If you’ve ever fallen and suffered a strain, you may have needed to see a physical therapist during your recovery. Maybe you were in a car accident or had surgery — a physical therapist may have helped you rehabilitate. Physical therapists work in all kinds of capacities and with all types of people, from children, older adults and postpartum women to stroke patients, top-tier athletes and more.

If becoming a physical therapist is of interest to you, you may be wondering about the commitment needed to enter into the discipline — how many years does it take to become a physical therapist? It’s more than just an undergraduate degree, volunteer hours, licensure or a fellowship. Some physical therapists will put in that time and then pursue additional continuing education PT credits.

Before diving into the details, here is a look at the broader picture.

Online Physical Therapy Programs

Learn from Arcadia’s expert DPT faculty in an online program. Complete in 25 months.

Earn your DPT from a hybrid program. Experience on-campus immersions and apply skills learned online to patients in person. Complete the program in 25 months. Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree but do not need to submit GRE test scores for admission.

• Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) 
• Complete in 25 months  
• 32 weeks of in-person experience

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The Hybrid DPT Program From USC — Bachelor’s Req’d

With USC’s Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, aspiring physical therapists can earn a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree in an innovative hybrid format. Bachelor’s required.

• Full-time, three-year program 
• 44 weeks of rich, varied clinical experiences 
• Regular visits to USC for on-campus, skill-building immersions

Request more info from the University of Southern California.

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The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) describes physical therapists as “movement experts who optimize quality of life through prescribed exercise, hands-on care, and patient education.” 

Physical therapists help their patients find relief in a number of ways, generally involving the movement of the body in the form of exercises.

A physical therapist’s scope of practice includes rehabilitating patients or helping them do things for the first time, improving performance, and preventing injury. Physical therapist duties generally include examining patients, evaluating their condition, screening for injuries or illness, diagnosing conditions, determining a prognosis, developing plans of care, overseeing documentation and care, and discharging patients at the end of treatment. 

Otherwise, their scope of practice varies state by state. Maryland, for example, specifies that physical therapy practice does not include taking X-rays, using substances that are radioactive, or using electricity to cauterize or perform surgery.” Other states take similar stances, with Idaho stating that “the practice of physical therapy shall not include the use of radiology, surgery or medical diagnosis of disease.” You can find what the scope of practice for a physical therapist in your state includes and does not include on the APTA’s website.

It’s important to do your research to find a program that fits your specific needs and to ensure that you’re on track to meet all admissions requirements for physical therapy school. A Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree is required to practice physical therapy on patients. DPT program requirements vary depending on the school but will generally include a Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service (PTCAS) application, including transcripts, GRE scores, references, and observation hours.

Some DPT schools may have supplemental requirements such as a fee or the results of a physical examination; it’s up to you to make sure you know and have addressed each requirement for the schools to which you are applying. Each of these physical therapy school prerequisites will require time and attention to complete, so make sure you begin them with enough advance time before your application is due.

There are on-campus and online doctor of physical therapy program options available. As mentioned, it is important to ensure that your program of choice meets the requirements of the state you wish to work in — such as having CAPTE accreditation so that you can obtain your physical therapy license after completing your education. 

As for attending a DPT program online versus on campus: While many students are used to on-campus settings, online DPT programs may lend more flexibility to students’ schedules as they continue to gain real-world experience outside the classroom or have personal obligations. Online physical therapy programs also allow you to study at the school of your choice without having to uproot your family or move across the country.

Physical therapy licensure is required in every state, but precise physical therapy license requirements vary by location. Be sure to check the requirements you need to fulfill in the state you wish to work in. To obtain a PT license, all aspiring physical therapists must pass the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE).

You are allowed five hours for the 250 NPTE questions, which will be objective, multiple choice and computerized. The NPTE content will cover the body systems (e.g., neuromuscular and nervous systems, lymphatic systems and musculoskeletal system) and non-systems (e.g., safety and protection, therapeutic modalities, research and evidence-based practice).

The NPTE exam is administered four times per year. To see the most current NPTE exam dates being offered, view the NPTE website.

What happens after the NPTE exam?

For those who pass the NPTE, congratulations, you are one step closer to obtaining licensure!. Those who did not pass the required score, you do have the option of retaking the test. There is a maximum of three times in a 12-month period and six times in a lifetime.

After becoming licensed, some physical therapists wish to continue learning and expanding their knowledge. Two ways this can be done via PT continuing education: through clinical physical therapy residency programs and clinical physical therapy fellowship programs.

If you want to specialize in an area of physical therapy, such as orthopedics or sports, you’ll need to complete a residency program and/or a physical therapy fellowship. In addition to gaining the knowledge to work in a specialty area, you would need to record some or all of the clinical hours needed to earn certification through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties.

How should you choose between a physical therapy residency vs. fellowship? What’s the difference between the two? When it comes to the field of physical therapy, a residency experience prepares an individual to become a board-certified clinical specialist. A fellowship, on the other hand, is designed for the graduate of a residency or board-certified physical therapist to focus on a subspecialty area of clinical practice, education, or research.

Where do physical therapists work? Careers and locations that employ physical therapists vary greatly. Physical therapist work environments include:

In addition to these and the previously mentioned environments, some physical therapists set up private practices or join an office of physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech pathologists once their training is complete.

As with a PT student’s observation hours, licensed physical therapists may work in practice areas from acute care and home health to pediatrics or geriatrics and specialize in oncology, neurology, sports or even women’s health.

For more information, see Physical Therapy Careers and Salaries.

The median annual wage for physical therapists was $89,440 in May of 2019; however, the highest 10% of United States physical therapists earned upward of $124,740. 

The median annual wages were above the median annual wage of the profession as a whole for those physical therapists working in nursing and residential care facilities ($95,440); home health care services ($94,080); and state, local and private hospitals ($91,260). 

The employment outlook for the physical therapy field as a whole is much faster than the average for all occupations. Employment of physical therapists is projected to grow 22% between 2018 and 2028. 

This strong employment outlook is largely due to this predicted shortage, as well as to the baby boomer population aging: Not only are they staying active later in life, but they are also susceptible to chronic and acute health conditions. As a result of this demographic shift, PT job prospects are predicted to be particularly good in settings where older adults are treated, such as acute care hospitals, skilled-nursing facilities and orthopedic care settings.

Prospects may also be especially favorable in rural settings as a result of an existing shortage of physical therapists, many of whom currently choose to live in highly populated suburban and urban locations.

Physical therapists do a vital, demanding job that affects the quality of life of their patients immensely. It requires extensive education and training to qualify as a physical therapist. Fortunately, physical therapists have the opportunity to choose particular ranges of patients, settings and specialties in their career path, while earning a competitive salary and also knowing that what they do makes a difference.

Last Updated May 2020