Student physical therapist vs per diem physical therapist

The differences between student physical therapists and per diem physical therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a per diem physical therapist has an average salary of $74,590, which is higher than the $73,003 average annual salary of a student physical therapist.

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

Student physical therapist vs per diem physical therapist overview

	Student Physical Therapist	Per Diem Physical Therapist
Yearly salary	$73,003	$74,590
Hourly rate	$35.10	$35.86
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	92,101	87,365
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
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 per diem physical therapist do?

A per diem physical therapist is responsible for performing therapy treatments for patients when the institution is short-staffed for therapists. These therapists design recovery plans to help ease patients with their movements and daily activities after suffering from injury, illness, and other medical conditions. They diagnose patients to evaluate treatment methods, observe their progress every session, and modify plans until the final recovery. A per diem physical therapist operate various tools and equipment, schedule treatment appointments, and monitor the patients' medications.

Student physical therapist vs per diem physical therapist salary

Student physical therapists and per diem physical therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Student Physical Therapist	Per Diem Physical Therapist
Average salary	$73,003	$74,590
Salary range	Between $54,000 And $97,000	Between $51,000 And $108,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Alameda Health System
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between student physical therapist and per diem physical therapist education

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

	Student Physical Therapist	Per Diem Physical Therapist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common major	Kinesiology	Physical Therapy
Most common college	Duke University	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Student physical therapist vs per diem physical therapist demographics

Here are the differences between student physical therapists' and per diem physical therapists' demographics:

	Student Physical Therapist	Per Diem Physical Therapist
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 37.4% Female, 62.6%	Male, 30.2% Female, 69.8%
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, 4.0% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 11.3% White, 72.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between student physical therapist and per diem 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.

Per diem physical therapist example responsibilities.

Achieve high level of patients satisfaction due to sound clinical management, quality of care and compassion.
Help patients adapt to the use of braces, canes, crutches and prosthetic/orthotic devices as needed.
Assist patients to adapt to the use of wheelchairs, braces, canes, crutches and prosthetic/orthotic devises.
Provide patient care in a SNF setting with the primary emphasis on transitioning patients from hospital to home.
Provide assessments and documentation for adaptive equipment.
Supervise PTAs and physical therapy aides in direct patient-relate activities.

Student physical therapist vs per diem 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 per diem physical therapist skills

Patients, 26%
Rehabilitation, 16%
Per Diem, 14%
Home Health, 10%
Treatment Programs, 6%
Physical Therapy Assistants, 3%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Student Physical Therapist
Student Physical Therapist vs Per Diem Physical Therapist

Updated January 8, 2025

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