Per diem physical therapist vs clinical therapist

The differences between per diem physical therapists and clinical therapists 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 $57,864 average annual salary of a clinical therapist.

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

Per diem physical therapist vs clinical therapist overview

	Per Diem Physical Therapist	Clinical Therapist
Yearly salary	$74,590	$57,864
Hourly rate	$35.86	$27.82
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	87,365	136,898
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Master's Degree, 51%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	-	-

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 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.

Per diem physical therapist vs clinical therapist salary

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

	Per Diem Physical Therapist	Clinical Therapist
Average salary	$74,590	$57,864
Salary range	Between $51,000 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	Alameda Health System	CVS Health
Best paying industry	Professional	Government

Differences between per diem physical therapist and clinical therapist education

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

	Per Diem Physical Therapist	Clinical Therapist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Master's Degree, 51%
Most common major	Physical Therapy	Social Work
Most common college	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	California State University - Long Beach

Per diem physical therapist vs clinical therapist demographics

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

	Per Diem Physical Therapist	Clinical Therapist
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 30.2% Female, 69.8%	Male, 23.4% Female, 76.6%
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, 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 per diem physical therapist and clinical therapist 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.

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.

Per diem physical therapist vs clinical therapist 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 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
Per Diem Physical Therapist
Per Diem Physical Therapist vs Clinical Therapist

Updated January 8, 2025

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