What Do Physical Therapist Do?
Position Description 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.
Daily Life Of a Physical Therapist (PT)
- Refer clients to community resources or services.
- Direct, supervise, assess, and communicate with supportive personnel.
- Test and measure patient’s strength, motor development and function, sensory perception, functional capacity, or respiratory or circulatory efficiency and record data.
- Discharge patient from physical therapy when goals or projected outcomes have been attained and provide for appropriate follow-up care or referrals.
- 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.
- Participate in community or community agency activities or help to formulate public policy.
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Physical Therapist (PT) Skills
These are the skills Physical Therapists say are the most useful in their careers:
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Types of Physical Therapist (PT) Jobs
- Physical Therapist, Director of Rehabilitation
- Home Care Physical Therapist
- Per Diem Physical Therapist
- Registered Physical Therapist (RPT)
- Staff Physical Therapist (Staff PT)
Is There Going to be Demand for Physical Therapists?
In the United States, there were 239,800 jobs for Physical Therapist in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 28% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 67,100 new jobs for Physical Therapist by 2026. The BLS estimates 17,700 yearly job openings in this field.
The states with the most job growth for Physical Therapist (PT) are Utah, Arizona, and Colorado. Watch out if you plan on working in Rhode Island, Kansas, or Maine. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Average Physical Therapists Salary
The average yearly salary of a Physical Therapist (PT) ranges between $60,390 and $123,350.
Physical Therapists who work in Nevada, California, or Alaska, make the highest salaries.
How much do Physical Therapists make in each U.S. state?
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $90,620 |
| Alaska | $99,180 |
| Arizona | $88,800 |
| Arkansas | $81,430 |
| California | $97,110 |
| Colorado | $82,560 |
| Connecticut | $96,010 |
| Delaware | $93,880 |
| District of Columbia | $89,750 |
| Florida | $87,410 |
| Georgia | $86,320 |
| Hawaii | $90,540 |
| Idaho | $77,700 |
| Illinois | $90,690 |
| Indiana | $83,680 |
| Iowa | $82,960 |
| Kansas | $85,250 |
| Kentucky | $84,630 |
| Louisiana | $89,860 |
| Maine | $76,910 |
| Maryland | $85,170 |
| Massachusetts | $91,750 |
| Michigan | $91,160 |
| Minnesota | $83,750 |
| Mississippi | $89,720 |
| Missouri | $81,330 |
| Montana | $79,050 |
| Nebraska | $80,130 |
| Nevada | $107,920 |
| New Hampshire | $82,880 |
| New Jersey | $97,770 |
| New Mexico | $97,210 |
| New York | $87,470 |
| North Carolina | $87,560 |
| North Dakota | $78,120 |
| Ohio | $86,690 |
| Oklahoma | $84,860 |
| Oregon | $85,890 |
| Pennsylvania | $87,050 |
| Rhode Island | $83,850 |
| South Carolina | $85,450 |
| South Dakota | $76,200 |
| Tennessee | $82,920 |
| Texas | $92,940 |
| Utah | $85,940 |
| Vermont | $75,010 |
| Virginia | $91,700 |
| Washington | $85,930 |
| West Virginia | $89,420 |
| Wisconsin | $85,200 |
| Wyoming | $87,510 |
What Tools & Technology do Physical Therapists Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Physical Therapists:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft Outlook
- MEDITECH software
- Medical procedure coding software
- Medical condition coding software
- Recordkeeping software
- Rehab Documentation Company ReDoc Suite
- Prognosis Innovation Healthcare ChartAccess
Becoming a Physical Therapist (PT)
What education is needed to be a Physical Therapist?
How Long Does it Take to Become a Physical Therapist (PT)?
Where Physical Therapists Are Employed
The table below shows the approximate number of Physical Therapists employed by various industries.
Similar Careers
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References:
Image Credit: Barbara E. Carver via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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