Director of physical therapy vs per diem physical therapist

The differences between directors of physical therapy and per diem 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 $74,590 average annual salary of a per diem physical therapist.

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

Director of physical therapy vs per diem physical therapist overview

	Director Of Physical Therapy	Per Diem Physical Therapist
Yearly salary	$107,759	$74,590
Hourly rate	$51.81	$35.86
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	65,423	87,365
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
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 a per diem physical therapist do?

A per diem physical therapist is responsible for performing therapy treatments for patients when the institution is short-staffed for therapists. These therapists design recovery plans to help ease patients with their movements and daily activities after suffering from injury, illness, and other medical conditions. They diagnose patients to evaluate treatment methods, observe their progress every session, and modify plans until the final recovery. A per diem physical therapist operate various tools and equipment, schedule treatment appointments, and monitor the patients' medications.

Director of physical therapy vs per diem physical therapist salary

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

	Director Of Physical Therapy	Per Diem Physical Therapist
Average salary	$107,759	$74,590
Salary range	Between $63,000 And $183,000	Between $51,000 And $108,000
Highest paying City	Walnut Creek, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	California
Best paying company	Prime Healthcare	Alameda Health System
Best paying industry	Health Care	Professional

Differences between director of physical therapy and per diem physical therapist education

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

	Director Of Physical Therapy	Per Diem Physical Therapist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common major	Physical Therapy	Physical Therapy
Most common college	Duke University	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Director of physical therapy vs per diem physical therapist demographics

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

	Director Of Physical Therapy	Per Diem Physical Therapist
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 43.5% Female, 56.5%	Male, 30.2% Female, 69.8%
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, 4.0% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 11.3% White, 72.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between director of physical therapy and per diem 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.

Per diem physical therapist example responsibilities.

Achieve high level of patients satisfaction due to sound clinical management, quality of care and compassion.
Help patients adapt to the use of braces, canes, crutches and prosthetic/orthotic devices as needed.
Assist patients to adapt to the use of wheelchairs, braces, canes, crutches and prosthetic/orthotic devises.
Provide patient care in a SNF setting with the primary emphasis on transitioning patients from hospital to home.
Provide assessments and documentation for adaptive equipment.
Supervise PTAs and physical therapy aides in direct patient-relate activities.

Director of physical therapy vs per diem 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 per diem physical therapist skills

Patients, 26%
Rehabilitation, 16%
Per Diem, 14%
Home Health, 10%
Treatment Programs, 6%
Physical Therapy Assistants, 3%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Director Of Physical Therapy
Director Of Physical Therapy vs Per Diem Physical Therapist

Updated January 8, 2025

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