Physical Therapist
Health Science
Help people recover movement and manage pain after injury or surgery.
Why it matters here: Aging DMV population is driving steady outpatient clinic growth.
Labor Market — DMV Region
Sourced from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS releases (DMV metro and nationwide) plus MD, VA, and D.C. workforce agencies.
Local cost of living is why DMV pay often differs from the national median.
- DMV & state figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — OEWS wage & employment estimates and Employment Projections, with OEWS area pay relatives for the Washington–Arlington–Alexandria metro, Maryland, D.C., and Northern Virginia · View source
- Occupation profiles & skills: O*NET OnLine (U.S. Department of Labor) · onetonline.org
All salary figures are published estimates for groups of workers, not offers or guarantees for any individual role.
Education & Career Pathways
Multiple ways to get here — pick the one that fits your life.
Career Progression
How you can grow — with expected salary at each step.
- Entry-level Physical TherapistLearning the role, supervised work, building core skills.$89,380
- Physical Therapist (experienced)Independent work, mentoring newer team members.$108,680
- Senior / Lead Physical TherapistOwning projects, specialization, higher responsibility.$126,440
- Manager or specialist trackSupervising a team or moving into a high-demand specialty.$151,728
Skills Required
What you'll actually do — and how you'll be judged.
Outpatient clinic gym floor, weekday hours with some evenings
Where you work
An open therapy gym with treatment tables, exercise equipment and a few private rooms, or a hospital rehab unit. Home-health PTs drive to patients.
Hours and schedule
Mostly weekday daytime, with some early-morning or evening slots so patients can come before or after work.
Pace and pressure
Steady and scheduled — a patient roughly every 30 to 60 minutes, with notes written between visits.
Who you work with
Mostly one-on-one with patients, supported by PT assistants and aides, and coordinating with doctors who referred them.
Physical demands
Very hands-on: kneeling, demonstrating exercises, supporting body weight during transfers, standing most of the day.
What people wear
Athletic-style polo and pants or scrubs, sneakers.
Remote reality
Hands-on by nature. Telehealth is used for follow-up coaching, not for most treatment.
Workplace culture: what's normal here
- Progress is celebrated in small measurable steps, and you tell patients the honest timeline.
- Therapists share techniques openly; asking a colleague to look at a tricky case is routine.
- Insurance documentation drives the visit count, so clear goal-writing matters as much as hands-on skill.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook — Work Environment, with regional detail for the DMV.
Official data behind this career
Federal statistics for DMV Region, translated into plain language.
Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV metro area
Source: U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates (tables DP03, DP02, DP05)
- The DMV functions as one labor market: workers routinely cross state lines to get to work.
- The largest employment destinations are D.C., Fairfax County and Montgomery County.
Top places these workers go to work
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — BEA regional GDP and personal income, most recent published year
Private-sector payroll data from ADP. It is a supplemental near-real-time indicator and does not replace BLS government employment statistics.
Source: ADP National Employment Report — Most recent monthly ADP National Employment Report
- 1U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH, OEWS, Employment Projections, CES) — Primary source for occupation wages, outlook, projected openings, education and training.
- 2U.S. Census Bureau — American Community Survey — Primary source for income, educational attainment, labor force and demographic context by place.
- 3Census LEHD (LODES / OnTheMap) — Primary source for where workers live versus where they work, and local workforce flows.
- 4U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Primary source for regional GDP, industry contribution, compensation and personal income.
- 5ADP National Employment Report — Supplemental near-real-time private-sector employment and pay indicator. Not a replacement for BLS.
Figures describe groups of workers, not any one person. Where an official figure is not published for a category, this page says “Data unavailable for this category.” rather than estimating.
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