What is a Rehabilitation Physician?
Career Description Diagnose and treat disorders requiring physiotherapy to provide physical, mental, and occupational rehabilitation.
Life As a Rehabilitation Physician
- Conduct physical tests such as functional capacity evaluations to determine injured workers' capabilities to perform the physical demands of their jobs.
- Coordinate physical medicine and rehabilitation services with other medical activities.
- Monitor effectiveness of pain management interventions such as medication or spinal injections.
- Consult or coordinate with other rehabilitative professionals including physical and occupational therapists, rehabilitation nurses, speech pathologists, neuropsychologists, behavioral psychologists, social workers, or medical technicians.
- Prescribe physical therapy to relax the muscles and improve strength.
- Examine patients to assess mobility, strength, communication, or cognition.
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Rehabilitation Physician Needed Skills
When polled, Rehabilitation Physicians say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Other Rehabilitation Physician Job Titles
- Interventional Pain Physician
- Pain Medicine Physician
- Attending Physiatrist, Residency Program Director
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Doctor/Assistant Professor
- Physical Medicine Physician
Job Opportunities for Rehabilitation Physicians
In the United States, there were 372,400 jobs for Rehabilitation Physician in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 11.4% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 42,300 new jobs for Rehabilitation Physician by 2026. The BLS estimates 14,300 yearly job openings in this field.

The states with the most job growth for Rehabilitation Physician are Arizona, Alaska, and Utah. Watch out if you plan on working in Connecticut, Rhode Island, or Illinois. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Average Rehabilitation Physicians Salary
The average yearly salary of a Rehabilitation Physician ranges between $60,280 and $208,000.

Rehabilitation Physicians who work in Alaska, Arizona, or Colorado, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Rehabilitation Physicians in different U.S. states.
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $183,510 |
Alaska | $244,220 |
Arizona | $229,090 |
Arkansas | $165,290 |
California | $208,740 |
Colorado | $219,310 |
Connecticut | $221,870 |
Delaware | $216,600 |
District of Columbia | $182,910 |
Florida | $205,020 |
Georgia | $235,060 |
Hawaii | $228,470 |
Idaho | $241,670 |
Illinois | $183,780 |
Indiana | $237,470 |
Iowa | $219,300 |
Kansas | $191,430 |
Kentucky | $223,770 |
Louisiana | $183,920 |
Maine | $257,550 |
Maryland | $196,210 |
Massachusetts | $207,990 |
Michigan | $181,760 |
Minnesota | $245,040 |
Mississippi | $174,340 |
Missouri | $203,440 |
Montana | $247,260 |
Nebraska | $161,880 |
Nevada | $227,500 |
New Hampshire | $275,840 |
New Jersey | $208,820 |
New Mexico | $229,100 |
New York | $171,060 |
North Carolina | $198,040 |
North Dakota | $266,510 |
Ohio | $212,160 |
Oklahoma | $155,130 |
Oregon | $202,750 |
Pennsylvania | $195,810 |
Rhode Island | $209,580 |
South Carolina | $185,210 |
South Dakota | $227,710 |
Tennessee | $231,960 |
Texas | $199,370 |
Utah | $218,210 |
Vermont | $176,520 |
Virginia | $199,080 |
Washington | $239,080 |
West Virginia | $222,270 |
Wisconsin | $239,610 |
Wyoming | $234,610 |
What Tools & Technology do Rehabilitation Physicians Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Rehabilitation Physicians:
- Microsoft Word
- Email software
- Bizmatics PrognoCIS EMR
- Greenway Medical Technologies PrimeSUITE
- GalacTek ECLIPSE
- Automatic Data Processing AdvancedMD EHR
- Cerner PowerWorks Practice Management
- Epic Practice Management
- GE Healthcare Centricity Practice Solution
- CareCloud Central
- Benchmark Systems Benchmark Clinical EHR
- HealthFusion MediTouch
- Allscripts PM
- Kareo Practice Management
- McKesson Practice Plus
- Modernizing Medicine Practice Management
- NextGen Healthcare NextGen Practice Management
- simplifyMD
- Vitera Healthcare Solutions Vitera Intergy
- WRSHealth EMR
Becoming a Rehabilitation Physician
What education or degrees do I need to become a Rehabilitation Physician?

How Long Does it Take to Become a Rehabilitation Physician?

Where do Rehabilitation Physicians Work?

Below are examples of industries where Rehabilitation Physicians work:

References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Featured Schools
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