Outpatient physical therapist vs clinical therapist

The differences between outpatient physical therapists and clinical therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an outpatient physical therapist has an average salary of $66,359, which is higher than the $57,864 average annual salary of a clinical therapist.

The top three skills for an outpatient physical therapist include patients, physical therapy and rehabilitation. The most important skills for a clinical therapist are social work, patients, and crisis intervention.

Outpatient physical therapist vs clinical therapist overview

	Outpatient Physical Therapist	Clinical Therapist
Yearly salary	$66,359	$57,864
Hourly rate	$31.90	$27.82
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	119,973	136,898
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 49%	Master's Degree, 51%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	-	-

What does an outpatient physical therapist do?

An outpatient physical therapist specializes in diagnosing and treating a patient's movement dysfunction often caused by an illness or injury. Their responsibilities revolve around studying a patient's medical history, performing initial assessments, crafting a specific care and treatment plan, and discussing the extent of treatments with patients and their families. An outpatient physical therapist may also provide advice to families or guardians on how to assist and care for patients at home, prescribe medication, and perform follow-up consultations.

What does a clinical therapist do?

A Clinical Therapist works with patients to help identify, examine, and treat mental health and emotional issues or disorders. They counsel individuals or groups regarding psychological or emotional problems, as well as observe clients to detect indications of abnormal physical or mental behavior.

Outpatient physical therapist vs clinical therapist salary

Outpatient physical therapists and clinical therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Outpatient Physical Therapist	Clinical Therapist
Average salary	$66,359	$57,864
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $108,000	Between $42,000 And $77,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Los Angeles, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Accountable Healthcare Holdings Corp.	CVS Health
Best paying industry	Non Profits	Government

Differences between outpatient physical therapist and clinical therapist education

There are a few differences between an outpatient physical therapist and a clinical therapist in terms of educational background:

	Outpatient Physical Therapist	Clinical Therapist
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 49%	Master's Degree, 51%
Most common major	Social Work	Social Work
Most common college	Boston University	California State University - Long Beach

Outpatient physical therapist vs clinical therapist demographics

Here are the differences between outpatient physical therapists' and clinical therapists' demographics:

	Outpatient Physical Therapist	Clinical Therapist
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 24.4% Female, 75.6%	Male, 23.4% Female, 76.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 11.3% White, 72.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 4.0% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 11.2% White, 72.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between outpatient physical therapist and clinical therapist duties and responsibilities

Outpatient physical therapist example 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.
Assist veterans with transportation to interviews.
Provide active case management service for veterans in residential treatment.

Clinical therapist example responsibilities.

Provide clinical consultation to consumers and clients regarding manage care services and other benefits available to them through their EAP programs.
Provide direct treatment services such as individual/group therapy and intervene in crisis situations when patients exhibit acute psychiatric symptoms.
Direct patients to designate residential or supportive living options, community base placement/ treatment or other resources as necessary.
Provide training for federal and public organizations regarding the psychological aspects of veterans having experience combat or military sexual trauma.
Work closely with a license orthotist/prosthetist to obtain orthotics for children who require them.

Outpatient physical therapist vs clinical therapist skills

Common outpatient physical therapist skills

Patients, 23%
Physical Therapy, 17%
Rehabilitation, 11%
Patient Care, 10%
Therapy Services, 5%
Social Work, 5%

Common clinical therapist skills

Social Work, 26%
Patients, 12%
Crisis Intervention, 8%
Mental Health, 4%
Discharge Planning, 4%
Community Resources, 3%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Outpatient Physical Therapist
Outpatient Physical Therapist vs Clinical Therapist

Updated January 8, 2025

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