Physical therapy internship vs outpatient physical therapist

The differences between physical therapy interns and outpatient 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 $66,359 average annual salary of an outpatient physical therapist.

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

Physical therapy internship vs outpatient physical therapist overview

	Physical Therapy Internship	Outpatient Physical Therapist
Yearly salary	$71,624	$66,359
Hourly rate	$34.43	$31.90
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	127,064	119,973
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Master's Degree, 49%
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 an outpatient physical therapist do?

An outpatient physical therapist specializes in diagnosing and treating a patient's movement dysfunction often caused by an illness or injury. Their responsibilities revolve around studying a patient's medical history, performing initial assessments, crafting a specific care and treatment plan, and discussing the extent of treatments with patients and their families. An outpatient physical therapist may also provide advice to families or guardians on how to assist and care for patients at home, prescribe medication, and perform follow-up consultations.

Physical therapy internship vs outpatient physical therapist salary

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

	Physical Therapy Internship	Outpatient Physical Therapist
Average salary	$71,624	$66,359
Salary range	Between $52,000 And $96,000	Between $40,000 And $108,000
Highest paying City	Pasadena, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Oracle	Accountable Healthcare Holdings Corp.
Best paying industry	Health Care	Non Profits

Differences between physical therapy internship and outpatient physical therapist education

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

	Physical Therapy Internship	Outpatient Physical Therapist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Master's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Kinesiology	Social Work
Most common college	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	Boston University

Physical therapy internship vs outpatient physical therapist demographics

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

	Physical Therapy Internship	Outpatient Physical Therapist
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 42.6% Female, 57.4%	Male, 24.4% Female, 75.6%
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, 3.9% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 11.3% White, 72.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between physical therapy internship and outpatient 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.

Outpatient physical therapist example responsibilities.

Facilitate development of coping techniques to manage psychiatric symptoms effectively; educate patients on importance of medication management and compliance.
Demonstrate working knowledge of community mental health services identify in the Medicaid guidelines and attain contractual outcomes within designate time frames.
Perform assessments with clients to determine diagnosis and need of services.
Complete intake assessment and formulate diagnosis.
Assist veterans with transportation to interviews.
Provide active case management service for veterans in residential treatment.

Physical therapy internship vs outpatient 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 outpatient physical therapist skills

Patients, 23%
Physical Therapy, 17%
Rehabilitation, 11%
Patient Care, 10%
Therapy Services, 5%
Social Work, 5%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Physical Therapy Internship
Physical Therapy Internship vs Outpatient Physical Therapist

Updated January 8, 2025

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