Chief physical therapist vs child life therapist

The differences between chief physical therapists and child life therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a chief physical therapist has an average salary of $73,429, which is higher than the $50,768 average annual salary of a child life therapist.

The top three skills for a chief physical therapist include physical therapy, rehabilitation and occupational therapy. The most important skills for a child life therapist are patients, direct care, and social work.

Chief physical therapist vs child life therapist overview

	Chief Physical Therapist	Child Life Therapist
Yearly salary	$73,429	$50,768
Hourly rate	$35.30	$24.41
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	81,780	78,428
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 80%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	-	-

Chief physical therapist vs child life therapist salary

Chief physical therapists and child life therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Chief Physical Therapist	Child Life Therapist
Average salary	$73,429	$50,768
Salary range	Between $49,000 And $108,000	Between $37,000 And $69,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between chief physical therapist and child life therapist education

There are a few differences between a chief physical therapist and a child life therapist in terms of educational background:

	Chief Physical Therapist	Child Life Therapist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 80%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Most common major	Physical Therapy	Psychology
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Chief physical therapist vs child life therapist demographics

Here are the differences between chief physical therapists' and child life therapists' demographics:

	Chief Physical Therapist	Child Life Therapist
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 56.5% Female, 43.5%	Male, 35.0% Female, 65.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 6.9% Asian, 15.8% White, 69.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 4.0% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 11.2% White, 72.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between chief physical therapist and child life therapist duties and responsibilities

Chief physical therapist example responsibilities.

Demonstrate working knowledge of community mental health services identify in the Medicaid guidelines and attain contractual outcomes within designate time frames.
Request appropriate casts, splints, and or braces.
Evaluate, develop, administer and supervise the treatment of orthopedic patients.
Provide regular free seminars to the primary caregivers of pediatric patients with physical disabilities.
Design and implement rehabilitation department component of CIS for physician order entry and outpatient scheduling.
Attend Medicare seminars pertaining to rehabilitation services to gain understanding of regulatory, documentation, and billing requirements.

Child life therapist example responsibilities.

Train and experience at managing challenging classroom situations using CPI methods and positive behavior reinforcement practices.
Work with clinical staff to implement clients' rehabilitation plans.
Serve on interdisciplinary team responsible for the treatment of acute psychiatric and mentally-ill chemically-addict veterans on an acute unit.
Attend CFT and IEP meetings for clients; advocate for client's best interest.
Develop individual educational plans (IEP) design to promote educational, physical and social development.

Chief physical therapist vs child life therapist skills

Common chief physical therapist skills

Physical Therapy, 20%
Rehabilitation, 19%
Occupational Therapy, 17%
Patients, 14%
Physical Therapy Treatment, 12%
Clinical Education, 4%

Common child life therapist skills

Patients, 25%
Direct Care, 19%
Social Work, 17%
Physical Therapy, 12%
Therapeutic Recreation, 6%
Emotional Support, 5%

Chief Physical Therapist vs. similar jobs

Chief Physical Therapist related careers

Chief Physical Therapist related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Chief Physical Therapist
Chief Physical Therapist vs Child Life Therapist

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse healthcare practitioner and technical jobs