Also called: Army 65B, Navy Physical Therapist, Air Force 42B
Commissioned officer who treats injuries and gets soldiers back to duty, often embedded with combat brigades.
Army PTs work right alongside infantry units, treating sprained knees and back injuries before they end careers, running injury-prevention programs, and rehabbing wounded warriors.
RMC (base pay + housing/food allowances + tax advantage) for officers O-1 (2nd Lieutenant/Ensign) to O-5 (Lieutenant Colonel/Commander), 2026 estimate. A 20-year career also earns a lifetime pension starting right after retirement.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Doctorate (PhD), about 7 years after high school. Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), or the Army-Baylor DPT program which is paid. Free-college benefits: Tuition Assistance (up to $4,500/yr) while serving, the Post-9/11 GI Bill (36 months of tuition + housing stipend) afterward, and SkillBridge internships before separating.
Ways in: Military, 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Kinesiology, Exercise Science, Biology.
Growing about average. Military specialties are not in BLS projections. The services recruit for this job every year and openings track force size and retention rather than market growth.
Low risk for 10 years. Apps track exercise plans; hands-on treatment of injured troops stays human.
Classes: Anatomy & physiology, Biology, PE / fitness.
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.