Geriatric physical therapist vs child life therapist

The differences between geriatric physical therapists and child life therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a geriatric physical therapist has an average salary of $68,810, which is higher than the $50,768 average annual salary of a child life therapist.

The top three skills for a geriatric physical therapist include rehabilitation, home health and social work. The most important skills for a child life therapist are patients, direct care, and social work.

Geriatric physical therapist vs child life therapist overview

	Geriatric Physical Therapist	Child Life Therapist
Yearly salary	$68,810	$50,768
Hourly rate	$33.08	$24.41
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	69,468	78,428
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	-	-

Geriatric physical therapist vs child life therapist salary

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

	Geriatric Physical Therapist	Child Life Therapist
Average salary	$68,810	$50,768
Salary range	Between $44,000 And $105,000	Between $37,000 And $69,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between geriatric physical therapist and child life therapist education

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

	Geriatric Physical Therapist	Child Life Therapist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Most common major	Physical Therapy	Psychology
Most common college	Columbia University in the City of New York	Duke University

Geriatric physical therapist vs child life therapist demographics

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

	Geriatric Physical Therapist	Child Life Therapist
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 21.4% Female, 78.6%	Male, 35.0% Female, 65.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 12.9% White, 71.2% 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 geriatric physical therapist and child life therapist duties and responsibilities

Geriatric 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.
Care for veterans in both independent and SNF environments.
Screen, evaluate and treat residents with diverse disease processes in multiple SNF's.
Provide rehabilitation services as per patient requirement.
Administer therapeutic hot packs, cold packs and personally handle various electrical stimulation treatments; ultrasound, electrical stimulation.
Work to decrease ICU length of stay, vent days, and hospital length of stay.

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.

Geriatric physical therapist vs child life therapist skills

Common geriatric physical therapist skills

Rehabilitation, 40%
Home Health, 33%
Social Work, 7%
Family Therapy, 4%
Discharge Planning, 4%
Substance Abuse, 3%

Common child life therapist skills

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

Geriatric Physical Therapist vs. similar jobs

Geriatric Physical Therapist related careers

Geriatric Physical Therapist related jobs

What similar roles do

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

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse healthcare practitioner and technical jobs