Physical Therapists

Salary Overview

Job Outlook (2024–2034)

Key Skills

Knowledge Areas

What They Do

• 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.
• 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.
• Obtain patients' informed consent to proposed interventions.
• Test and measure patient's strength, motor development and function, sensory perception, functional capacity, or respiratory or circulatory efficiency and record data.
• Direct, supervise, assess, and communicate with supportive personnel.
• Review physician's referral and patient's medical records to help determine diagnosis and physical therapy treatment required.

Tools & Technology

★ = Hot Technology (in-demand)

Education Requirements

Typical entry-level education: Related Work Experience

Related Careers

Careers with the highest skill compatibility from Physical Therapists.

A Day in the Life

A physical therapist's day typically starts with reviewing new patient referrals and preparing for initial evaluations, which involve comprehensive assessments of movement, strength, range of motion, and functional limitations. They develop individualized treatment plans based on clinical findings, patient goals, and evidence-based practice guidelines. Throughout the day, PTs work directly with patients performing manual therapy techniques, prescribing therapeutic exercises, and applying modalities such as ultrasound or electrical stimulation. Each session includes patient education on their condition, home exercise programs, and strategies for injury prevention. Between patients, therapists document evaluations, progress notes, and discharge summaries in electronic health records. PTs also supervise physical therapist assistants and aides, ensuring treatment plans are executed correctly. Many therapists participate in team meetings with physicians, surgeons, and other healthcare providers to discuss complex cases. The day often ends with returning calls to physicians, reviewing insurance authorizations, and planning for the next day's caseload.

Work Environment

Physical therapists work across a broad range of settings, with outpatient clinics being the most common. Hospitals employ PTs in acute care units, intensive care, and inpatient rehabilitation floors where patients require intensive daily therapy. Skilled nursing facilities and home health agencies provide opportunities to work with elderly and homebound patients. Sports medicine facilities and athletic training rooms offer dynamic environments centered around performance and injury recovery. School systems employ physical therapists to support children with disabilities in educational settings. The work is physically demanding, requiring therapists to demonstrate exercises, manually assist patients with movement, and maintain their own physical fitness. Most outpatient settings operate during traditional business hours, though some offer early morning or evening appointments. Private practice ownership provides autonomy in scheduling, caseload management, and clinical decision-making. Research and academic settings allow therapists to contribute to advancing the profession through evidence generation and education.

Career Path & Advancement

Becoming a physical therapist requires earning a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree from a CAPTE-accredited program, which typically takes three years of graduate study following a bachelor's degree with prerequisite coursework in biology, anatomy, physiology, chemistry, and physics. DPT programs include extensive classroom instruction in musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, cardiovascular, and integumentary systems, along with multiple full-time clinical rotations. After graduation, all states require passing the National Physical Therapy Examination for licensure. New graduates often begin in generalist positions before developing clinical expertise in specific areas. Board-certified clinical specializations through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties include orthopedics, neurology, geriatrics, sports, pediatrics, women's health, cardiovascular and pulmonary, and clinical electrophysiology. Experienced PTs may advance to clinic director, regional manager, or practice owner roles. Academic careers in DPT education combine teaching, clinical practice, and research.

Specializations

Physical therapy offers numerous subspecialties that allow practitioners to focus on specific patient populations or conditions. Orthopedic physical therapists treat musculoskeletal injuries including fractures, sprains, post-surgical rehabilitation, and repetitive strain conditions. Neurological physical therapists work with patients who have Parkinson's disease, stroke, traumatic brain injuries, multiple sclerosis, and spinal cord injuries. Sports physical therapists specialize in treating and preventing athletic injuries and often work with teams, individual athletes, or performing artists. Geriatric physical therapists address age-related conditions such as osteoporosis, arthritis, balance disorders, and mobility limitations. Pediatric physical therapists treat children with developmental delays, cerebral palsy, and genetic disorders affecting movement. Women's health physical therapists focus on conditions related to pregnancy, postpartum recovery, pelvic floor dysfunction, and osteoporosis. Cardiovascular and pulmonary therapists work with patients recovering from heart attacks, open heart surgery, and chronic lung diseases. Wound care specialists treat patients with complex wounds and burns requiring physical rehabilitation.

Pros & Cons

Industry Insight

Physical therapy is experiencing robust growth fueled by an aging population, increased prevalence of chronic diseases, and a healthcare system shifting toward conservative management before surgical intervention. Direct access laws, which allow patients to see physical therapists without a physician referral, have expanded in many states and are increasing the profession's autonomy and accessibility. Telehealth and remote therapeutic monitoring have become permanent fixtures in physical therapy practice following rapid adoption during the pandemic. Evidence supporting physical therapy as a first-line treatment for musculoskeletal pain, rather than opioids or imaging, continues to strengthen the profession's position in healthcare delivery. Technology integration through wearable sensors, artificial intelligence-driven movement analysis, and virtual reality rehabilitation is expanding treatment capabilities. The profession faces challenges including rising student debt levels for DPT graduates and reimbursement pressures from Medicare and commercial insurers. Workforce diversity initiatives are actively working to increase representation of underrepresented groups in the profession.