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What is an outpatient physical therapist and how to become one
An outpatient physical therapist helps patients recover from injuries or illnesses that affect their movement. They work in outpatient clinics, providing therapy sessions to patients of all ages. Outpatient physical therapists develop personalized treatment plans, using exercises, stretches, and other techniques to reduce pain, improve strength, and restore function. They also educate patients on injury prevention and healthy habits. They must have a strong knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and kinesiology to develop rapport with patients.
What general advice would you give to an outpatient physical therapist?
Ron Precht
Senior Manager, American Massage Therapy Association
Avg. Salary $66,359
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 17%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.47%
Asian 11.31%
Black or African American 3.88%
Hispanic or Latino 7.76%
Unknown 3.78%
White 72.80%
Genderfemale 75.63%
male 24.37%
Age - 40American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 40Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work life balance is good
6.4 - fair
What are the pros and cons of being an outpatient physical therapist?
Pros
Opportunity to work with a variety of patients
Ability to see patient progress over time
Potential for higher salary compared to other healthcare professions
Opportunity to specialize in an area of interest
Continual learning and professional development opportunities
Cons
High-stress levels associated with working with patients in pain or with complex conditions
Long hours spent standing or performing repetitive motions
High documentation requirements that can be time-consuming
Need for ongoing education and certification maintenance
Potential for ethical dilemmas related to insurance coverage and patient care
Outpatient physical therapist career paths
Key steps to become an outpatient physical therapist
Explore outpatient physical therapist education requirements
Start to develop specific outpatient physical therapist skills
Skills Percentages Patients 22.81% Physical Therapy 17.42% Rehabilitation 10.77% Patient Care 10.02% Therapy Services 5.45% Complete relevant outpatient physical therapist training and internships
Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New outpatient physical therapists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an outpatient physical therapist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real outpatient physical therapist resumes.Research outpatient physical therapist duties and 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.
Prepare your outpatient physical therapist resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your outpatient physical therapist resume.
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Choose from 10+ customizable outpatient physical therapist resume templates
Build a professional outpatient physical therapist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your outpatient physical therapist resume.
Apply for outpatient physical therapist jobs
Now it's time to start searching for an outpatient physical therapist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first outpatient physical therapist job
Are you an outpatient physical therapist?
Share your story for a free salary report.
Average outpatient physical therapist salary
The average outpatient physical therapist salary in the United States is $66,359 per year or $32 per hour. Outpatient physical therapist salaries range between $40,000 and $108,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do outpatient physical therapists rate their job?
Outpatient physical therapist reviews
Making a difference in someone's life. Seeing positive changes.
Late hours after 9 pm or before 9 am
Clients don’t think they need to participate to get better.
Working with children's development, building on common knowledge and skills The challenge it brings but knowing the outcome is what it's about.
Outpatient physical therapist jobs by state
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Alaska
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Alabama
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Arkansas
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Arizona
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in California
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Colorado
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Connecticut
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in District of Columbia
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Delaware
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Florida
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Georgia
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Hawaii
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Iowa
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Idaho
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Illinois
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Indiana
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Kansas
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Kentucky
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Louisiana
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Massachusetts
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Maryland
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Maine
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Michigan
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Minnesota
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Missouri
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Mississippi
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Montana
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in North Carolina
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in North Dakota
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Nebraska
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in New Hampshire
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in New Jersey
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in New Mexico
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Nevada
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in New York
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Ohio
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Oklahoma
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Oregon
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Pennsylvania
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Puerto Rico
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Rhode Island
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in South Carolina
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in South Dakota
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Tennessee
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Texas
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Utah
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Virginia
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Vermont
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Washington
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Wisconsin
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in West Virginia
- Outpatient physical therapist jobs in Wyoming
Updated January 8, 2025
