PTT EXTERNSHIP GUIDE
Physical Therapy Technician Externship in South Dakota
Your complete guide to gaining hands-on clinical experience in South Dakota. Work alongside licensed Physical Therapists at top rehabilitation facilities. South Dakota has 230+ job openings with $32K average salary.
40-80
Hours Recommended
50+
PT Facilities
230+
SD Job Openings
$32K
Avg SD Salary
$0
Externship Cost
Why Get a PTT Externship?
A Physical Therapy Technician externship gives you real-world clinical experience that employers value. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, physical therapist aides earn a median salary of $35,330 nationally, with South Dakota paying 9% below average at $32,280. Hands-on experience sets you apart from other candidates.
An externship helps you:
- ✓ Practice patient transfers, therapeutic exercises, and equipment operation in a real clinical environment
- ✓ Build professional references from licensed Physical Therapists and PTAs
- ✓ Discover which PT setting fits you best (inpatient rehab, outpatient clinic, sports medicine, SNF)
- ✓ Convert your externship into a job offer — many facilities hire their externs
- ✓ Gain confidence working with patients recovering from injuries, surgeries, and neurological conditions
New to physical therapy? EHired offers free training to prepare you for AMCA certification. An externship is optional but highly recommended for building clinical skills and professional connections.
⚠️ Important: EHired does NOT place, arrange, or supervise externships. You contact rehabilitation facilities and PT clinics directly to arrange your own placement. This self-managed approach gives you flexibility to choose sites near your home and build direct relationships with potential employers.
How to Find a PTT Externship in South Dakota
Follow this step-by-step process to secure a clinical externship at a South Dakota rehabilitation facility.
Identify Potential Sites
Look for facilities with PT departments:
- ✓ Outpatient PT clinics — Indian Health Service, ATI, Athletico
- ✓ Rehabilitation hospitals — Sanford Health
- ✓ Hospital PT departments — Avera Health, Monument Health
- ✓ Sports medicine centers — Athletic training facilities, team clinics
- ✓ Skilled nursing facilities — Genesis, ManorCare, local SNFs
- ✓ Home health agencies — Bayada, Amedisys, LHC Group
Prepare Your Approach
Get ready before contacting sites:
- ✓ Update your resume — Include EHired training, any fitness/healthcare experience
- ✓ Prepare a pitch — "I'm completing PTT training and seeking hands-on clinical experience"
- ✓ Highlight relevant skills — Physical fitness, patient interaction, attention to detail
- ✓ Be flexible — Offer to work their schedule, early mornings or evenings
- ✓ Dress professionally — Scrubs or business casual for in-person visits
Make Contact
Reach out to PT facilities directly:
- ✓ Call first — Ask for the clinic manager or rehab director
- ✓ Visit in person — Drop off resume during non-peak hours (early AM or 2-4 PM)
- ✓ Email if provided — Brief, professional, attach resume
- ✓ Explain the arrangement — Unpaid, flexible hours, eager to learn PT skills
- ✓ Follow up — If no response in 1 week, call again politely
Complete Your Externship
Make the most of your experience:
- ✓ Arrive early — Show reliability and eagerness to learn
- ✓ Ask questions — PTs appreciate engaged learners
- ✓ Take initiative — Help with equipment setup, cleaning, patient prep
- ✓ Document your hours — Keep a log for your records
- ✓ Request feedback — Ask for a reference letter before you leave
PTT Externship Sites in South Dakota
These healthcare systems and facilities have PT departments that may accept extern volunteers. Contact them directly to inquire about externship opportunities.
Sanford Health
Top Employer📍 Sioux Falls
📞 605-333-1000
Dominant regional system
View Opportunities →Avera Health
Major System📍 Sioux Falls/Statewide
📞 605-322-4500
Major competitor
View Opportunities →Indian Health Service
Tuition Aid📍 Reservations
📞 605-226-7581
Tribal healthcare
View Opportunities →ATI Physical Therapy
National Chain📍 Multiple locations
📞 Contact local clinic
National outpatient PT network with locations across the state
View Opportunities →🏃 Sports Medicine & Orthopedic
- • ATI Physical Therapy — National chain with local presence
- • Athletico Physical Therapy — Sports rehab focus
- • CORA Physical Therapy — Growing regional network
- • Pivot Physical Therapy — Orthopedic specialization
- • Local university athletics — College sports medicine
🏠 SNF & Home Health
- • Genesis Healthcare — Skilled nursing facilities statewide
- • Kindred Healthcare — Post-acute care and rehab
- • ManorCare/ProMedica — Rehabilitation and skilled nursing
- • Bayada Home Health — Home health PT services
- • Amedisys — Home health and hospice
Skills You'll Learn During Your PTT Externship
A clinical externship provides hands-on experience with core PT Tech competencies that classroom training alone cannot replicate.
Patient Mobility
Safe patient transfers, gait training assistance, wheelchair mobility, and use of assistive devices (walkers, canes, crutches).
Therapeutic Exercise
Setting up exercise equipment, assisting with stretching protocols, monitoring exercise form, and tracking repetitions.
Modality Application
Hot/cold pack application, ultrasound preparation, electrical stimulation setup, and paraffin bath treatments.
Equipment Management
Treatment table preparation, equipment maintenance, supply inventory, and ensuring clean treatment areas.
Documentation Support
Recording patient attendance, tracking exercise completion, scheduling follow-up appointments, and basic EHR navigation.
Patient Communication
Professional interaction with patients, explaining exercises, providing encouragement, and reporting concerns to supervising PT.
South Dakota PT Tech Market
South Dakota offers unique advantages for PT Technicians:
Sanford vs Avera: Competitive Advantage
Sioux Falls hosts an unusual situation: two major health systems (Sanford Health and Avera Health) competing in a market of 280,000 people. This competition benefits PT Techs through higher wages and better benefits than monopoly markets provide. Both systems recruit actively, and workers have leverage unusual for rural states. This dynamic makes Sioux Falls surprisingly attractive for healthcare careers.
Reservation Healthcare
South Dakota's Pine Ridge and Rosebud reservations face some of America's most challenging health disparities. Indian Health Service facilities serve native populations with chronic conditions and limited resources. PT Techs in reservation healthcare gain cross-cultural experience, develop broad clinical skills, and receive federal benefits including loan forgiveness. The work is demanding but provides community impact unavailable in mainstream healthcare.
| Region | Salary Range | Externship Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sioux Falls | $33K-$42K | Sanford/Avera competition, most jobs |
| Rapid City/Black Hills | $31K-$40K | Monument Health, tourism |
| Aberdeen/Mitchell | $29K-$38K | Smaller cities |
| Reservations | $32K-$42K | IHS, federal benefits, shortage pay |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about PTT externships in South Dakota
How does Sanford vs Avera competition benefit PT Techs?
What opportunities exist on South Dakota's reservations?
Is there PT opportunity in the Black Hills?
Does South Dakota's no income tax matter for PT Techs?
What PTA programs are in South Dakota?
How many hours should a PTT externship be in South Dakota?
Ready to Start Your PTT Career in South Dakota?
Complete your free training with EHired, then secure an externship at one of South Dakota's top rehabilitation facilities. Many externs convert their experience into full-time positions.