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Physical therapists, or PTs, are health care professionals who evaluate and treat people with health problems resulting from injury or disease. PTs assess joint motion, muscle strength and endurance, function of heart and lungs, and performance of activities required in daily living, among other responsibilities. Treatment includes therapeutic exercise, cardiovascular endurance training, and training in activities of daily living. More than 120,000 physical therapists are licensed in the U.S. today, treating nearly 1 million people every day.
Physical therapists own and manage their own clinics or are employed in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and extended care facilities such as nursing homes, home health agencies, public and private schools, and industry and private practices.
Most physical therapists work a 40-hour week, which may include some evenings and weekends.
Other workplace settings:
$91,000
According to the BLS, employment of physical therapists is projected to grow 21 percent from 2020 to 2030, much faster than the average for all occupations.
About 15,600 openings for physical therapists are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
The minimum educational requirement is a post-graduate (master’s or doctoral) degree in physical therapy from an accredited physical therapist educational program.
Licensure is required by the state of Connecticut. Prerequisites: An approved Physical Therapy Program; National Physical Therapy Examination or Current Certification by the American Registry of Physical Therapists.
Please visit the State of Connecticut Department of Public Health website for more information.
American Physical Therapy Association
3030 Potomac Avenue, Suite 100
Alexandria, VA 22305
(800) 999-APTA
www.apta.org