Physical therapy internship vs student physical therapist

The differences between physical therapy interns and student physical therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a student physical therapist has an average salary of $73,003, 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 student physical therapist are patients, occupational therapy, and rehabilitation.

Physical therapy internship vs student physical therapist overview

	Physical Therapy Internship	Student Physical Therapist
Yearly salary	$71,624	$73,003
Hourly rate	$34.43	$35.10
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	127,064	92,101
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
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 student physical therapist do?

A student physical therapist assists physicians in handling patients in a medical facility or a similar setting. As students, they typically follow directives and work under the supervision of a physical therapist. Besides assisting in treating patients, a student may also perform various clerical tasks such as filing paperwork, producing reports, running errands, managing schedules, responding to inquiries, and answering calls and correspondence. They may also coordinate with other hospital personnel and attend meetings, all while adhering to the medical facility's policies and standards.

Physical therapy internship vs student physical therapist salary

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

	Physical Therapy Internship	Student Physical Therapist
Average salary	$71,624	$73,003
Salary range	Between $52,000 And $96,000	Between $54,000 And $97,000
Highest paying City	Pasadena, CA	-
Highest paying state	California	-
Best paying company	Oracle	-
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between physical therapy internship and student physical therapist education

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

	Physical Therapy Internship	Student Physical Therapist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common major	Kinesiology	Kinesiology
Most common college	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	Duke University

Physical therapy internship vs student physical therapist demographics

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

	Physical Therapy Internship	Student Physical Therapist
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 42.6% Female, 57.4%	Male, 37.4% Female, 62.6%
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, 12.0% White, 72.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between physical therapy internship and student 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.

Student physical therapist example responsibilities.

Achieve high level of patients satisfaction due to sound clinical management, quality of care and compassion.
Evaluate and treat patients with total hip/total knee surgeries, status post CVA and spinal cord injuries.
Evaluate and treat patients with orthopedic conditions such as low back pain, cervical pain, post operative conditions.
Perform evaluations, provide patient treatment, supervise COTA
Develop ability to perform ICU mobility treatments with acutely ill patients.
Evaluate and treat patients in ICU implicating early mobilization to prevent further decline in cardiopulmonary compromise patients.

Physical therapy internship vs student 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 student physical therapist skills

Patients, 31%
Occupational Therapy, 13%
Rehabilitation, 8%
Patient Care, 6%
Physical Therapy Assistants, 6%
Adaptive, 4%

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

Updated January 8, 2025

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