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OT vs PT: What’s the Difference?

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Home » Blog » Physical Therapist vs. Occupational Therapist
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Written and reported by:
All Allied Health Schools Staff

Occupational therapist vs. physical therapist. Which career is right for you? Both do vital hands-on rehabilitative work to help patients with injuries or disabilities that limit how they’re able to move and function in daily life.

PTs work primarily with people recovering from injuries. The goal is to get patients back in motion with exercises, massage and other techniques, and therapy usually happens in a PT’s office. Physical therapy often focuses on preventing injuries, and it can help people avoid surgery or a long-term reliance on medications.

OTs help their patients perform day-to-day tasks, whether they’re recovering from injuries or have developmental or cognitive disabilities affecting their motor skills, emotions or behavior. Some occupational therapy might happen in a hospital or OT’s office, but a key component occurs in a patient’s home or work environment. Other OTs work in schools and help children develop skills to become functioning, independent adults.There’s a strong emphasis on the practical aspects of helping people do the things they want and need to do so they can live life to the fullest.

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The Key Differences

Here’s a comparison between occupational therapist vs. physical therapist professions:

Job Duties


Physical Therapists

  • Diagnose physical problems restricting movement because of an illness or injury
  • Use exercises and other techniques to ease pain and boost mobility and muscle strength
  • Develop fitness and wellness programs aimed at preventing injuries and encouraging a more active lifestyle

Occupational Therapists

  • Help patients with daily living skills and self-care tasks (i.e., “occupations”) such as getting dressed
  • Make recommendations about adaptive and accessibility equipment, such as ramps, wheelchairs, or gait trainers to patients, architects, and contractors
  • Support patients with memory loss or other cognitive issues

Education


Physical Therapists

Occupational Therapists

  • Most practicing physical therapists hold a doctorate, which can take about three years to complete. Master’s degrees take two years and both require an undergraduate degree.
  • Occupational therapists need at least a master’s degree to practice (two years). A doctoral degree takes between two and three years.

Licensing and Certification


Physical Therapists

Occupational Therapists

  • Physical therapists must be licensed. To sit for the National Physical Therapist Examination, you have to be a graduate of an accredited physical therapy school.
  • Licensing laws vary by state but common requirements include graduating from an accredited occupational therapy school, meeting fieldwork requirements, and passing a national certification exam.

Median Annual Salaries

Your education, years on the job, and location, can play a factor in how much you earn. Compare salaries for PTs and OTs below.

Physical Therapists

National data

Median Salary: $97,720

Projected job growth: 15.1%

10th Percentile: $67,910

25th Percentile: $80,700

75th Percentile: $107,430

90th Percentile: $128,830

Projected job growth: 15.1%

State data

State Median Salary Bottom 10% Top 10%
Alabama $97,360 $61,160 $135,770
Alaska $102,270 $79,560 $130,660
Arizona $99,200 $76,140 $125,380
Arkansas $98,180 $64,340 $118,720
California $108,230 $80,880 $148,720
Colorado $96,920 $69,840 $126,980
Connecticut $103,290 $76,880 $136,130
Delaware $97,520 $72,030 $125,570
District of Columbia $97,180 $81,370 $123,260
Florida $95,000 $59,300 $125,250
Georgia $98,600 $73,760 $120,310
Hawaii $101,390 $81,750 $146,820
Idaho $85,870 $63,660 $105,970
Illinois $100,310 $61,420 $135,710
Indiana $95,110 $64,940 $114,400
Iowa $84,700 $66,600 $105,670
Kansas $90,850 $67,220 $111,510
Kentucky $85,710 $54,840 $114,380
Louisiana $97,960 $60,800 $128,690
Maine $83,160 $70,280 $103,510
Maryland $97,280 $76,770 $119,240
Massachusetts $99,550 $71,560 $121,050
Michigan $93,600 $61,770 $106,690
Minnesota $91,610 $75,720 $103,010
Mississippi $97,750 $69,300 $126,130
Missouri $88,900 $64,400 $115,520
Montana $82,170 $68,670 $103,380
Nebraska $90,670 $64,900 $112,320
Nevada $101,980 $45,900 $147,630
New Hampshire $93,520 $72,560 $107,430
New Jersey $103,050 $79,820 $136,610
New Mexico $94,260 $53,800 $123,010
New York $97,180 $69,440 $130,500
North Carolina $84,300 $67,190 $116,690
North Dakota $79,860 $66,990 $100,190
Ohio $97,730 $74,280 $121,190
Oklahoma $92,940 $63,660 $118,290
Oregon $98,050 $78,800 $116,500
Pennsylvania $97,510 $73,840 $124,430
Rhode Island $95,640 $67,870 $119,060
South Carolina $86,620 $61,210 $113,980
South Dakota $84,260 $68,860 $103,170
Tennessee $95,380 $66,210 $111,640
Texas $99,970 $69,160 $138,630
Utah $86,280 $61,620 $125,440
Vermont $83,390 $71,080 $108,790
Virginia $97,780 $67,690 $127,920
Washington $100,270 $77,480 $126,380
West Virginia $93,380 $65,100 $122,540
Wisconsin $95,080 $65,780 $118,130
Wyoming $84,820 $63,400 $123,580

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2022 median salary; projected job growth through 2032. Actual salaries may vary depending on location, level of education, years of experience, work environment, and other factors. Salaries may differ even more for those who are self-employed or work part time.

Occupational Therapists

National data

Median Salary: $93,180

Projected job growth: 11.5%

10th Percentile: $63,320

25th Percentile: $77,700

75th Percentile: $104,730

90th Percentile: $123,870

Projected job growth: 11.5%

State data

State Median Salary Bottom 10% Top 10%
Alabama $83,770 $60,630 $110,240
Alaska $97,970 $70,160 $129,430
Arizona $84,250 $61,800 $120,240
Arkansas $79,980 $43,350 $121,180
California $104,380 $81,390 $136,490
Colorado $96,450 $73,190 $131,950
Connecticut $96,340 $71,410 $123,700
Delaware $87,360 $63,240 $114,980
District of Columbia $92,670 $64,320 $129,420
Florida $91,970 $64,600 $105,800
Georgia $95,200 $65,270 $119,130
Hawaii $95,890 $79,310 $146,250
Idaho $82,000 $62,260 $103,360
Illinois $93,290 $58,760 $113,440
Indiana $84,990 $62,220 $106,700
Iowa $80,960 $61,430 $102,740
Kansas $84,610 $62,920 $107,520
Kentucky $81,130 $60,270 $109,240
Louisiana $94,280 $61,270 $121,980
Maine $76,860 $60,750 $93,760
Maryland $98,280 $64,560 $121,980
Massachusetts $93,140 $61,620 $114,590
Michigan $82,450 $61,260 $104,320
Minnesota $81,370 $62,690 $101,070
Mississippi $91,800 $64,370 $109,100
Missouri $88,340 $59,240 $109,220
Montana $83,660 $64,260 $101,850
Nebraska $83,530 $66,080 $107,540
Nevada $102,130 $62,800 $136,440
New Hampshire $83,200 $58,700 $104,800
New Jersey $103,090 $65,310 $148,530
New Mexico $86,560 $61,350 $138,060
New York $86,370 $61,300 $131,900
North Carolina $83,560 $59,970 $109,210
North Dakota $75,640 $63,800 $100,540
Ohio $93,060 $63,170 $124,850
Oklahoma $92,230 $63,190 $122,250
Oregon $100,910 $72,280 $114,830
Pennsylvania $87,930 $62,910 $118,690
Rhode Island $93,600 $70,790 $110,370
South Carolina $84,390 $59,930 $114,400
South Dakota $76,400 $62,740 $97,300
Tennessee $95,560 $65,400 $107,900
Texas $96,260 $65,100 $131,580
Utah $85,260 $63,460 $120,270
Vermont $79,920 $63,680 $101,360
Virginia $97,080 $66,290 $134,200
Washington $94,900 $69,910 $120,730
West Virginia $79,620 $48,660 $107,390
Wisconsin $81,700 $59,550 $102,210
Wyoming $81,040 $50,940 $123,620

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2022 median salary; projected job growth through 2032. Actual salaries may vary depending on location, level of education, years of experience, work environment, and other factors. Salaries may differ even more for those who are self-employed or work part time.

What’s Next?


Physical Therapists

Occupational Therapists

  • Seek certification from the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties after meeting clinical practice requirements by working with patients in a specialty area, such as:
  • Geriatrics
  • Neurology
  • Orthopedics
  • Pediatrics
  • Sports
  • Women’s health
  • OTs can seek board certification in gerontology, mental health, pediatrics, or physical rehabilitation after meeting clinical practice requirements; or specialty certification in:
  • Driving
  • Community mobility
  • Environment modification
  • Low vision
  • Feeding, eating, swallowing
  • School systems

In some cases, patients start out with a physical therapist then move on to an occupational therapist. One example: Someone recovering from a stroke might work with a physical therapist to build back muscle strength. Later on, that person would see an occupational therapist to work on buttoning a shirt, using the restroom or taking a shower.

If you’re interested in either career, there are entry-level educational and career options. Find out more about what it takes to become a physical therapy assistant or an occupational therapy assistant.