Child life therapist vs outpatient physical therapist

The differences between child life therapists and outpatient physical therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an outpatient physical therapist has an average salary of $66,359, which is higher than the $50,768 average annual salary of a child life therapist.

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

Child life therapist vs outpatient physical therapist overview

	Child Life Therapist	Outpatient Physical Therapist
Yearly salary	$50,768	$66,359
Hourly rate	$24.41	$31.90
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	78,428	119,973
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Master's Degree, 49%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	-	-

Child life therapist vs outpatient physical therapist salary

Child life therapists and outpatient physical therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Child Life Therapist	Outpatient Physical Therapist
Average salary	$50,768	$66,359
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $69,000	Between $40,000 And $108,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Accountable Healthcare Holdings Corp.
Best paying industry	-	Non Profits

Differences between child life therapist and outpatient physical therapist education

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

	Child Life Therapist	Outpatient Physical Therapist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Master's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Psychology	Social Work
Most common college	Duke University	Boston University

Child life therapist vs outpatient physical therapist demographics

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

	Child Life Therapist	Outpatient Physical Therapist
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 35.0% Female, 65.0%	Male, 24.4% Female, 75.6%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 11.3% White, 72.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

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

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.

Outpatient physical therapist example responsibilities.

Facilitate development of coping techniques to manage psychiatric symptoms effectively; educate patients on importance of medication management and compliance.
Demonstrate working knowledge of community mental health services identify in the Medicaid guidelines and attain contractual outcomes within designate time frames.
Perform assessments with clients to determine diagnosis and need of services.
Complete intake assessment and formulate diagnosis.
Assist veterans with transportation to interviews.
Provide active case management service for veterans in residential treatment.

Child life therapist vs outpatient physical therapist skills

Common child life therapist skills

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

Common outpatient physical therapist skills

Patients, 23%
Physical Therapy, 17%
Rehabilitation, 11%
Patient Care, 10%
Therapy Services, 5%
Social Work, 5%

Child Life Therapist vs. similar jobs

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Child Life Therapist
Child Life Therapist vs Outpatient Physical Therapist

Updated January 8, 2025

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