Careers · Explore one path
Physical Therapists
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.
Other titles employers use
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
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- 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.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to helping, analytical and practical work.
- Analytical
- Investigating questions, testing ideas, and solving problems
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Social Perceptiveness
- Service Orientation
Subjects to know
- Customer and Personal Service
- Therapy and Counseling
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Psychology
- Education and Training
Useful strengths
- Oral Comprehension
- Written Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Written Expression
- Problem Sensitivity
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 4.9 | Arm’s length or closer, most of the day |
| On your feet | 3.8 | Up and down through the day |
| Talking face to face | 4.8 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 3.4 | Some of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a doctorate or a professional degree. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- A doctorate or professional degree 47%
- A master's degree 38%
- A four-year degree 9%
- A two-year degree 6%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Medical software
- Word processing software
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Electronic mail software
- Action games
- Analytical or scientific software
- Accounting software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 30,900
- Job openings each year
- 1,720
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 27.2%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 30,900 | 1,720 | 27.2% |
| New York | 24,830 | 560 | 29.4% |
| Texas | 20,810 | 1,100 | 21.9% |
| Florida | 19,840 | 1,090 | 25.3% |
| Pennsylvania | 14,130 | 690 | 15.1% |
| Illinois | 10,950 | 500 | 9.9% |
| New Jersey | 9,350 | 480 | 19.1% |
| Ohio | 9,170 | 420 | 9.7% |
| Washington | 9,040 | 710 | 27.9% |
| North Carolina | 8,820 | 480 | 24.1% |
| Michigan | 8,300 | 400 | 12.9% |
| Virginia | 8,110 | 410 | 17.9% |
| Georgia | 7,120 | 370 | 19.7% |
| Missouri | 7,090 | 370 | 20.4% |
| Colorado | 6,810 | 370 | 24.5% |
| Arizona | 6,130 | 350 | 31.0% |
| Wisconsin | 5,930 | 280 | 12.7% |
| Tennessee | 5,120 | 280 | 24.0% |
| Indiana | 5,040 | 240 | 14.0% |
| Maryland | 4,920 | 250 | 16.9% |
| Minnesota | 4,890 | 230 | 10.9% |
| Kentucky | 4,300 | 220 | 16.5% |
| Connecticut | 4,190 | 200 | 11.7% |
| South Carolina | 4,060 | 220 | 23.4% |
| Oregon | 3,850 | 210 | 23.8% |
| Louisiana | 3,640 | 180 | 14.8% |
| Utah | 3,370 | 220 | 49.8% |
| Alabama | 3,240 | 170 | 18.7% |
| Massachusetts | 2,840 | 140 | 15.0% |
| Iowa | 2,830 | 150 | 22.0% |
| Oklahoma | 2,720 | 130 | 12.4% |
| Kansas | 2,690 | 130 | 12.6% |
| Arkansas | 2,410 | 120 | 18.1% |
| Idaho | 2,330 | 130 | 30.2% |
| Nebraska | 2,220 | 110 | 16.8% |
| Mississippi | 2,200 | 110 | 14.0% |
| Nevada | 1,970 | 100 | 21.6% |
| New Mexico | 1,930 | 110 | 31.3% |
| New Hampshire | 1,910 | 100 | 17.9% |
| Maine | 1,670 | 70 | 5.7% |
| Montana | 1,640 | 90 | 26.2% |
| West Virginia | 1,420 | 70 | 12.7% |
| Rhode Island | 1,250 | 60 | 12.6% |
| Delaware | 1,240 | 70 | 22.8% |
| South Dakota | 1,150 | 60 | 18.6% |
| North Dakota | 1,010 | 50 | 16.1% |
| Vermont | 890 | 40 | 14.1% |
| Puerto Rico | 760 | 40 | 24.6% |
| District of Columbia | 720 | 30 | 14.3% |
| Wyoming | 690 | 40 | 19.0% |
| Alaska | 680 | 30 | 9.7% |
| Virgin Islands | 40 | 0 | — |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus
- Degrees each year
- 144
- Admit rate
- 50%
- Annual cost after aid
- $23,000
The University of Texas at El Paso
- Degrees each year
- 139
- Admit rate
- 100%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
Ithaca College
- Degrees each year
- 121
- Admit rate
- 70%
- Annual cost after aid
- $29,000
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
- Degrees each year
- 83
- Admit rate
- 85%
- Annual cost after aid
- $6,000
Florida International University
- Degrees each year
- 80
- Admit rate
- 59%
- Annual cost after aid
- $11,000
University of North Texas
- Degrees each year
- 76
- Admit rate
- 72%
- Annual cost after aid
- $14,000
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
- Degrees each year
- 73
- Admit rate
- 75%
- Annual cost after aid
- $17,000
Temple University
- Degrees each year
- 71
- Admit rate
- 83%
- Annual cost after aid
- $27,000
Compare every college offering rehabilitation and therapeutic professions