Sports physical therapist vs pediatric physical therapist

The differences between sports physical therapists and pediatric physical therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a pediatric physical therapist has an average salary of $75,699, which is higher than the $67,105 average annual salary of a sports physical therapist.

The top three skills for a sports physical therapist include physical therapy, patient care and rehabilitation. The most important skills for a pediatric physical therapist are patients, patient care, and rehabilitation.

Sports physical therapist vs pediatric physical therapist overview

	Sports Physical Therapist	Pediatric Physical Therapist
Yearly salary	$67,105	$75,699
Hourly rate	$32.26	$36.39
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	70,367	98,862
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	-	-

Sports physical therapist vs pediatric physical therapist salary

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

	Sports Physical Therapist	Pediatric Physical Therapist
Average salary	$67,105	$75,699
Salary range	Between $41,000 And $107,000	Between $55,000 And $103,000
Highest paying City	-	Lynnwood, WA
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	Tenet Healthcare
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between sports physical therapist and pediatric physical therapist education

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

	Sports Physical Therapist	Pediatric Physical Therapist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Most common major	Physical Therapy	Physical Therapy
Most common college	Northwestern University	Duke University

Sports physical therapist vs pediatric physical therapist demographics

Here are the differences between sports physical therapists' and pediatric physical therapists' demographics:

	Sports Physical Therapist	Pediatric Physical Therapist
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 42.5% Female, 57.5%	Male, 14.4% Female, 85.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 7.4% Asian, 12.4% White, 72.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 7.5% Asian, 11.4% White, 73.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between sports physical therapist and pediatric physical therapist duties and responsibilities

Sports physical therapist example responsibilities.

Demonstrate working knowledge of community mental health services identify in the Medicaid guidelines and attain contractual outcomes within designate time frames.
Administer therapeutic hot packs, cold packs and personally handle various electrical stimulation treatments; ultrasound, electrical stimulation.
Employ at an out-patient orthopedic clinic with primary goal for patient return to work, ADL, or sports/recreation activities.

Pediatric physical therapist example responsibilities.

Achieve high level of patients satisfaction due to sound clinical management, quality of care and compassion.
Experience in administering modalities including: NMES, IFC, iontophoresis, ultrasound, and cervical traction.
Evaluate and write letters of necessity to obtain adaptive equipment including: mobility devices, adaptive seating device and positioning devices.
Start OT career at Eisenhower as regular staff OTR; continue to work often as long-term/temporary OTR.
Evaluate patients in medical and surgical ICU and provide ROM and ambulation exercises and prepare them for the discharge.
Educate patients on performing daily living activities and the use of supportive equipment such as crutches, wheelchairs and canes.

Sports physical therapist vs pediatric physical therapist skills

Common sports physical therapist skills

Physical Therapy, 43%
Patient Care, 27%
Rehabilitation, 26%
Injury Prevention, 1%
PTA, 1%
Primary Care, 1%

Common pediatric physical therapist skills

Patients, 25%
Patient Care, 12%
Rehabilitation, 9%
Autism, 6%
Home Health, 6%
Physical Therapy, 4%

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Sports Physical Therapist
Sports Physical Therapist vs Pediatric Physical Therapist

Updated January 8, 2025

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