Physiatrist vs physician

The differences between physiatrists and 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 physician. Additionally, a physiatrist has an average salary of $305,616, which is higher than the $238,887 average annual salary of a physician.

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

Physiatrist vs physician overview

	Physiatrist	Physician
Yearly salary	$305,616	$238,887
Hourly rate	$146.93	$114.85
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	10,190	46,489
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 24%	Bachelor's Degree, 35%
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 physician do?

Physicians' general responsibility is to check, diagnose, and treat a patient's condition to improve their overall wellness. A physician could be General Practitioners or Specialist Physicians, wherein General Practitioners are physicians who provide regular checkups for patients depending on their needs and refer them to a Specialist Physicians who are more skilled in a particular field of expertise for a thorough diagnosis. Physicians monitor a patient's medical history and ensure follow-up checkups to observe if the condition of a patient is changing over time. A physician may refer a patient to other health professionals for further examination as needed.

Physiatrist vs physician salary

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

	Physiatrist	Physician
Average salary	$305,616	$238,887
Salary range	Between $147,000 And $635,000	Between $128,000 And $442,000
Highest paying City	Anchorage, AK	Cleveland, TN
Highest paying state	Alaska	Wisconsin
Best paying company	Parkridge Health System	Yuma Regional Medical Center
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between physiatrist and physician education

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

	Physiatrist	Physician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 24%	Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Most common major	Medicine	Medicine
Most common college	Stanford University	Duke University

Physiatrist vs physician demographics

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

	Physiatrist	Physician
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 53.7% Female, 46.3%	Male, 39.0% Female, 61.0%
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, 5.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.7% Asian, 19.1% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	13%	13%

Differences between physiatrist and 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.

Physician example responsibilities.

Manage catheters and dress wounds.
Maintain ACLS and BLS certifications.
Treat complicated oncology cases in ICU and emergency.
Schedule new, follow-up and diagnostic testing for cardiology patients.
Attend radiation oncology clinic for new patients beginning treatment as well as follow-ups for returning patients.
Schedule tests and procedures (including radiology, cardiology, and respiratory) utilizing the hospital and clinic computer systems.

Physiatrist vs physician skills

Common physiatrist skills

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

Common physician skills

Patients, 22%
Surgery, 8%
Patient Care, 7%
Internal Medicine, 6%
Primary Care, 6%
EMR, 6%

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Physiatrist vs Physician

Updated January 8, 2025

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