There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a geriatric physical therapist. For example, did you know that they make an average of $33.08 an hour? That's $68,810 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 22% and produce 54,200 job opportunities across the U.S.

What Does a Geriatric Physical Therapist Do

There are certain skills that many geriatric physical therapists have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed compassion, detail oriented and dexterity.

How To Become a Geriatric Physical Therapist

If you're interested in becoming a geriatric physical therapist, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 51.2% of geriatric physical therapists have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 38.8% of geriatric physical therapists have master's degrees. Even though most geriatric physical therapists have a college degree, it's impossible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

Top Geriatric Physical Therapist Jobs Near You

Geriatric Physical Therapist Career Paths

Average Salary for a Geriatric Physical Therapist

Geriatric Physical Therapists in America make an average salary of $68,810 per year or $33 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $105,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $44,000 per year.
Average Geriatric Physical Therapist Salary
$68,810 Yearly
$33.08 hourly

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Roles and Types of Geriatric Physical Therapist

There are several types of geriatric physical therapist, including:

Therapist

Role:

A therapist is the keeper of secrets. Neither therapist nor client is likely to advertise what is going on during sessions. You might have pinned down therapists as doctors of psychology who try to help the weak and crazy among us.

Well, the truth is contrary: it is a humble and courageous gesture to seek the help of a professional, not only in moments of crisis, trying to deal with harmful mental patterns or toxic core beliefs, which cause suffering to the patient and his/her or her environment alike, but also on a preventive basis.

So, just as much as it is the job of therapists to diagnose mental health problems and propose and conduct treatments, it is also their responsibility to make sure a diagnosis will never be necessary.
  • Average Salary: $55,943
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Physical Therapist

Role:

Being active is the name of the game. At least for Physical Therapists. Since most of their day is spent with helping patients improve movement and manage pain, Physical Therapists spend a lot of their time on their feet.

Typically, you can find them working in private offices and clinics, but some work in hospitals, patients' homes and even nursing homes. If you're excited about helping people get their pain under control, then all you need is a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree and a license to practice.
  • Average Salary: $73,070
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Student Physical Therapist

Role:

Student physical therapists help patients with injuries and chronic health conditions recover from injuries, manage their pain, and increase their quality of life. To do this, you will educate patients about keeping fit and preventing advanced injuries. Your job responsibilities include advising patients to learn about their physical condition and symptoms, assisting patients with the use of equipment such as wheelchairs, and reviewing and maintaining patient records, and keeping track of their progress. You will be required to help the patients ease their pains using exercises, stretching, hands-on therapy, and equipment. Also, you are to outline goals for patients and expected results.

A bachelor's degree in science-related is required for this job. As a student physical therapist, you must have compassion, be resourceful, and possess interpersonal communication skills. You should also be able to pay rapt attention to details and manage time. Your salary will be an average of $86,026 at the end of the year.

  • Average Salary: $73,003
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

States With The Most Geriatric Physical Therapist Jobs

Number Of Geriatric Physical Therapist Jobs By State

RankStateNumber of JobsAverage Salary
1California4,057$101,513
2Texas3,297$64,387
3Illinois1,703$73,789
4New York1,620$61,710
5Pennsylvania1,571$67,822
6Georgia1,509$62,951
7Maryland1,424$67,614
8Ohio1,388$62,100
9North Carolina1,271$64,438
10Virginia1,228$61,165
11New Jersey1,153$75,980
12Indiana1,127$67,057
13Washington1,095$88,748
14Florida1,013$64,570
15Michigan967$64,301
16Missouri956$58,942
17Massachusetts946$83,364
18Tennessee838$50,369
19Colorado824$60,254
20Wisconsin705$62,158
21Minnesota609$67,879
22Alabama553$59,598
23Oregon530$70,526
24Iowa528$51,548
25Kansas499$60,065
26Kentucky490$59,957
27Oklahoma461$50,798
28Arizona422$58,596
29Nebraska384$63,323
30South Carolina383$64,260
31New Hampshire336$65,150
32Arkansas333$56,502
33Connecticut318$76,668
34Louisiana294$57,887
35Utah287$66,563
36Nevada274$63,308
37Idaho214$66,984
38West Virginia213$61,161
39Maine201$54,251
40Mississippi200$59,032
41North Dakota188$59,959
42Montana182$56,707
43New Mexico175$76,611
44Delaware173$72,751
45Rhode Island154$70,056
46Vermont115$51,701
47South Dakota112$55,994
48Alaska73$68,253
49Wyoming69$65,376
50Hawaii69$69,255

Geriatric Physical Therapist Education

Geriatric Physical Therapist Majors

Geriatric Physical Therapist Degrees

Bachelors

51.2 %

Masters

38.8 %

Doctorate

7.5 %

Top Colleges for Geriatric Physical Therapists

1. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Social Work
Kinesiology
Counseling Psychology
Psychology

2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Psychology
Social Work
School Counseling
Counseling Psychology

3. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Social Work
Psychology
School Counseling
Counseling Psychology

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Social Work
Counseling Psychology
Mental Health Counseling
Psychology

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-State Tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Psychology
Counseling Psychology
Mental Health Counseling
Kinesiology

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Social Work
Psychology
Counseling Psychology
School Counseling

7. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-State Tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Psychology
Social Work
Kinesiology
Counseling Psychology

8. SUNY at Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$10,011

Enrollment

13,434

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Psychology
Social Work
Counseling Psychology
Mental Health Counseling

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-State Tuition

$53,399

Enrollment

7,356

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Social Work
Education
Counseling Psychology
Psychology

10. SUNY at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$10,099

Enrollment

21,404

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Psychology
Social Work
Counseling Psychology
School Counseling

Top Skills For a Geriatric Physical Therapist

The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 40.0% of geriatric physical therapists listed rehabilitation on their resume, but soft skills such as compassion and detail oriented are important as well.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Geriatric Physical Therapist Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Geriatric Physical Therapist templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Geriatric Physical Therapist resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

Geriatric Physical Therapist Resume
Geriatric Physical Therapist Resume
Geriatric Physical Therapist Resume
Geriatric Physical Therapist Resume
Geriatric Physical Therapist Resume
Geriatric Physical Therapist Resume
Geriatric Physical Therapist Resume
Geriatric Physical Therapist Resume
Geriatric Physical Therapist Resume
Geriatric Physical Therapist Resume
Geriatric Physical Therapist Resume
Geriatric Physical Therapist Resume
Geriatric Physical Therapist Resume
Geriatric Physical Therapist Resume
Geriatric Physical Therapist Resume
Geriatric Physical Therapist Resume

Geriatric Physical Therapist Demographics

Geriatric Physical Therapist Gender Distribution

Female
Female
79%
Male
Male
21%

After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

  • Among geriatric physical therapists, 78.6% of them are women, while 21.4% are men.

  • The most common race/ethnicity among geriatric physical therapists is White, which makes up 71.2% of all geriatric physical therapists.

  • The most common foreign language among geriatric physical therapists is French at 100.0%.

Online Courses For Geriatric Physical Therapist That You May Like

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Managing Your Health: The Role of Physical Therapy and Exercise will introduce learners to the concepts and benefits of physical therapy and exercise. Over six weeks learners will explore: Why physical activity and exercise are important, Exercise and Cardiovascular Disease, Exercise and Osteoporosis, Exercise and Cancer, Common Sports Injuries, Exercise and Arthritis...

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Become Professional Art Therapist with this Therapeutic Art Therapy Course / Masterclass for Healing and Life Coaching...

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Massage Therapy Course 101...

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Top Geriatric Physical Therapist Employers

Most Common Employers For Geriatric Physical Therapist

RankCompanyAverage SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
1Cedars-Sinai$100,856$48.491
2SYNERTX Rehabilitation$92,377$44.411
3BAYADA Home Health Care$79,395$38.171
4Preferred Therapy Solutions$76,516$36.791
5Life Care Centers of America$76,135$36.601
6Riverbend Center for Mental Health$74,434$35.791
7Lifespan$71,002$34.142
8Union of Pan Asian Communities-UPAC$70,172$33.744
9Familylinks, Inc.$69,966$33.641
10Madison County Health Care System$69,588$33.462