. A compact privilege lets a PT licensed in a member home state practice in another member state. The commission lists the requirements: a valid PT license in a home state that is a compact member, no active encumbrances or disciplinary actions in the past two years, a destination state that is a member, the applicable fees, and a jurisprudence exam where the state requires one (PT Compact, how to get privileges). In October 2026 the commission's map listed 38 member states as actively issuing and accepting privileges (compact map). If your state is a member, add a line welcoming applicants who hold or can buy a privilege.

Specialist certification. BLS describes board specialist certification as optional, requiring an exam and clinical work in the specialty. Treat it as a nice-to-have for specialty clinics.

Exempt or nonexempt. The learned professional exemption requires pay on a salary or fee basis at no less than the standard level, which the Department of Labor lists as $684 a week (DOL Fact Sheet 17D). A fee is an agreed sum for a single job regardless of the time it takes, and pay based on hours or days worked is not a fee (29 CFR 541.605). Salaried clinic PTs are usually simple; hourly PRN and per-visit home health plans are the ones to review with counsel. State rules can be stricter.

The physical therapist job description template

Physical Therapist — [Outpatient Orthopedic / Acute Care / SNF /
Home Health / Pediatric], [Full-Time / Part-Time / PRN]
[Organization], [city, state] [Home health: territory and counties]
Pay: $[min]–$[max] per [year / hour / visit, with visit types
and rates], plus [mileage $N per mile, productivity bonus with how
it is calculated, CEU allowance $N].
[Benefits summary, if required.] [Exempt / Nonexempt, after review.]

SUMMARY
You will treat [patient population] in [setting], about [N]
patients a day / [N] visits a week, with [one patient at a time /
up to N overlapping patients]. Evaluations are [N] minutes and
follow-ups [N] minutes. You will work with [N] PTAs and [N] aides,
and have [N] minutes of documentation time each day. You will
report to [rehab director / clinic director].

WHAT YOU WILL DO
- Evaluate patients, set goals and write plans of care.
- Treat with [manual therapy, exercise, gait and balance training,
  modalities used here].
- Supervise PTAs and aides according to [state] rules.
- Document in [EHR] and meet the payer and facility requirements
  for [progress notes, recertifications].
- Coordinate with [physicians, OTs, case managers, families,
  teachers].
- [Weekend rotation: (frequency).]

YOU MUST HAVE
- Doctor of Physical Therapy or equivalent qualifying degree.
- Active [state] PT license [or PT Compact privilege for [state]]
  [or new graduate with licensure by (date)].
- Current [BLS / CPR].
- [Home health: valid driver's license and auto insurance.]
- Ability to perform the duties above, with or without reasonable
  accommodation.

NICE TO HAVE
- Experience in [setting or specialty].
- Board specialist certification in [specialty], or residency.
- [Language] for patients who speak it.
If you meet the must-haves and none of these, please apply.
New graduates are [welcome, with (mentoring plan) / not
considered for this opening].

FIXED CONDITIONS
- Offer subject to license verification, [background check,
  health screening] as required by law.

[EEO STATEMENT]
Need an adjustment to apply or interview? Contact [address].

Pay, physical tasks and EEO

Post the range in the unit you actually pay, and for per-visit pay list the rate for each visit type. Check pay transparency laws by state. BLS publishes pay data for physical therapists in the Handbook profile linked above; this page does not quote figures. Describe the physical work as tasks (guarding patients during gait training, transfers with a gait belt or lift) instead of a lifting number, and keep health screening after a conditional offer, as explained in pre-employment medical exams under the ADA. Close with a short EEO statement.

From must-haves to screening questions and scorecard rows

The first 90 days are mapped in the 30-60-90 day plan for physical therapists, and the later rounds for clinical roles are in the interview guide for healthcare roles. Rehab teams hiring both disciplines can pair this with occupational therapist screening questions.

Common mistakes in physical therapist job descriptions

No patients-per-hour number

Outpatient PTs leave jobs over volume more than anything else. If patients overlap, say how many. A candidate who learns this at the clinic tour has already wasted two interviews.

Per-visit pay without visit definitions

"Competitive per-visit rates" says nothing. List the rate for evaluations, routine visits, reassessments and discharges, and whether mileage and documentation time are paid.

"Licensed in [state]" when the compact would do

If your state accepts compact privileges, saying "license required" turns away PTs who could start sooner with a privilege. Name both routes.

Specialist certification as a must-have

Requiring board certification for a general outpatient seat shrinks the pool to people who will expect specialty pay. Make it a nice-to-have unless the clinic is a true specialty practice.

Leaving out the support staff

The number of PTAs and aides changes the job. Write it down, along with who schedules patients and who handles authorizations.

Before you publish

• Setting, caseload, overlap and documentation time are in the summary.
• The license line names the state and, where it applies, the compact route.
• The new graduate policy is explicit.
• Pay is in the unit you pay, with visit types defined, and classification has been reviewed.
• Physical tasks, the accommodation contact and the EEO statement are included.