Occupation · SOC 29-1123
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.
Median wage
$101,020
$74,420–$132,500
Projected growth
+10.9%
Faster than average
Annual openings
2,930
per year
Employed (US)
248,630
Job Zone 5
Typical preparation
Extensive preparation
Stackable credential programs
113 mapped
Core skills
Social PerceptivenessActive ListeningCritical ThinkingReading ComprehensionService OrientationSpeakingWritingMonitoring
Knowledge areas
Customer and Personal ServiceTherapy and CounselingMedicine and DentistryPsychologyEnglish Language
Technology & tools
Medical softwareAction gamesAnalytical or scientific softwareWord processing softwareAccounting software
Representative 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.Confer with the patient, medical practitioners, or appropriate others to plan, implement, or assess the intervention program.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.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.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.Review physician's referral and patient's medical records to help determine diagnosis and physical therapy treatment required.Identify and document goals, anticipated progress, and plans for reevaluation.Provide information to the patient about the proposed intervention, its material risks and expected benefits, and any reasonable alternatives.Provide educational information about physical therapy or physical therapists, injury prevention, ergonomics, or ways to promote health.Inform patients and refer to appropriate practitioners when diagnosis reveals findings outside physical therapy.Discharge patient from physical therapy when goals or projected outcomes have been attained and provide for appropriate follow-up care or referrals.Administer treatment involving application of physical agents, using equipment, moist packs, ultraviolet or infrared lamps, or ultrasound machines.Refer clients to community resources or services.Construct, maintain, or repair medical supportive devices.Evaluate, fit, or adjust prosthetic or orthotic devices or recommend modification to orthotist.Teach physical therapy students or those in other health professions.Conduct or support research and apply research findings to practice.Participate in community or community agency activities or help to formulate public policy.Direct group rehabilitation activities.
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Initial patient examinations — conduct and document under clinical supervision using standardized evaluation protocols in an acute care or outpatient rehabilitation setting.Patient treatment plans — assist in preparing individually designed physical therapy programs under the direction of a licensed supervising therapist in a clinical environment.Clinical documentation — record patient prognosis, treatment sessions, and progress notes in electronic health record systems under close review by a senior clinician.Manual therapy techniques — perform basic manual exercises, massage, and traction under direct supervision to help relieve pain and improve mobility in supervised clinical encounters.Informed consent procedures — obtain and document patients' informed consent to proposed interventions by following established facility protocols under supervisory guidance.Patient and family education — deliver basic home exercise instructions to patients and families using pre-approved protocols in an outpatient therapy setting.Treatment response monitoring — collect and report observable data on patient responses to therapy interventions to supervising clinicians during routine sessions.Interdisciplinary communication — participate in care team discussions with medical practitioners and support staff to relay patient status updates under supervisory direction.Medical and clinical literature — read and apply comprehension of evidence-based guidelines and treatment protocols under mentorship in a clinical practice setting.Scheduling and time management — organize daily patient caseloads and appointment documentation using calendar and scheduling software under departmental guidance.
developing
Comprehensive patient evaluations — independently perform and document initial physical therapy examinations, analyze findings, and establish diagnoses in outpatient and inpatient clinical settings.Individualized treatment programs — design and implement evidence-based, patient-specific physical therapy plans to restore function and alleviate pain with reduced supervisory oversight.Electronic health records — accurately enter and maintain prognosis, treatment, and progress data in medical software systems in compliance with regulatory and facility standards.Home program development — instruct patients and caregivers in customized home exercise and rehabilitation procedures, adapting content to individual learning needs in a clinical context.Treatment outcome evaluation — systematically assess patient progress at multiple care stages and modify therapeutic interventions to optimize recovery in routine and moderately complex cases.Interprofessional collaboration — confer regularly with physicians, specialists, and care team members to coordinate and refine patient intervention programs across clinical settings.Therapeutic manual interventions — apply manual exercises, massage, and traction techniques proficiently to address a range of musculoskeletal and neuromuscular conditions in diverse patient populations.Informed consent and patient rights — facilitate informed consent conversations, addressing patient questions about risks, benefits, and alternatives to proposed interventions with clarity and empathy.Clinical problem solving — apply critical thinking and deductive reasoning to differentiate complex diagnoses and adapt standard protocols to individual patient presentations in daily practice.Caseload and workflow management — coordinate patient scheduling, documentation deadlines, and resource utilization efficiently using office suite and scheduling software in a high-volume clinical environment.
proficient
Complex case management — autonomously plan and execute advanced individualized treatment programs for patients with multifaceted or co-morbid conditions across inpatient, outpatient, and community-based settings.Advanced clinical examination — perform comprehensive, multi-system patient evaluations integrating analytical and scientific tools, synthesizing data to form precise differential diagnoses without oversight.Clinical documentation excellence — produce high-quality, legally defensible patient records encompassing treatment rationale, measurable outcomes, and adaptive plans within sophisticated electronic health record platforms.Non-routine intervention adjustment — evaluate treatment effects at all stages of care and independently redesign therapeutic approaches for patients who fail to progress as expected.Patient and family empowerment — develop and deliver individualized, culturally sensitive education programs that build long-term self-management capacity for patients and family members across care transitions.Full-scope interprofessional coordination — lead coordinated care conferences with physicians, surgeons, psychologists, and social workers to integrate physical therapy goals into holistic patient care plans.Advanced manual therapy application — administer sophisticated manual therapy techniques, including joint mobilization and neuromuscular re-education, to manage complex pain and functional limitation presentations.Ethical and consent leadership — navigate complex informed consent scenarios involving high-risk or experimental interventions by applying advanced clinical judgment and patient-centered communication skills.Systems-level quality monitoring — analyze patterns in patient outcome data across a caseload using analytical software to identify clinical trends and drive evidence-based practice improvements.Clinical technology integration — leverage rehabilitation-focused medical software, outcome measurement platforms, and telehealth tools to enhance diagnostic accuracy and continuity of care across delivery models.
advanced
Strategic program development — design and lead organization-wide physical therapy service models aligned with clinical evidence, population health needs, and institutional strategic goals.Clinical education and mentorship — develop structured competency frameworks and supervise the professional formation of emerging and developing physical therapists across academic and clinical training environments.Research translation and scholarship — lead efforts to translate peer-reviewed evidence into clinical practice standards, authoring protocols and contributing written findings to professional and institutional publications.Organizational outcomes leadership — direct systematic evaluation of department-wide patient outcomes using advanced analytical platforms, driving continuous quality improvement initiatives at the institutional level.Interprofessional governance — represent physical therapy at executive-level care delivery committees, shaping interdisciplinary policies, care pathways, and cross-departmental collaboration frameworks.Workforce and systems planning — apply systems analysis and administration management expertise to forecast staffing needs, optimize resource allocation, and sustain high-performance therapy teams.Policy and advocacy influence — engage healthcare administrators, regulatory bodies, and professional associations to advance physical therapy practice standards and scope-of-practice legislation.Complex ethical decision-making — adjudicate high-stakes clinical and organizational ethical dilemmas involving patient autonomy, resource constraints, and professional standards at the leadership level.Advanced instructional program design — create and oversee continuing education curricula for licensed practitioners, integrating current knowledge in biology, physics, and psychology into applied clinical training.Innovation and technology adoption — evaluate and champion the integration of emerging rehabilitation technologies, including motion analysis and digital therapeutics, to advance care quality across the organization.
Also known as
56 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Physical Therapy Technician (Navy 001344)Physical Medicine (Air Force 4J0X2)School Physical TherapistPhysical Medicine Physician (Air Force 45P3)Travel Physical Therapist (Travel PT)Acute Care PT (Acute Care Physical Therapist)Physical Therapy Specialist (Army 68F)Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)Occupational Therapist (Air Force 42T3)Registered Physical Therapist (RPT)Physical Medicine Helper, Orthotic (Air Force 4J012A)Force Fitness Instructor (Marine Corps 0919)Physical Medicine Journeyman, Orthotic (Air Force 4J052A)Occupational Therapist (Air Force 42T4)Physical Medicine Journeyman (Air Force 4J052)Physical Medicine Apprentice (Air Force 4J032)Physician Assistant (Army 65D)PhysiotherapistPhysiatrist (Army 61P)Occupational Therapy Assistant (Navy 003055)Occupational Therapist (Air Force 42TX)Physical TherapistPediatric Physical Therapist (Pediatric PT)Occupational Therapist (Navy 0874)Orthopedic Physical Therapist (Orthopedic PT)KinesiotherapistOccupational Therapy Assistant (Navy L21A)LPT (Licensed Physical Therapist)Cardiopulmonary Physical Therapist (Cardiopulmonary PT)Physical Medicine Apprentice, Orthotic (Air Force 4J032A)Outpatient Orthopedics Physical Therapist (Outpatient Ortho PT)Outpatient Physical Therapist (Outpatient PT)Geriatric Physical Therapist (Geriatric PT)Specialist Allied Operations (Army 65X)TherapistPhysical Medicine Manager (Air Force 4J000)Acute Physical Therapist (Acute PT)Skilled Nursing Facility Physical Therapist (SNF PT)Inpatient Physical Therapist (Inpatient PT)Home Care Physical Therapist (Home Care PT)