Physical therapy internship vs per diem physical therapist

The differences between physical therapy interns and per diem physical therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a per diem physical therapist has an average salary of $74,590, which is higher than the $71,624 average annual salary of a physical therapy internship.

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

Physical therapy internship vs per diem physical therapist overview

	Physical Therapy Internship	Per Diem Physical Therapist
Yearly salary	$71,624	$74,590
Hourly rate	$34.43	$35.86
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	127,064	87,365
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
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 per diem physical therapist do?

A per diem physical therapist is responsible for performing therapy treatments for patients when the institution is short-staffed for therapists. These therapists design recovery plans to help ease patients with their movements and daily activities after suffering from injury, illness, and other medical conditions. They diagnose patients to evaluate treatment methods, observe their progress every session, and modify plans until the final recovery. A per diem physical therapist operate various tools and equipment, schedule treatment appointments, and monitor the patients' medications.

Physical therapy internship vs per diem physical therapist salary

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

	Physical Therapy Internship	Per Diem Physical Therapist
Average salary	$71,624	$74,590
Salary range	Between $52,000 And $96,000	Between $51,000 And $108,000
Highest paying City	Pasadena, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Oracle	Alameda Health System
Best paying industry	Health Care	Professional

Differences between physical therapy internship and per diem physical therapist education

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

	Physical Therapy Internship	Per Diem Physical Therapist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common major	Kinesiology	Physical Therapy
Most common college	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Physical therapy internship vs per diem physical therapist demographics

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

	Physical Therapy Internship	Per Diem Physical Therapist
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 42.6% Female, 57.4%	Male, 30.2% Female, 69.8%
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, 4.0% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 11.3% White, 72.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between physical therapy internship and per diem 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.

Per diem physical therapist example responsibilities.

Achieve high level of patients satisfaction due to sound clinical management, quality of care and compassion.
Help patients adapt to the use of braces, canes, crutches and prosthetic/orthotic devices as needed.
Assist patients to adapt to the use of wheelchairs, braces, canes, crutches and prosthetic/orthotic devises.
Provide patient care in a SNF setting with the primary emphasis on transitioning patients from hospital to home.
Provide assessments and documentation for adaptive equipment.
Supervise PTAs and physical therapy aides in direct patient-relate activities.

Physical therapy internship vs per diem 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 per diem physical therapist skills

Patients, 26%
Rehabilitation, 16%
Per Diem, 14%
Home Health, 10%
Treatment Programs, 6%
Physical Therapy Assistants, 3%

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Physical Therapy Internship
Physical Therapy Internship vs Per Diem Physical Therapist

Updated January 8, 2025

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