Physiatrist vs physical medicine physician

The differences between physiatrists and physical medicine physicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a physiatrist and a physical medicine physician. Additionally, a physiatrist has an average salary of $305,616, which is higher than the $196,716 average annual salary of a physical medicine physician.

The top three skills for a physiatrist include patients, rehabilitation and physical medicine. The most important skills for a physical medicine physician are rehabilitation, physical medicine, and physical therapy.

Physiatrist vs physical medicine physician overview

	Physiatrist	Physical Medicine Physician
Yearly salary	$305,616	$196,716
Hourly rate	$146.93	$94.58
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	10,190	111,596
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 24%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	4	4

What does a physiatrist do?

Physiatrists must have a bachelor's degree in physical sciences or a related field, a M.D. or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, and 4 to 7 years' internship and residency training specializing in rehab and physical medicine. This position pays annual salaries of around $58K to $370K. It requires skills in empathy, compassion, emotional resilience, monitoring, and strong initiative to work in challenging environments. Physiatrists diagnose illnesses, design plans for treatment, and prescribe various medicines.

What does a physical medicine physician do?

Physical medicine physicians are paid salaries between $144K and $216K per year. They must have a bachelor's and M.D. This career requires strong skills in reading, critical thinking and medicine. Those who make the choice to pursue this particular career will be called up on to treat a wide variety of medical conditions that affect the brain, spinal cord, nerves, bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, and tendons.

Physiatrist vs physical medicine physician salary

Physiatrists and physical medicine physicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Physiatrist	Physical Medicine Physician
Average salary	$305,616	$196,716
Salary range	Between $147,000 And $635,000	Between $99,000 And $389,000
Highest paying City	Anchorage, AK	Saint Louis, MO
Highest paying state	Alaska	Oklahoma
Best paying company	Parkridge Health System	Sanford Health
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between physiatrist and physical medicine physician education

There are a few differences between a physiatrist and a physical medicine physician in terms of educational background:

	Physiatrist	Physical Medicine Physician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 24%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common major	Medicine	Medicine
Most common college	Stanford University	University of Pennsylvania

Physiatrist vs physical medicine physician demographics

Here are the differences between physiatrists' and physical medicine physicians' demographics:

	Physiatrist	Physical Medicine Physician
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 53.7% Female, 46.3%	Male, 47.7% Female, 52.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.7% Asian, 18.6% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 6.4% Asian, 19.9% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	13%	13%

Differences between physiatrist and physical medicine physician duties and responsibilities

Physiatrist example responsibilities.

Monitor and manage patient medical records in compliance with HIPPA.
Provide physical medicine and rehabilitation services under the direct supervision of orthopedic surgeons.
Work closely with CNO to improve morale of staff.
Evaluate complex test results to ensure patient diagnosis is comprehensive and accurate.
Work closely with attorneys and physicians in scheduling patients for refer treatment and for depositions.
Work predominantly with patients suffering with arthritis pain, back pain, leg pain, migraines, etc.

Physical medicine physician example responsibilities.

Manage multidisciplinary teams and achieve excellent patient outcomes in inpatient rehabilitation settings.
Assist with managing chronic illnesses including diabetes, hypertension, and CHF.
Provide physician input for the development of rehabilitation order care sets for Cerner's EMR software.
Maintain current HIPPA, OSHA and other govern files.
Provide overall quality prenatal health care, gynecological services, patient triage, refer patients with complications, provide patient education service
Assist with managing chronic illnesses including diabetes, hypertension, and CHF.

Physiatrist vs physical medicine physician skills

Common physiatrist skills

Patients, 35%
Rehabilitation, 34%
Physical Medicine, 19%
Patient Care, 7%
Pain Management, 2%
Diagnosis, 2%

Common physical medicine physician skills

Rehabilitation, 42%
Physical Medicine, 27%
Physical Therapy, 10%
Family Practice, 7%
Internal Medicine, 5%
Private Practice, 4%

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Physiatrist vs Physical Medicine Physician

Updated January 8, 2025

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