Physical Therapist Job Description Information

Physical therapists plan, organize, assess and participate in rehab programs that improve mobility, increase strength, relieve pain and decrease or prevent deformity of patients that suffer from injury or disease. They have to evaluate the effects of treatment at a wide variety of stages and adjust those treatments to achieve the maximum benefit.

 

Duties

• The duties of a physical therapist include planning, preparing and carrying out individually designed programs of physical treatments to improve, restore or maintain physical functioning, obtaining patients’ informed consent to proposed interventions, recording prognosis, treatment, response and progress in each patient’s chart, and performing and documenting an initial exam to identify problems and determine a diagnosis prior to invention. They are also responsible for administering manual exercises, traction or massages to help relieve pain, increase strength or prevent or decrease deformity or crippling, discharging patients from physical therapy, testing and measuring each patient’s strength and instructing the patient and their family in treatment procedures.

Skills

• The skills required of a physical therapist include active listening skills, time management skills, speaking skills and instructing skills. Active listening skills are useful for giving full attention to patients when recording medical history. Time management skills are useful for managing time between patient appointments during the day. Speaking skills are helpful when talking to patients and trying to convey information effectively. Instructing skills are useful when trying to explain home treatment procedures to patients and their families. Physical therapists should also possess inductive reasoning skills, oral expression skills, oral comprehension skills and written comprehensions skills in order to listen and understand verbal information, communicate verbal information effectively, read and understand written information and to combine pieces of information to form conclusions.

Requirements

• Physical therapists must have a degree or certificate in relation to physical therapy. They must then pass a licensure exam before they are able to practice. Some programs offer Master’s degrees and some offer doctoral degrees. A physical therapist is required to have a minimum Master’s degree in order to qualify for licensure. The courses taught in these training and degree programs include anatomy, chemistry, physics biology, social science and mathematics. Many professional education programs require applicants to have experience as a volunteer in a physical therapy department of a hospital or clinic before granting them admission.

Working Conditions

• Physical therapists usually work in clinics, doctor’s offices and hospitals, but they may also treat patients in homes or schools. Most physical therapists work a standard 40-hour work week and some work evenings and weekends in order to fit the needs of the patients. The job for a physical therapist can be physically demanding. Physical therapists often have to crouch, stoop, kneel and stand for long periods of time. They also have to lift heavy patients, help them turn, walk or stand and lift heavy equipment.

Salary

• The average annual salary for a physical therapist was $60,180 in May 2004, according to My Plan.

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Physical Therapist Salary Information

Physical therapists work in a variety of settings helping patients increase movement and functional use of body parts compromised due to illnesses, injuries or accidents according to the 2010-2011 Occupational Outlook Handbook. The median salary of physical therapists in 2008 was $72,790 per year according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook while the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) reports a median annual physical therapist salary of $80,000. Wages range from less than $50,000 to over $100,000 per year depending on a variety of components.

 

Education

• Physical therapists obtain a high level of education prior to entering the workforce. Physical therapists not long ago practiced with just a bachelor's degree according to a December 2008 article in US News and World Report. Physical therapy programs today require a bachelor's degree for entry and offer master's or doctorate degrees upon completion depending upon the length of the program. All states require a license to practice physical therapy. Physical therapists seeking higher incomes specialize in specific areas or participate in continuing education.

Experience

• Experience proves valuable in almost any career and physical therapy is no different in this respect. As firsthand experience increases, a physical therapist can expect his salary to follow. Experience also lends itself heavily to advancement within this field. Advanced positions require additional duties and responsibilities and so offer more substantial financial incentives. The APTA 2005 Median Income of Physical Therapists Summary Report showed that physical therapists with three years of experience of less earned median annual incomes of approximately $51,000 while those with more than 15 years of experience boast a median income of $75,000 per year. Incomes have continued to rise since the time of this report.

Location

• Physical therapists in certain locations make comparatively more money than their counterparts. Demand generally instigates higher pay, so areas with more potential patients logically offer higher paying positions. These include highly populated urban areas, cities containing universities with large sports programs and professional sports teams and states with large aging populations such as California and Florida. Increasingly, job opportunities in rural areas offer impressive salaries due both to an effort to attract applicants to the area and a lack of services.

Employment Setting

• Physical therapist incomes vary by place of employment. Most physical therapists work in hospitals or offices where they earn an average salary. Those employed in home health care boast the highest median income of slightly over $77,000 annually. Physical therapists working in nursing care facilities follow closely with almost $76,000 per year. The lowest paying employment settings for physical therapists are in the offices of various health care professionals.

Specialties

• Further specialization in physical therapy provides one of the most assured methods for obtaining increased compensation. Common specialties include working with amputees, in sports therapy and even specialization within one sport such as dancing. The APTA offers a voluntary Clinical Specialization Program by which participants prove their knowledge and abilities to receive certification within their chosen areas.

Future

• The health care field in general continues to see unprecedented growth which is expected to continue increasing for the foreseeable future. Growth in physical therapy jobs is likewise expected to grow exponentially, at an annual rate of 30 percent through 2018. This will create a projected 78,000 or more job opportunities. Much growth in the sector should occur as the general population continues to age. Technological advances and changes in insurance reimbursement will also drive this increase. As demand grows, physical therapists will continue to be paid as well as or better than current demand dictates.

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How to Become a Therapist

Choosing a career that focuses on helping other people is a noble endeavor. The role of a therapist is one such career path. The title "therapist" is often thought of as a psychologist, counselor or clinical social worker. In reality, there are many different types of therapists in the health care setting: for example, physical, occupational, behavioral and sex therapists. Each type of therapist requires different classes, degrees and certifications.

1. Determine what type of therapist you would like to become. By determining the capacity in which you want to help people, you will be able to determine the career path right for you. For example, if you prefer to help people recover from illness and injury, you may choose physical or occupational therapy. To help people work through their problems, a psychologist or licensed clinical social worker would be appropriate.
2. Interview individuals in your chosen field prior to making your final decision. Due to privacy laws and the nature of treatment, you might not be able to observe them in their element. A thorough interview can be helpful to learn more about the profession, the pros and cons of the job, the schedule and the salary.
3. Locate a college or university that offers the degree program required for the type of therapy you want to perform. You will need a master's degree at the minimum for most types of therapy. To save money, you can take many of the general education classes at a community college, transferring to a four-year college or university to complete the degree program.
4. Sit for the state licensing exam following graduation. Licensing exams vary depending on the type of therapy you perform. Passing the exam is a requirement to work as a therapist legally and your employer will require proof of licensure.

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