Physical therapy internship vs home care physical therapist

The differences between physical therapy interns and home care physical therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a physical therapy internship has an average salary of $71,624, which is higher than the $71,303 average annual salary of a home care physical therapist.

The top three skills for a physical therapy internship include patients, physical therapy assistants and rehabilitation. The most important skills for a home care physical therapist are patients, home health, and rehabilitation.

Physical therapy internship vs home care physical therapist overview

	Physical Therapy Internship	Home Care Physical Therapist
Yearly salary	$71,624	$71,303
Hourly rate	$34.43	$34.28
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	127,064	180,359
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	-	-

What does a physical therapy internship do?

Physical therapist interns work with patients to determine and improve their function and movement. The interns assist in the rehabilitation process through body system development and storage. They promote the wellbeing and health of the patients through internship programs. Through the physical therapy internship, interns learn about nutrition, treatment, and the general rehabilitation procedure of patients. It also provides support not just for the patients but also with the staff.

What does a home care physical therapist do?

A Home Care Physical Therapist provides therapy services defined in treatment plans in residential settings. They work with physicians, case managers, and adjustors. Their patients include accident victims and individuals with disabilities such as heart disease or fractures.

Physical therapy internship vs home care physical therapist salary

Physical therapy interns and home care physical therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Physical Therapy Internship	Home Care Physical Therapist
Average salary	$71,624	$71,303
Salary range	Between $52,000 And $96,000	Between $47,000 And $107,000
Highest paying City	Pasadena, CA	Bridgeport, CT
Highest paying state	California	Washington
Best paying company	Oracle	Kaiser Permanente
Best paying industry	Health Care	Professional

Differences between physical therapy internship and home care physical therapist education

There are a few differences between a physical therapy internship and a home care physical therapist in terms of educational background:

	Physical Therapy Internship	Home Care Physical Therapist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common major	Kinesiology	Physical Therapy
Most common college	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	Duke University

Physical therapy internship vs home care physical therapist demographics

Here are the differences between physical therapy interns' and home care physical therapists' demographics:

	Physical Therapy Internship	Home Care Physical Therapist
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 42.6% Female, 57.4%	Male, 36.6% Female, 63.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 14.7% White, 69.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 7.4% Asian, 14.8% White, 70.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between physical therapy internship and home care physical therapist duties and responsibilities

Physical therapy internship example responsibilities.

Achieve high level of patients satisfaction due to sound clinical management, quality of care and compassion.
Monitor vital signs of all patients and devise physical therapy sessions commensurate with patient stability.
Evaluate and treat CVA and TBI patients in the inpatient setting.
Observe and assist in measuring patients for range of motion limitations following a CVA.
Perform evaluations and co-treatments with OT's and delegate treatment plans to PTA's.
Assist in putting patients on and off of 2 war traction machines and the decompression machine.

Home care physical therapist example responsibilities.

Demonstrate working knowledge of community mental health services identify in the Medicaid guidelines and attain contractual outcomes within designate time frames.
Complete documentation and billing for Medicare and Medicaid base on federal and state laws.
Deliver home-based physical therapy services to adult patients with general medical and orthopedic conditions.
Show true sympathy and compassion for optimal results.
Administer manual exercises, massage or traction to relieve pain, increase function and prevent deformity.
Practice specialties with certifications in vestibular rehabilitation and fall prevention.

Physical therapy internship vs home care physical therapist skills

Common physical therapy internship skills

Patients, 40%
Physical Therapy Assistants, 12%
Rehabilitation, 7%
Ultrasound, 4%
Patient Care, 3%
Occupational Therapy, 2%

Common home care physical therapist skills

Patients, 35%
Home Health, 24%
Rehabilitation, 13%
Restore Function, 5%
Medicare, 4%
Direct Patient Care, 3%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Physical Therapy Internship
Physical Therapy Internship vs Home Care Physical Therapist

Updated January 8, 2025

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