Also called: PT, Physiotherapist
Helps people recover movement and manage pain after injuries, surgeries, or illness.
Sees a patient every 30-45 minutes: a teen rehabbing a torn ACL, a grandmother learning to walk after hip surgery, a runner with a bad back. Uses exercises, hands-on techniques, and lots of encouragement. Pay doesn't quite reach top tier despite doctoral training.
BLS May 2024.
Doctorate (PhD), about 7 years after high school. Bachelor's plus a 3-year Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program and a licensing exam.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Kinesiology, Exercise Science, Biology.
Growing much faster than average (about 11% over 10 years). Much faster than average as the population ages.
Low risk for 10 years. AI can draft home-exercise plans and track motion with cameras; hands-on treatment and motivating patients stay human.
Classes: Anatomy & physiology, Biology, Physics, PE or sports medicine CTE.
Official data: O*NET occupation 29-1123.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.