Allied Health & Medical Technology
Physical Therapist
Salary, job outlook, education and requirements
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 called: Acute Care PT (Acute Care Physical Therapist) · Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) · Home Care Physical Therapist (Home Care PT) · Inpatient Physical Therapist (Inpatient PT) · Outpatient Physical Therapist (Outpatient PT) · Pediatric Physical Therapist (Pediatric PT) · Registered Physical Therapist (RPT) · Therapist
O*NET-SOC 29-1123.00 (Physical Therapists)
Physical Therapist salary
Wages for physical therapists across all employers, 2025 data. The 10th percentile is typical entry-level pay; the 90th percentile reflects the most experienced and highest-paid workers.
National median hourly wage: $49.40.
Physical Therapist pay by state
Ten largest states by population, annual wages.
| State | 10th percentile | Median | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $85,580 | $124,190 | $163,960 |
| Texas | $76,600 | $105,810 | $139,050 |
| Florida | $73,630 | $101,040 | $122,880 |
| New York | $73,580 | $100,660 | $136,120 |
| Pennsylvania | $76,960 | $101,380 | $127,060 |
| Illinois | $83,000 | $105,250 | $140,410 |
| Ohio | $79,070 | $103,050 | $126,060 |
| Georgia | $78,580 | $102,700 | $130,630 |
| North Carolina | $78,020 | $99,910 | $125,940 |
| Michigan | $79,600 | $100,900 | $123,980 |
Physical Therapist job outlook
- Employment is projected to go from 283,700 jobs in 2025 to 317,600 in 2035 (12% change).
- About 13,400 openings are projected each year, including jobs that open up as workers retire or change occupations.
- CareerOneStop outlook rating: Bright (Rapid Growth).
How to become a physical therapist
- Typical entry education
- Doctoral or professional degree
- Work experience
- No work experience
- On-the-job training
- No on-the-job training
Education level of current workers
- Less than high school diploma.4%
- High school diploma or equivalent1.3%
- Some college, no degree1%
- Associate's degree2.6%
- Bachelor's degree22%
- Master's degree17.3%
- Doctoral or professional degree55.5%
Related training programs
- Kinesiotherapy/Kinesiotherapist
- Physical Therapy/Therapist
What does a physical therapist do?
Common tasks
- 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.
- Evaluate effects of treatment at various stages and adjust treatments to achieve maximum benefit.
- Instruct patient and family in treatment procedures to be continued at home.
- 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.
Most important skills
- Service Orientation
- Looking for ways to help people.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Understanding people's reactions.
- Reading Comprehension
- Reading work-related information.
- Active Listening
- Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
- Critical Thinking
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
- Speaking
- Talking to others.
- Monitoring
- Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
- Writing
- Writing things for co-workers or customers.
Physical Therapist certifications
8 of 15 certifications CareerOneStop maps to this occupation. Requirements vary by employer and state.
- Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy · Core
- American Academy of Health, Fitness, & Rehabilitation Professionals · Advanced
- American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties · Specialty
- Wound Care Certification (WCC)National Alliance of Wound Care and Ostomy · Specialty · In demand
- Council on Professional Standards for Kinesiotherapy · Core
- American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties · Specialty
- Certified Hand Therapist (CHT)Hand Therapy Certification Commission, Inc. · Specialty · In demand
- American Polarity Therapy Association · Advanced
See all 15certifications in CareerOneStop's Certification Finder
Physical Therapist jobs
Current federal openings from USAJOBS. For more allied health & medical technology jobs, including private-sector listings, see the Allied Health & Medical Technology jobs hub.
Job data from USAJOBS.gov. Careers.org is not affiliated with or endorsed by OPM.
Related careers
- Physical Therapist Assistants
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physicians
- Occupational Therapists
- Physical Therapist Aides
- Occupational Therapy Assistants
- Occupational Therapy Aides
- Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric
- Clinical Nurse Specialists
- Pediatric Surgeons
- Recreational Therapists
More allied health & medical technology careers
This page includes information from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (DOLETA), and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).
Source: CareerOneStop occupation profile for Physical Therapists. Wages are from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program; projections are national long-term projections.