Physical Therapist: Career Information

Job Description: Physical therapists (PTs) help patients, including accident victims and individuals with disabling conditions such as low-back pain, arthritis, heart disease, fractures, head injuries, and cerebral palsy, by providing services that restore function, improve mobility, relieve pain, and prevent or limit permanent physical disabilities. They restore, maintain, and promote overall fitness and health.

Employment Facts: Physical therapists (PTs) held about 155,000 jobs in 2004^*. Some physical therapists held two or more jobs, which makes the number of jobs held higher than the actual number of PTs. Most PTs work in hospitals or in offices of other health practitioners.

Education: In order to work as a physical therapist, one must first graduate from a physical therapist educational program with a master's or doctoral degree. Then he or she must pass a licensure exam. Coursework includes biology, chemistry, and physics, as well as specialized courses such as biomechanics, neuroanatomy, human growth and development, manifestations of disease, examination techniques, and therapeutic procedures.

Other Requirements: In order to retain their licenses, many states require PTs to take continuing education classes and attend workshops.

Job Outlook: Employment of physical therapists is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through 2014.

Earnings:

Median Annual Earnings in the Industries Employing the Largest Numbers of Physical Therapists (U.S., 2004^**)

• Home health care services: $64,650
• Offices of physicians: $61,270
• Offices of other health practitioners: $60,130
• Nursing care facilities: $61,720
• General medical and surgical hospitals: $60,350

Use the Salary Wizard at Salary.com to find out how much physical therapists currently earn in your city.

A Day in a Physical Therapist's Life:

On a typical day a physical therapist will:

• examine patients’ medical histories;
• test and measure the patients’ strength, range of motion, balance and coordination, posture, muscle performance, respiration, and motor function;
• determine patients’ ability to be independent and reintegrate into the community or workplace after injury or illness;
• develop treatment plans describing a treatment strategy, its purpose, and its anticipated outcome;

*This is the most recent year for which this information is available.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2006-07 Edition, Physical Therapists, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos080.htm (visited February 9, 2007).