Physiotherapist vs psychologist

The differences between physiotherapists and psychologists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a psychologist has an average salary of $97,803, which is higher than the $70,054 average annual salary of a physiotherapist.

The top three skills for a physiotherapist include patients, rehabilitation and home health. The most important skills for a psychologist are patients, crisis intervention, and rehabilitation.

Physiotherapist vs psychologist overview

	Physiotherapist	Psychologist
Yearly salary	$70,054	$97,803
Hourly rate	$33.68	$47.02
Growth rate	17%	6%
Number of jobs	46,916	12,516
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	41	47
Years of experience	-	-

Physiotherapist vs psychologist salary

Physiotherapists and psychologists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Physiotherapist	Psychologist
Average salary	$70,054	$97,803
Salary range	Between $47,000 And $103,000	Between $68,000 And $139,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Sierra Corporation
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between physiotherapist and psychologist education

There are a few differences between a physiotherapist and a psychologist in terms of educational background:

	Physiotherapist	Psychologist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Physical Therapy	Psychology
Most common college	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	Northwestern University

Physiotherapist vs psychologist demographics

Here are the differences between physiotherapists' and psychologists' demographics:

	Physiotherapist	Psychologist
Average age	41	47
Gender ratio	Male, 39.9% Female, 60.1%	Male, 35.2% Female, 64.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 6.6% Asian, 17.7% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 4.2% White, 75.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	12%	20%

Differences between physiotherapist and psychologist duties and responsibilities

Physiotherapist example responsibilities.

Assess needs for specialize equipment, orthotics, and wheelchairs as well as possible interventions to manage spasticity and joint contractures.
Provide first-aid, physical therapy treatment and complete rehabilitation for injure players.
Provide support for rehabilitation services department, assisting therapy staff members when necessary.
Facilitate psychological adjustment of patients with extensive/grossly deforming injuries through counseling, pleasant mannerisms and use of good humor.
Work with patients having different conditions on a daily basis by administering physician prescribe treatments including exercise regimens, muscle stretching/relaxations.
Enhance skills of differential diagnosis with an OCS CI.

Psychologist example responsibilities.

Supervise mental health staff, including the overseeing of the provision of mental health services in a correctional facility.
Provide EMDR therapy for clients with trauma and anxiety.
Perform tests to diagnose autism in children or tests for the detection of autism at an early age.
Provide supervision and mentoring for APA Pre-Doctoral interns.
Supervise clinical activities of doctoral level psychology interns in APA accredit internship program.
Evaluate veterans for psychological disorders that may have resulted secondary to their military service for compensation purposes.

Physiotherapist vs psychologist skills

Common physiotherapist skills

Patients, 33%
Rehabilitation, 13%
Home Health, 9%
Physical Therapy, 8%
Physiotherapy, 6%
Diagnosis, 4%

Common psychologist skills

Patients, 18%
Crisis Intervention, 7%
Rehabilitation, 6%
Mental Illness, 5%
Clinical Supervision, 5%
APA, 4%

Physiotherapist vs. similar jobs

Physiotherapist related careers

Physiotherapist related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Physiotherapist
Physiotherapist vs Psychologist

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse healthcare practitioner and technical jobs