Physician vs physical therapist

The differences between physicians and physical therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a physician has an average salary of $238,887, which is higher than the $73,070 average annual salary of a physical therapist.

The top three skills for a physician include patients, surgery and patient care. The most important skills for a physical therapist are patients, rehabilitation, and home health.

Physician vs physical therapist overview

	Physician	Physical Therapist
Yearly salary	$238,887	$73,070
Hourly rate	$114.85	$35.13
Growth rate	7%	17%
Number of jobs	46,489	86,697
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	48	41
Years of experience	4	-

What does a physician do?

Physicians' general responsibility is to check, diagnose, and treat a patient's condition to improve their overall wellness. A physician could be General Practitioners or Specialist Physicians, wherein General Practitioners are physicians who provide regular checkups for patients depending on their needs and refer them to a Specialist Physicians who are more skilled in a particular field of expertise for a thorough diagnosis. Physicians monitor a patient's medical history and ensure follow-up checkups to observe if the condition of a patient is changing over time. A physician may refer a patient to other health professionals for further examination as needed.

What does a physical therapist do?

Physical therapists are health care professionals who diagnose and treat patients with health conditions and limited ability to move and perform daily activities. They help in restoring physical function and mobility and teach how to properly use therapeutic exercise techniques. They also help promote overall wellness and encourage healthier and more active lifestyles. They design a recovery plan unique for every patient, provide treatment and therapy to help improve and manage their condition. They provide care to all kinds of individuals, from newborns to people at the end of their life.

Physician vs physical therapist salary

Physicians and physical therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Physician	Physical Therapist
Average salary	$238,887	$73,070
Salary range	Between $128,000 And $442,000	Between $56,000 And $94,000
Highest paying City	Cleveland, TN	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Wisconsin	California
Best paying company	Yuma Regional Medical Center	Parkway
Best paying industry	Health Care	Professional

Differences between physician and physical therapist education

There are a few differences between a physician and a physical therapist in terms of educational background:

	Physician	Physical Therapist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Medicine	Physical Therapy
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Physician vs physical therapist demographics

Here are the differences between physicians' and physical therapists' demographics:

	Physician	Physical Therapist
Average age	48	41
Gender ratio	Male, 39.0% Female, 61.0%	Male, 36.3% Female, 63.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.7% Asian, 19.1% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 7.5% Asian, 14.3% White, 70.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	13%	12%

Differences between physician and physical therapist duties and responsibilities

Physician example responsibilities.

Manage catheters and dress wounds.
Maintain ACLS and BLS certifications.
Treat complicated oncology cases in ICU and emergency.
Schedule new, follow-up and diagnostic testing for cardiology patients.
Attend radiation oncology clinic for new patients beginning treatment as well as follow-ups for returning patients.
Schedule tests and procedures (including radiology, cardiology, and respiratory) utilizing the hospital and clinic computer systems.

Physical therapist example responsibilities.

Conduct in-services and train colleagues in effective techniques for safely managing the CVA patient.
Achieve high level of patients satisfaction due to sound clinical management, quality of care and compassion.
Perform physical therapy evaluation and treatment of orthopedic patients and supervise PTAs.
Progress patients' functional mobility during treatment sessions by modifying task, intensity, and adaptive equipment utilize.
Motivate patients to participate in treatment sessions by educating them on the benefits of early mobility following cardiac and thoracic surgery.
Experience include IFSP and IEP writing and implementation

Physician vs physical therapist skills

Common physician skills

Patients, 22%
Surgery, 8%
Patient Care, 7%
Internal Medicine, 6%
Primary Care, 6%
EMR, 6%

Common physical therapist skills

Patients, 30%
Rehabilitation, 15%
Home Health, 13%
Quality Care, 5%
Physical Therapy, 3%
Treatment Programs, 3%

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Physician vs Physical Therapist

Updated January 8, 2025

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