Overview
Physical Therapists help people reduce pain, restore movement, and improve function following injury, illness, surgery, or chronic conditions. They work across a wide range of settings, including hospitals, outpatient clinics, schools, home health, and rehabilitation facilities, with patients of all ages and diagnoses. Employment of physical therapists is projected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations, driven by an aging population and growing demand for rehabilitation services. Physical therapy requires a doctoral-level education, but offers a hands-on, direct-patient-care career with strong job stability and meaningful impact on quality of life.
What is a Physical Therapist?
A Physical Therapist (PT) is a licensed healthcare professional who evaluates and treats patients to improve mobility, manage pain, and restore physical function. PTs design individualized treatment plans using therapeutic exercise, manual techniques, and other evidence-based interventions to help patients recover from injury, surgery, or disability and return to daily life (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
What do Physical Therapists do?
Physical Therapists assess and treat patients across a broad range of conditions and settings. Typical responsibilities include:
- Evaluating patients through medical history review, physical assessments, and functional testing
- Diagnosing movement dysfunction and establishing goals with the patient
- Designing and implementing individualized treatment plans
- Performing manual therapy, therapeutic exercise, and other hands-on interventions
- Using modalities such as ultrasound, electrical stimulation, and heat or cold therapy
- Educating patients and families on exercises, injury prevention, and at-home care
- Progressing and adjusting treatment plans based on patient response
- Documenting patient progress for medical records and billing
- Collaborating with physicians, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and other members of the care team
- Supervising physical therapist assistants and support staff
What are the requirements to be a Physical Therapist?
Education
- Complete a Bachelor's degree, typically with prerequisite coursework in biology, anatomy, physiology, physics, and statistics, to qualify for DPT program admission.
- Earn a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree from a program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). DPT programs are usually three years long and include both classroom instruction and supervised clinical rotations.
Clinical Training
- Supervised clinical education is integrated into the DPT program, providing hands-on patient care experience across multiple settings before graduation and licensure.
Licensure Exam
- Pass the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE), administered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT). Every state in the United States, including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, requires a license to practice as a physical therapist.
State Licensure
- Apply for a state PT license through your state board of physical therapy after passing the NPTE. Some states also require a jurisprudence exam covering state-specific laws and regulations.
Maintenance and Continuing Education
- Maintain state licensure through continuing education units (CEUs) as required by your state board during each licensing period.
Board Certification (optional but valued)
- Physical therapists may pursue specialty certification through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS), which offers certifications in areas such as orthopedics, neurology, sports, pediatrics, and others.
Professional Associations (optional but helpful)
- American Physical Therapy Association (APTA): the primary professional organization for PTs, offering advocacy, continuing education, and career resources.
What is a Physical Therapist's Salary?
The median annual wage for physical therapists was $101,020 in May 2024. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $74,420, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $136,530.
(U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
What is a Travel Physical Therapist's Salary?
The average annual pay for a Travel Physical Therapist in the United States is $105,516. This works out to be approximately $50.73 an hour, or the equivalent of $2,029/week or $8,793/month.
References
- American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties [ABPTS]. (n.d.). Home. https://www.abpts.org/
- American Physical Therapy Association [APTA]. (n.d.). National Physical Therapy Examination. https://www.apta.org/your-practice/licensure/national-physical-therapy-examination
- Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education [CAPTE]. (n.d.). Home. https://www.capteonline.org/
- Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy [FSBPT]. (n.d.). National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE). https://www.fsbpt.org/Secondary-Pages/Exam-Candidates/National-Exam-NPTE
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2024). Occupational Outlook Handbook: Physical Therapists. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physical-therapists.htm
- ZipRecruiter. (2026). Travel Physical Therapist Salary. https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Travel-Physical-Therapist-Salary