Director of physical therapy vs outpatient physical therapist

The differences between directors of physical therapy and outpatient physical therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a director of physical therapy has an average salary of $107,759, which is higher than the $66,359 average annual salary of an outpatient physical therapist.

The top three skills for a director of physical therapy include patients, rehabilitation and physical therapy. The most important skills for an outpatient physical therapist are patients, physical therapy, and rehabilitation.

Director of physical therapy vs outpatient physical therapist overview

	Director Of Physical Therapy	Outpatient Physical Therapist
Yearly salary	$107,759	$66,359
Hourly rate	$51.81	$31.90
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	65,423	119,973
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Master's Degree, 49%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	-	-

What does a director of physical therapy do?

A Director of Physical Therapy manages physical therapy services through developing strategies, policies, and procedures for a hospital, clinic, managed care organization, or similar organization. They supervise and assess the activities of medical, nursing, technical, and other personnel.

What does an outpatient physical therapist do?

An outpatient physical therapist specializes in diagnosing and treating a patient's movement dysfunction often caused by an illness or injury. Their responsibilities revolve around studying a patient's medical history, performing initial assessments, crafting a specific care and treatment plan, and discussing the extent of treatments with patients and their families. An outpatient physical therapist may also provide advice to families or guardians on how to assist and care for patients at home, prescribe medication, and perform follow-up consultations.

Director of physical therapy vs outpatient physical therapist salary

Directors of physical therapy and outpatient physical therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Director Of Physical Therapy	Outpatient Physical Therapist
Average salary	$107,759	$66,359
Salary range	Between $63,000 And $183,000	Between $40,000 And $108,000
Highest paying City	Walnut Creek, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	California
Best paying company	Prime Healthcare	Accountable Healthcare Holdings Corp.
Best paying industry	Health Care	Non Profits

Differences between director of physical therapy and outpatient physical therapist education

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

	Director Of Physical Therapy	Outpatient Physical Therapist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Master's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Physical Therapy	Social Work
Most common college	Duke University	Boston University

Director of physical therapy vs outpatient physical therapist demographics

Here are the differences between directors of physical therapy' and outpatient physical therapists' demographics:

	Director Of Physical Therapy	Outpatient Physical Therapist
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 43.5% Female, 56.5%	Male, 24.4% Female, 75.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.0% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 11.3% White, 72.6% 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 director of physical therapy and outpatient physical therapist duties and responsibilities

Director of physical therapy example responsibilities.

Develop department budgets and manage QA adherence.
Manage PPS details efficiently to ensure high quality clinical care while maximizing reimbursement for the facility.
Attend all daily meetings including stand up, IDT, PPS, and direct and lead weekly rehab meetings.
Develop and improve the documentation system with the use of early EMR documentation software.
Direct the provision of patient care, clinical duties, and development of COTA.
Provide OT treatment for high volume caseloads in rehab, outpatient, SNF, and acute settings.

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.

Director of physical therapy vs outpatient physical therapist skills

Common director of physical therapy skills

Patients, 39%
Rehabilitation, 17%
Physical Therapy, 6%
Treatment Programs, 5%
Occupational Therapy, 5%
Outpatient Clinic, 4%

Common outpatient physical therapist skills

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

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Director Of Physical Therapy
Director Of Physical Therapy vs Outpatient Physical Therapist

Updated January 8, 2025

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