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What is a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted expert
Adrienne Flight
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist. For example, did you know that they make an average of $32.94 an hour? That's $68,512 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 7% and produce 55,400 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist?

Adrienne FlightAdrienne Flight LinkedIn profile

Assistant Professor, Berklee College of Music

The advice I would give is to engage as deeply as possible with learning opportunities. Learn as much as you can about how to stay physically safe in a pandemic, how to properly clean instruments, and how to use a variety of music therapy interventions and tools. The skills that students are learning about telehealth will remain important for a long time, so I hope that students and potential employers do not underestimate the value of the experiences students are having throughout this pandemic. The same is true for all we are experiencing and learning about social justice, as these important lessons are critical to the future in the long term.
ScorePhysical Medicine And Rehabilitation SpecialistUS Average
Salary
5.4

Avg. Salary $68,512

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
10.0

Growth rate 7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
1.7
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.16%

Asian 19.91%

Black or African American 3.79%

Hispanic or Latino 6.43%

Unknown 4.09%

White 65.62%

Gender

female 51.61%

male 48.39%

Age - 48
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 48
Stress level
10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
9.9

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
5.1

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist

  1. Explore physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist education requirements

    Most common physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist degrees

    Doctorate

    37.5 %

    Bachelor's

    25.0 %

    Certificate

    21.9 %
  2. Start to develop specific physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Rehabilitation50.65%
    Physical Medicine33.44%
    EMR5.94%
    Pain Management2.95%
    Internal Medicine2.71%
  3. Complete relevant physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist resumes.
  4. Research physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist duties and responsibilities

    • Achieve high level of patients satisfaction due to sound clinical management, quality of care and compassion.
    • Administer therapeutic hot packs, cold packs and personally handle various electrical stimulation treatments; ultrasound, electrical stimulation.
    • Assist with managing chronic illnesses including diabetes, hypertension, and CHF.
  5. Prepare your physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist resume templates

    Build a professional physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist resume.
    Physical Medicine And Rehabilitation Specialist Resume
    Physical Medicine And Rehabilitation Specialist Resume
    Physical Medicine And Rehabilitation Specialist Resume
    Physical Medicine And Rehabilitation Specialist Resume
    Physical Medicine And Rehabilitation Specialist Resume
    Physical Medicine And Rehabilitation Specialist Resume
    Physical Medicine And Rehabilitation Specialist Resume
    Physical Medicine And Rehabilitation Specialist Resume
    Physical Medicine And Rehabilitation Specialist Resume
  6. Apply for physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist job

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Average physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist salary

The average physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist salary in the United States is $68,512 per year or $33 per hour. Physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist salaries range between $37,000 and $126,000 per year.

Average physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist salary
$68,512 Yearly
$32.94 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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