Career Overview
Assess, plan, organize, and participate in rehabilitative programs that improve mobility, relieve pain, increase strength, and improve or correct disabling conditions resulting from disease or injury.
Also Known As
- Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)
- Home Care Physical Therapist (Home Care PT)
- Inpatient Physical Therapist (Inpatient PT)
- Pediatric Physical Therapist (Pediatric PT)
Alternate Job Titles
- Acute Care PT (Acute Care Physical Therapist)
- Acute Physical Therapist (Acute PT)
- Cardiopulmonary Physical Therapist (Cardiopulmonary PT)
- Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)
- Geriatric Physical Therapist (Geriatric PT)
- Home Care Physical Therapist (Home Care PT)
- Home Health Physical Therapist (Home Health PT)
- Inpatient Physical Therapist (Inpatient PT)
- Kinesiotherapist
- LPT (Licensed Physical Therapist)
- Orthopedic Physical Therapist (Orthopedic PT)
- Outpatient Orthopedics Physical Therapist (Outpatient Ortho PT)
- Outpatient Physical Therapist (Outpatient PT)
- Outpatient Travel Physical Therapist (Outpatient Travel PT)
- Pediatric Physical Therapist (Pediatric PT)
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- Plan, prepare, or carry out individually designed programs of physical treatment to maintain, improve, or restore physical functioning, alleviate pain, or prevent physical dysfunction in patients.
- Perform and document an initial exam, evaluating data to identify problems and determine a diagnosis prior to intervention.
- Record prognosis, treatment, response, and progress in patient's chart or enter information into computer.
- Instruct patient and family in treatment procedures to be continued at home.
- Evaluate effects of treatment at various stages and adjust treatments to achieve maximum benefit.
- Confer with the patient, medical practitioners, or appropriate others to plan, implement, or assess the intervention program.
- Administer manual exercises, massage, or traction to help relieve pain, increase patient strength, or decrease or prevent deformity or crippling.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Customer and Personal Service
- Therapy and Counseling
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Psychology
- Education and Training
- English Language
- Biology
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Social Perceptiveness
- Service Orientation
- Writing
- Monitoring
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Time Management
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Written Comprehension
- Information Ordering
- Written Expression
- Problem Sensitivity
- Deductive Reasoning
- Inductive Reasoning
- Speech Recognition
- Speech Clarity
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Empathy
- Cooperation
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Optimism
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Relationships
- Achievement
- Recognition
- Working Conditions
- Independence
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: Doctoral Degree
On-the-Job Training: Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month
Education Details: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Experience Required: Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- eClinicalWorks EHR software
- MEDITECH software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Word
Tools & Equipment
- Above-the-knee prosthetics
- Adjusting tables
- Aquacisers
- Arm prosthetics
- Axial-resistance shoulder wheels
- Babinski hammers
- Balance beams
- Balance boards
- Below-the-knee prosthetics
- Biofeedback units
- Biomechanical ankle platform system BAPS systems
- Blood pressure cuffs
- Bolsters/wedges
- Canes
- Cervical pivots
Work Environment
- Contact With Others
- Physical Proximity
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Freedom to Make Decisions
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $74,420 |
| Median | $101,020 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $132,500 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 248,630
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Physical Therapist Assistants
Education: Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
Median Salary: $65,510
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physicians
Education: Doctoral Degree
Median Salary: >$239,200
Occupational Therapists
Education: Master's Degree
Median Salary: $98,340
Physical Therapist Aides
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $34,520
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Education: Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
Median Salary: $68,340
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.