Physical Therapists
Also called: Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), Home Care Physical Therapist (Home Care PT), Inpatient Physical Therapist (Inpatient PT), Pediatric Physical Therapist (Pediatric PT)Assess, plan, organize, and participate in rehabilitative programs that improve mobility, relieve pain, increase strength, and improve or correct disabling conditions resulting from disease or injury.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 13 of its 24 tasks, yet jobs are projected to grow 11.9% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 0.6% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 5.0 hires for every 10 job openings in health care and social assistance, which employs about 93% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.5.0 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $97,290 | $81,850 to $115,210 | 3,040 |
| Alaska | $115,280 | $101,500 to $129,760 | 680 |
| Arizona | $103,220 | $89,710 to $121,100 | 5,170 |
| Arkansas | $99,010 | $81,260 to $111,470 | 2,680 |
| California | $124,190 | $100,790 to $141,260 | 26,580 |
| Colorado | $102,030 | $83,320 to $118,980 | 5,630 |
| Connecticut | $104,360 | $96,560 to $113,360 | 4,060 |
| Delaware | $102,050 | $92,980 to $124,550 | 1,260 |
| District of Columbia | $101,640 | $95,940 to $128,750 | 610 |
| Florida | $101,040 | $83,650 to $107,520 | 16,290 |
| Georgia | $102,700 | $83,770 to $120,610 | 6,780 |
| Hawaii | $101,700 | $93,600 to $117,910 | 950 |
| Idaho | $99,000 | $84,820 to $104,640 | 1,030 |
| Illinois | $105,250 | $95,940 to $122,920 | 9,800 |
| Indiana | $101,560 | $82,540 to $114,800 | 6,130 |
| Iowa | $97,560 | $78,810 to $106,070 | 2,530 |
| Kansas | $98,290 | $78,680 to $107,780 | 2,660 |
| Kentucky | $100,710 | $80,990 to $114,820 | 3,390 |
| Louisiana | $98,530 | $77,740 to $109,650 | 3,280 |
| Maine | $99,720 | $85,150 to $105,000 | 1,860 |
| Maryland | $106,890 | $96,880 to $125,440 | 3,940 |
| Massachusetts | $103,790 | $94,750 to $121,710 | 6,850 |
| Michigan | $100,900 | $86,120 to $108,760 | 8,630 |
| Minnesota | $102,010 | $94,820 to $107,160 | 5,180 |
| Mississippi | $99,990 | $83,200 to $107,130 | 1,980 |
| Missouri | $99,310 | $80,910 to $109,880 | 4,900 |
| Montana | $91,450 | $81,250 to $103,480 | 1,180 |
| Nebraska | $97,090 | $80,540 to $107,490 | 2,140 |
| Nevada | $111,250 | $98,100 to $134,420 | 2,030 |
| New Hampshire | $99,850 | $83,290 to $107,250 | 1,960 |
| New Jersey | $112,140 | $96,730 to $129,780 | 9,750 |
| New Mexico | $106,880 | $89,440 to $128,110 | 1,330 |
| New York | $100,660 | $81,470 to $121,270 | 20,940 |
| North Carolina | $99,910 | $84,080 to $110,330 | 7,350 |
| North Dakota | $85,330 | $79,080 to $103,120 | 830 |
| Ohio | $103,050 | $84,590 to $113,260 | 10,280 |
| Oklahoma | $98,590 | $78,690 to $110,820 | 2,560 |
| Oregon | $103,510 | $90,370 to $126,520 | 3,210 |
| Pennsylvania | $101,380 | $82,320 to $116,650 | 11,710 |
| Puerto Rico | $60,250 | $49,540 to $66,750 | 570 |
| Rhode Island | $99,400 | $88,120 to $113,840 | 1,020 |
| South Carolina | $101,330 | $81,850 to $111,860 | 3,930 |
| South Dakota | $92,660 | $82,380 to $103,630 | 1,060 |
| Tennessee | $100,140 | $80,930 to $111,140 | 4,800 |
| Texas | $105,810 | $88,620 to $127,290 | 21,870 |
| Utah | $99,880 | $80,870 to $109,480 | 2,300 |
| Vermont | $97,970 | $81,080 to $103,810 | 760 |
| Virginia | $101,450 | $84,110 to $118,670 | 7,630 |
| Washington | $105,950 | $92,490 to $129,390 | 5,370 |
| West Virginia | $96,600 | $77,860 to $109,410 | 1,310 |
| Wisconsin | $101,840 | $88,320 to $114,070 | 5,580 |
| Wyoming | $100,400 | $82,940 to $117,000 | 560 |
Nationally: $102,760. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 13 of its 24 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI + software | Plan, prepare, or carry out individually designed programs of physical treatment to maintain, improve, or restore physical functioning, alleviate pain, or prevent physical dysfunction in patients. | Not published |
| AI + software | Perform and document an initial exam, evaluating data to identify problems and determine a diagnosis prior to intervention. | Not published |
| AI + software | Record prognosis, treatment, response, and progress in patient's chart or enter information into computer. | Not published |
| Not much | Instruct patient and family in treatment procedures to be continued at home. | Not published |
| Not much | Evaluate effects of treatment at various stages and adjust treatments to achieve maximum benefit. | Not published |
| AI + software | Confer with the patient, medical practitioners, or appropriate others to plan, implement, or assess the intervention program. | Not published |
See all 24 tasks
| Not much | Administer manual exercises, massage, or traction to help relieve pain, increase patient strength, or decrease or prevent deformity or crippling. | Not published |
| Not much | Test and measure patient's strength, motor development and function, sensory perception, functional capacity, or respiratory or circulatory efficiency and record data. | Not published |
| AI + software | Review physician's referral and patient's medical records to help determine diagnosis and physical therapy treatment required. | Not published |
| AI + software | Obtain patients' informed consent to proposed interventions. | Not published |
| Not much | Direct, supervise, assess, and communicate with supportive personnel. | Not published |
| AI + software | Identify and document goals, anticipated progress, and plans for reevaluation. | Not published |
| Not much | Provide information to the patient about the proposed intervention, its material risks and expected benefits, and any reasonable alternatives. | under 0.01% |
| AI alone | Inform patients and refer to appropriate practitioners when diagnosis reveals findings outside physical therapy. | Not published |
| AI + software | Provide educational information about physical therapy or physical therapists, injury prevention, ergonomics, or ways to promote health. | Not published |
| AI + software | Discharge patient from physical therapy when goals or projected outcomes have been attained and provide for appropriate follow-up care or referrals. | Not published |
| Not much | Administer treatment involving application of physical agents, using equipment, moist packs, ultraviolet or infrared lamps, or ultrasound machines. | Not published |
| AI alone | Refer clients to community resources or services. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Evaluate, fit, or adjust prosthetic or orthotic devices or recommend modification to orthotist. | Not published |
| Not much | Teach physical therapy students or those in other health professions. | Not published |
| AI + software | Conduct or support research and apply research findings to practice. | Not published |
| Not much | Construct, maintain, or repair medical supportive devices. | Not published |
| AI alone | Participate in community or community agency activities or help to formulate public policy. | Not published |
| Not much | Direct group rehabilitation activities. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 2 of the 24 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 24 tasks fall under 24 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #5 Provide information or assistance to the public
- #24 Assist others to access additional services or resources
- #26 Research healthcare issues
- and 2 more, in the table below
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maintain health or medical records | |||
| Assist others to access additional services or resources | |||
| Perform administrative or clerical activities | |||
| Explain medical information to patients or family members | |||
| Analyze health or medical data | |||
| Develop patient or client care or treatment plans | |||
| Examine people or animals to assess health conditions or physical characteristics | |||
| Administer therapeutic treatments |
Show all 24 activities
| Train others on health or medical topics | |||
| Provide information or assistance to the public | |||
| Research healthcare issues | |||
| Process digital or online data | |||
| Advise others on healthcare or wellness issues | |||
| Advise others on legal or regulatory matters | |||
| Monitor health conditions of humans or animals | |||
| Evaluate patient or client condition or treatment options | |||
| Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures | |||
| Supervise personnel activities | |||
| Confer with healthcare or other professionals about patient care | |||
| Develop public or community health programs | |||
| Operate medical equipment | |||
| Adjust medical equipment to ensure adequate performance | |||
| Administer diagnostic tests to assess patient health | |||
| Fabricate medical devices |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- An explanation or answer36%
- Advice or a recommendation24%
- A document or report8%
- An analysis or summary4%
- Teaching material3%
How they worked with Claude
23% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for physical therapists specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 14,050 moves out
- 1 Medical and Health Services Managers High +24.2% 16%
- 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
- 3 Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors Moderate +7.3% 4%
- 4 Physical Therapist Assistants Low +23.0% 3%
- 5 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 3%
Where people moved in from
of 13,151 moves in
- 1 Medical and Health Services Managers High +24.2% 12%
- 2 Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors Moderate +7.3% 5%
- 3 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 4 Physical Therapist Assistants Low +23.0% 4%
- 5 Registered Nurses High +5.6% 2%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 6% associate's
- 8% bachelor's
- 38% master's
- 47% research doctorate
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 28 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 2% high school
- 1% some college
- 2% associate's
- 22% bachelor's
- 16% master's
- 20% professional degree
- 37% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 3,285 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
2 programs: Physical Therapy/Therapist and Kinesiotherapy/Kinesiotherapist.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
>99.5% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | 93.7% | 19.1% |
| a certification | 16.3% | 5.8% |
| an educational certificate | <0.5% | 2.8% |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/29-1123.00