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Occupation Profile
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Occupation: Physical Therapists Change Occupation
State: Minnesota Change State
Profile Content: (content listed below) Modify Profile Content
Wages  |  Employment Trends  |  Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities  |  Tasks & Activities
Tools & Technology  |  Education & Training  |  Related Occupations
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PHYSICAL THERAPISTS: MINNESOTA

Occupation Description

Assess, plan, organize, and participate in rehabilitative programs that improve mobility, relieve pain, increase strength, and decrease or prevent deformity of patients suffering from disease or injury.


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Physical Therapists
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State and National Wages

Location Pay
Period		 2008
10% 25% Median 75% 90%
United States Hourly $24.21 $28.99 $35.00 $41.12 $50.17
Yearly $50,400 $60,300 $72,800 $85,500 $104,400
Minnesota Hourly $26.17 $28.72 $32.79 $37.29 $40.27
Yearly $54,400 $59,700 $68,200 $77,600 $83,800
Annual Wages for Physical Therapists

United States - $104,400 United States - $72,800 United States - $50,400 Minnesota - $83,800 Minnesota - $68,200 Minnesota - $54,400
  • High is the wage at which 90% of workers earn less and 10% earn more.
  • Middle is the wage at which 50% of workers earn less and 50% earn more.
  • Low is the wage at which 10% of workers earn less and 90% earn more.

Hourly Wages for Physical Therapists

United States - $50.17 United States - $35 United States - $24.21 Minnesota - $40.27 Minnesota - $32.79 Minnesota - $26.17
  • High is the wage at which 90% of workers earn less and 10% earn more.
  • Middle is the wage at which 50% of workers earn less and 50% earn more.
  • Low is the wage at which 10% of workers earn less and 90% earn more.

Occupation Wages FAQs

Median Wage by Occupation Across States
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National Data Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics Survey
State Data Source: Minnesota Wage Information

State and National Trends

United States Employment Percent
Change		 Job Openings 1
2008 2018
Physical therapists 185,500 241,700 +30% 7,860
Minnesota Employment Percent
Change		 Job Openings 1
2006 2016
Physical therapists 2,900 3,650 +26% 110
1Job Openings refers to the average annual job openings due to growth and net replacement.

Note: The data for the State Employment Trends and the National Employment Trends are not directly comparable. The projections period for state data is 2006-2016, while the projections period for national data is 2008-2018.

Occupation Trends FAQs

Employment Trends by Occupation Across States
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National Data Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections
State Data Source: Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

The most important knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) are listed for Physical Therapists.

Knowledge:

  • Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
  • Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
  • Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Skills:

  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Abilities:

  • Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
  • Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

Source: Occupational Information Network: Physical Therapists.

Tasks and Activities

Occupation specific tasks and the most important generalized work activities are listed for Physical Therapists.

Occupation Specific Tasks:

  • Administer manual exercises, massage or traction to help relieve pain, increase patient strength, or decrease or prevent deformity or crippling.
  • Administer treatment involving application of physical agents, using equipment, moist packs, ultraviolet and infrared lamps, and ultrasound machines.
  • Conduct and support research and apply research findings to practice.
  • Confer with the patient, medical practitioners and appropriate others to plan, implement and assess the intervention program.
  • Construct, maintain and repair medical supportive devices.
  • Direct group rehabilitation activities.
  • Direct, supervise, assess, and communicate with supportive personnel.
  • Discharge patient from physical therapy when goals or projected outcomes have been attained and provide for appropriate follow-up care or referrals.
  • Evaluate effects of treatment at various stages and adjust treatments to achieve maximum benefit.
  • Evaluate, fit, and adjust prosthetic and orthotic devices and recommend modification to orthotist.
  • Identify and document goals, anticipated progress and plans for reevaluation.
  • Inform patients when diagnosis reveals findings outside physical therapy and refer to appropriate practitioners.
  • Instruct patient and family in treatment procedures to be continued at home.
  • Obtain patients' informed consent to proposed interventions.
  • Participate in community and community agency activities and help to formulate public policy.
  • Perform and document an initial exam, evaluating data to identify problems and determine a diagnosis prior to intervention.
  • Plan, prepare and carry out individually designed programs of physical treatment to maintain, improve or restore physical functioning, alleviate pain and prevent physical dysfunction in patients.
  • Provide educational information about physical therapy and physical therapists, injury prevention, ergonomics and ways to promote health.
  • Provide information to the patient about the proposed intervention, its material risks and expected benefits and any reasonable alternatives.
  • Record prognosis, treatment, response, and progress in patient's chart or enter information into computer.
  • Refer clients to community resources and services.
  • Review physician's referral and patient's medical records to help determine diagnosis and physical therapy treatment required.
  • Teach physical therapy students as well as those in other health professions.
  • Test and measure patient's strength, motor development and function, sensory perception, functional capacity, and respiratory and circulatory efficiency and record data.

Generalized Work Activities:

  • Assisting and Caring for Others - Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Documenting/Recording Information - Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
  • Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

Detailed Work Activities:

  • administer medications or treatments
  • analyze medical data
  • analyze patient activity
  • apply traction
  • assess therapy needs of patients
  • assist patient to improve or develop work skills
  • communicate technical information
  • construct medical supportive devices
  • coordinate patient activities with rehabilitation team
  • direct and coordinate treatment program activities
  • document medical prognosis
  • encourage patients to participate in activities
  • evaluate patient response to therapy
  • fit medical supportive devices
  • follow dental or medical office procedures
  • identify body response variations
  • maintain records, reports, or files
  • maintain therapy equipment
  • make presentations on health or medical issues
  • observe patient condition
  • obtain information from clients, customers, or patients
  • perform safety inspections in health care setting
  • plan therapy treatment program
  • position patient for therapy
  • practice preventive procedures in medical therapy setting
  • take vital signs
  • teach medical self care
  • understand technical operating, service or repair manuals
  • use clinical problem solving techniques
  • use interpersonal communication techniques
  • use knowledge of medical terminology
  • use massage therapy procedures
  • use medical equipment in direct patient care
  • use physical therapy equipment or materials
  • use physical therapy techniques
  • use sanitation practices in health care settings
  • work with persons with mental disabilities or illnesses

Source: Occupational Information Network: Physical Therapists.

Tools and Technology

Physical Therapists  View Detailed Report

Tools:

  • Balance beams or boards or bolsters or rockers for rehabilitation or therapy - Balance beams, Balance boards, Bolsters/wedges
  • Cognitive or dexterity or perceptual or sensory evaluation or testing products - Digital inclinometer range of motion measurement instruments, Electronic manual muscle testers, Muscle testing equipment
  • Patient care beds or accessories for specialty care - Adjusting tables, Standing tables, Tilt tables
  • Pivotal traction therapy supplies - Cervical pivots, Lumbar pivots, Occipivots, Thoracic pivots
  • Work tables or stations or accessories for rehabilitation or therapy - Axial-resistance shoulder wheels, Inversion physical therapy tables, Shoulder wheels, Traction and mobilization physical therapy tables, Upper body ergometers

Technology:

  • Accounting software - MediGraph software
  • Analytical or scientific software - Cedaron Dexter Evaluation & Impairment Rating
  • Calendar and scheduling software - SpectraSoft AppointmentsCS
  • Medical software - Advantage Software Physical Therapy Advantage, Clinicient Insight, Hands On Technology TheraWriter.PT, Rehab Documentation Company ReDoc
  • Office suite software - Microsoft Office software

Source: Occupational Information Network: Physical Therapists.

Education and Training

Occupation: Physical Therapists
Most Common Educational/Training Level: Master's degree
Related Instructional Programs:

  • Kinesiotherapy/Kinesiotherapist
  • Physical Therapy/Therapist
Distribution of Educational Attainment
Occupation Percent of employees aged 25 to 44 in the occupation whose highest level of educational attainment is
Less than high school diploma High school diploma or equivalent Some college, no degree Associate's degree Bachelor's degree Master's degree Doctoral or professional degree
Physical therapists 0.3% 1.8% 1.5% 7.1% 41.7% 33.4% 14.3%
Health Diagnosing and Treating Practitioners 0.6% 2.6% 3.6% 8.3% 18.9% 17.8% 48.2%
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical 1.2% 10.4% 15.4% 15.4% 20.7% 11.6% 25.2%
Total, All Occupations 10.7% 27.6% 20.6% 8.9% 19.4% 8.3% 4.5%

Find colleges, training schools and instructional programs for this occupation.

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WIA Eligible Training Provider List: http://www.iseek.org/education/collegeList?area=&major=&instType=&wia=W&tuition=&x=27&y=10

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections (Education/Training Level, Educational Attainment); National Center for Education Statistics (Typical Instructional Programs)

Related Occupation Profiles
Occupations with similar skill requirements

Web Resources

The following resources are related to occupations in the job family
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical

Health Diagnosing and Treating Practitioners
Health Technologists and Technicians
Other Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations

Health Diagnosing and Treating Practitioners
Health Technologists and Technicians
Other Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations


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