Student physical therapist vs home care physical therapist

The differences between student physical therapists and home care 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 $71,303 average annual salary of a home care physical therapist.

The top three skills for a student physical therapist include patients, occupational therapy and rehabilitation. The most important skills for a home care physical therapist are patients, home health, and rehabilitation.

Student physical therapist vs home care physical therapist overview

	Student Physical Therapist	Home Care Physical Therapist
Yearly salary	$73,003	$71,303
Hourly rate	$35.10	$34.28
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	92,101	180,359
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	-	-

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.

What does a home care physical therapist do?

A Home Care Physical Therapist provides therapy services defined in treatment plans in residential settings. They work with physicians, case managers, and adjustors. Their patients include accident victims and individuals with disabilities such as heart disease or fractures.

Student physical therapist vs home care physical therapist salary

Student physical therapists and home care physical therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Student Physical Therapist	Home Care Physical Therapist
Average salary	$73,003	$71,303
Salary range	Between $54,000 And $97,000	Between $47,000 And $107,000
Highest paying City	-	Bridgeport, CT
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	Kaiser Permanente
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between student physical therapist and home care physical therapist education

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

	Student Physical Therapist	Home Care Physical Therapist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common major	Kinesiology	Physical Therapy
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Student physical therapist vs home care physical therapist demographics

Here are the differences between student physical therapists' and home care physical therapists' demographics:

	Student Physical Therapist	Home Care Physical Therapist
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 37.4% Female, 62.6%	Male, 36.6% Female, 63.4%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 7.4% Asian, 14.8% White, 70.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between student physical therapist and home care physical therapist duties and responsibilities

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.

Home care 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.
Complete documentation and billing for Medicare and Medicaid base on federal and state laws.
Deliver home-based physical therapy services to adult patients with general medical and orthopedic conditions.
Show true sympathy and compassion for optimal results.
Administer manual exercises, massage or traction to relieve pain, increase function and prevent deformity.
Practice specialties with certifications in vestibular rehabilitation and fall prevention.

Student physical therapist vs home care physical therapist skills

Common student physical therapist skills

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

Common home care physical therapist skills

Patients, 35%
Home Health, 24%
Rehabilitation, 13%
Restore Function, 5%
Medicare, 4%
Direct Patient Care, 3%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Student Physical Therapist
Student Physical Therapist vs Home Care Physical Therapist

Updated January 8, 2025

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