Is there a particular group of patients or a body system that you especially like working with in the physical therapy clinic? Or are you looking for opportunities to make a higher salary? Opening your own PT clinic is one way to do that. Some PTs also find higher-paying jobs by becoming certified specialists.
There are a few factors that determine how much you can make as a physical therapist. The median annual wage for physical therapists was $99,710 in May 2023, and the top 10% of highest-paid PTs earned more than $130,870. Your years of experience make a difference, and those in home health care services make a bit more than others in hospitals, nursing homes and outpatient clinics. Some PTs decide to sacrifice the stability of a full-time job to take higher-paying travel positions. Choosing a specialty is a good way to ensure that you’re doing work you enjoy while making some extra money.
This article outlines 10 specialty areas you can choose to pursue in your physical therapy career.
What are the main physical therapy specialties?
The American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS) offers specialist certification in 10 areas. Some of these focus on patient groups like geriatrics, pediatrics and women’s health. Others, such as clinical electrophysiology, sports physical therapy and wound management, are more focused on the types of care techniques you’ll use. Finally, some specialty areas focus on the specific body systems or conditions you’ll work with. These include cardiovascular and pulmonary, neurology, oncology and orthopaedics.
Each of these specialties will require you to use a slightly different set of skills to build relationships with your patients and help them toward their treatment goals. The specialty you choose might dictate the environments you can work in. For instance, oncology PTs may have an easier time finding a job in a hospital, and sports PTs are more likely to work in an outpatient clinic. Keep in mind that an aptitude for the skills you’ll use and your comfort in the clinical environment are just as important as your interest in the subject area.
10 types of physical therapy specialties to consider for your career
Maybe there’s a specialty area that drew you to physical therapy in the first place. Or maybe you’ve been in school or working for a while and you’re looking for a new direction. “Niching down” to an area of specialty can help you connect with a specific sense of purpose. It’s a great career goal to keep you focused and moving forward.
Consider pursuing one of these 10 physical therapy specialties:
- Cardiovascular and pulmonary — A cardiovascular and pulmonary PT helps people with these types of conditions improve their lives. Patients will come to you after they’ve had a heart attack or a diagnosis like heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or cystic fibrosis. Some will come in because they want to improve their overall cardiopulmonary health. Some will be experiencing symptoms like shortness of breath, chest pain and fatigue. You may use advanced diagnostic tools to assess their condition so you can create a personalized treatment plan.
- Clinical electrophysiology — PTs with this specialization use electronic stimulation to help patients with heart conditions and other abnormal neural or muscular function. Electronic stimulation can help improve circulation and pain symptoms. It also helps with preventing blood clots, relaxing muscle spasms and supporting the body’s healing processes. You’ll use highly advanced diagnostic tools to determine how to treat patients with conditions like arrhythmias, syncope or palpitations. You’ll also help people heal wounds from surgeries, lacerations, abrasions or diabetic ulcers.
- Geriatrics — Geriatric PT is a specialty area focused on the health concerns older adults face. Pain management and treating musculoskeletal issues like stiffness, osteoporosis and arthritis are big components. In some settings, you’ll help patients with the physical and cognitive symptoms of progressive conditions, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Some patients will need rehabilitation to help with mobility and activities of daily living (ADLs).
- Neurology — This physical therapy specialty focuses on the nervous and spinal systems. You’ll treat patients across all age groups with injuries that affect these systems. You’ll also see patients with conditions like multiple sclerosis, sciatica, neuropathy, fibromyalgia and cerebral palsy. You’ll help determine the extent to which these conditions are affecting their movement. Then you’ll provide rehabilitative treatments — e.g., vestibular rehab, balance training, therapeutic exercise and electronic stimulation — to help them recover.
- Oncology — Oncology PTs work with patients who either have cancer or are recovering from it. You may help them with symptoms caused by the cancer itself or those caused by cancer treatments. Treatments for patients with different types of cancer will look very different from each other. They may need help with symptoms from pain to muscle weakness, joint stiffness, loss of endurance, peripheral neuropathy and loss of bone density. Some patients will need help recovering their ability to walk or perform ADLs.
- Orthopaedics — This one is for physical therapy generalists who like working with a variety of musculoskeletal conditions. You’ll help patients with conditions that affect their bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons or joints. Some common conditions you’ll work with include tendinitis, sprains, overuse injuries and osteoarthritis.
- Pediatrics — If you like working with infants, children and teens, this is the specialty area for you. You’ll help detect and treat a variety of injuries, disorders and diseases in younger patients to set them up for lifelong wellness. You’ll help children who have developmental delays and conditions that affect their muscles, bones and joints. These include cerebral palsy, spina bifida, torticollis and more.
- Sports — Sports physical therapy focuses on the prevention and recovery of injuries as well as performance enhancement. Patients see a sports PT for injuries sustained during practice or competition. Some examples are ACL tears, concussions, tennis elbow, hip flexor strains and shoulder injuries. You can also help athletes perform at their best by creating training programs and helping them with everything from form and technique to performance anxiety.
- Women’s health — Women’s health PTs have a special understanding of women’s musculoskeletal systems. They help patients learn how common conditions affect them differently than men. They help expecting mothers prepare for childbirth and recover after vaginal births or C-sections. They provide pelvic floor therapy for a wide variety of conditions. They also help women with conditions that come along with menopause, such as joint pain and osteoporosis.
- Wound management — Wound management PTs can work in all kinds of clinical settings, such as long-term care facilities, hospitals, rehabilitation centers and home care. They help speed up the body’s healing processes and prevent infection in patients with acute and chronic wounds. They provide patient education regarding wound healing and care. They also help with pain management and avoiding potential complications.
Find support with pursuing your specialty by joining the Alliance PTP team
As a physical therapist, you may be struggling to advance your career or choose a specialty. You don’t have to continue struggling alone. At Alliance Physical Therapy Partners, we’ve created a nationwide partnership in care that’s constantly evolving to help our PT practice partners and their team members take on these types of challenges.
We offer a range of professional development and support for our partners’ team members, and all our new physical therapists and physical therapy assistants participate in a mentoring program. This program allows you to meet regularly with experienced professionals who can help you address your needs as someone who’s new to the Alliance PTP team. They can also help you set specific goals for your professional development. Most importantly, your mentorship will help you provide your patients with best-quality PT care.
Taking advantage of all the career opportunities Alliance PTP offers starts with one simple step. Look over our Careers page to see all the current career opportunities Alliance PTP is offering.
