Per diem physical therapist vs athletic trainer

The differences between per diem physical therapists and athletic trainers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a per diem physical therapist has an average salary of $74,590, which is higher than the $47,028 average annual salary of an athletic trainer.

The top three skills for a per diem physical therapist include patients, rehabilitation and per diem. The most important skills for an athletic trainer are patients, rehabilitation, and CPR.

Per diem physical therapist vs athletic trainer overview

	Per Diem Physical Therapist	Athletic Trainer
Yearly salary	$74,590	$47,028
Hourly rate	$35.86	$22.61
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	87,365	56,812
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Average age	41	40
Years of experience	-	4

What does a per diem physical therapist do?

A per diem physical therapist is responsible for performing therapy treatments for patients when the institution is short-staffed for therapists. These therapists design recovery plans to help ease patients with their movements and daily activities after suffering from injury, illness, and other medical conditions. They diagnose patients to evaluate treatment methods, observe their progress every session, and modify plans until the final recovery. A per diem physical therapist operate various tools and equipment, schedule treatment appointments, and monitor the patients' medications.

What does an athletic trainer do?

An athletic trainer is a healthcare professional who works with physicians to improve a patient's quality of life. Their profession encompasses the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of chronic medical conditions involving disabilities, functional limitations, and impairments. As an athletic trainer, you will typically do various tasks, including recognizing and evaluating injuries, providing emergency care or first aid, and developing and implementing rehabilitation programs. You are also responsible for planning and implementing programs to help prevent sports injuries among athletes.

Per diem physical therapist vs athletic trainer salary

Per diem physical therapists and athletic trainers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Per Diem Physical Therapist	Athletic Trainer
Average salary	$74,590	$47,028
Salary range	Between $51,000 And $108,000	Between $35,000 And $61,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Greenwich, CT
Highest paying state	California	Connecticut
Best paying company	Alameda Health System	Ethical Culture Fieldston School
Best paying industry	Professional	-

Differences between per diem physical therapist and athletic trainer education

There are a few differences between a per diem physical therapist and an athletic trainer in terms of educational background:

	Per Diem Physical Therapist	Athletic Trainer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common major	Physical Therapy	Athletic Training
Most common college	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Per diem physical therapist vs athletic trainer demographics

Here are the differences between per diem physical therapists' and athletic trainers' demographics:

	Per Diem Physical Therapist	Athletic Trainer
Average age	41	40
Gender ratio	Male, 30.2% Female, 69.8%	Male, 53.1% Female, 46.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.0% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 11.3% White, 72.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 8.3% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
LGBT Percentage	12%	10%

Differences between per diem physical therapist and athletic trainer duties and responsibilities

Per diem physical therapist example responsibilities.

Achieve high level of patients satisfaction due to sound clinical management, quality of care and compassion.
Help patients adapt to the use of braces, canes, crutches and prosthetic/orthotic devices as needed.
Assist patients to adapt to the use of wheelchairs, braces, canes, crutches and prosthetic/orthotic devises.
Provide patient care in a SNF setting with the primary emphasis on transitioning patients from hospital to home.
Provide assessments and documentation for adaptive equipment.
Supervise PTAs and physical therapy aides in direct patient-relate activities.

Athletic trainer example responsibilities.

Administer rehabilitation procedures and the safety of athletes at practices and games including ultrasound and electrical stimulation.
Evaluate and create a rehabilitation program for ankle sprains, fibula fractures, and shin splints.
Administer multiple therapeutic techniques for student athletes including electrical stimulation and ultrasound
Assist physical therapist in generating rehabilitation protocols for patients, progress exercises, order supplies for clinic and oversee aide scheduling.
Assist with OSHA record keeping.
Maintain cleanliness of gym and stations.

Per diem physical therapist vs athletic trainer skills

Common per diem physical therapist skills

Patients, 26%
Rehabilitation, 16%
Per Diem, 14%
Home Health, 10%
Treatment Programs, 6%
Physical Therapy Assistants, 3%

Common athletic trainer skills

Patients, 20%
Rehabilitation, 19%
CPR, 12%
Patient Care, 8%
Student Athletes, 5%
Athletic Injuries, 4%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Per Diem Physical Therapist
Per Diem Physical Therapist vs Athletic Trainer

Updated January 8, 2025

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