Medical doctor vs physical therapist

The differences between medical doctors and physical therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a medical doctor has an average salary of $181,967, which is higher than the $73,070 average annual salary of a physical therapist.

The top three skills for a medical doctor include patients, patient care and internal medicine. The most important skills for a physical therapist are patients, rehabilitation, and home health.

Medical doctor vs physical therapist overview

	Medical Doctor	Physical Therapist
Yearly salary	$181,967	$73,070
Hourly rate	$87.48	$35.13
Growth rate	7%	17%
Number of jobs	60,642	86,697
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	48	41
Years of experience	4	-

What does a medical doctor do?

A Medical Doctor, also known as a physician, is a healthcare professional who diagnoses and treats patients from injuries and illnesses. As a Medical Doctor, your day-to-day duties will typically include assessing a patient's symptoms, prescribing and administering treatment to patients, and providing follow-up medical care to patients. You will be responsible for interpreting patients' laboratory results and referring them to other providers when needed. Also, you will need to work closely with other healthcare professionals and promote health education.

What does a physical therapist do?

Physical therapists are health care professionals who diagnose and treat patients with health conditions and limited ability to move and perform daily activities. They help in restoring physical function and mobility and teach how to properly use therapeutic exercise techniques. They also help promote overall wellness and encourage healthier and more active lifestyles. They design a recovery plan unique for every patient, provide treatment and therapy to help improve and manage their condition. They provide care to all kinds of individuals, from newborns to people at the end of their life.

Medical doctor vs physical therapist salary

Medical doctors and physical therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Medical Doctor	Physical Therapist
Average salary	$181,967	$73,070
Salary range	Between $95,000 And $347,000	Between $56,000 And $94,000
Highest paying City	Brownsville, TX	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	California
Best paying company	Pacific Medical Centers	Parkway
Best paying industry	Transportation	Professional

Differences between medical doctor and physical therapist education

There are a few differences between a medical doctor and a physical therapist in terms of educational background:

	Medical Doctor	Physical Therapist
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Medicine	Physical Therapy
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Medical doctor vs physical therapist demographics

Here are the differences between medical doctors' and physical therapists' demographics:

	Medical Doctor	Physical Therapist
Average age	48	41
Gender ratio	Male, 46.9% Female, 53.1%	Male, 36.3% Female, 63.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.3% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 19.0% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 7.5% Asian, 14.3% White, 70.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	13%	12%

Differences between medical doctor and physical therapist duties and responsibilities

Medical doctor example responsibilities.

Partner with team to achieve overall well-being patients and contribute to successful department research accreditation.
Perform selection and interpretation of labs including EKG readings, diagnostic imaging, blood work, and urinalyses.
Batch to clearing house, upload files from insurance, data entry answer phones, collect payments over phone, EMR.
Examine patients, order laboratory test and other diagnostic procedures and follow up with acute and chronic diseases
Provide overall quality prenatal health care, gynecological services, patient triage, refer patients with complications, provide patient education service
Perform and interpret ECG test.

Physical therapist example responsibilities.

Conduct in-services and train colleagues in effective techniques for safely managing the CVA patient.
Achieve high level of patients satisfaction due to sound clinical management, quality of care and compassion.
Perform physical therapy evaluation and treatment of orthopedic patients and supervise PTAs.
Progress patients' functional mobility during treatment sessions by modifying task, intensity, and adaptive equipment utilize.
Motivate patients to participate in treatment sessions by educating them on the benefits of early mobility following cardiac and thoracic surgery.
Experience include IFSP and IEP writing and implementation

Medical doctor vs physical therapist skills

Common medical doctor skills

Patients, 30%
Patient Care, 9%
Internal Medicine, 7%
Primary Care, 7%
Diagnosis, 4%
Medical History, 4%

Common physical therapist skills

Patients, 30%
Rehabilitation, 15%
Home Health, 13%
Quality Care, 5%
Physical Therapy, 3%
Treatment Programs, 3%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Medical Doctor
Medical Doctor vs Physical Therapist

Updated January 8, 2025

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