INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Physical Therapist positions are at a 21% growth rate, which is much faster than average. With that said, there are currently 239,200 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 49,100 to 288,300 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the Physical Therapist jobs was $91,010 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $63,530, and the highest 10% more than $126,780.
Our conclusion? The Physical Therapist job market is wide open for candidates.
Top physical therapist sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
Things to remember when writing your physical therapist experience section
Physical therapist experience section checklist:
- Keep it short: use no more than 4-6 bullet points per position;
- Go for short, easy-to-read sentences to keep recruiters engaged;
- Focus on relevant job experience that will enhance your application;
- Describe your experience using the C-A-R (challenge, action, result) methodology;
- Ditch buzzwords and go for power words instead.
To illustrate it more clearly, we’ve collected some of the best experience section examples from real Physical Therapist resumes. Check them out below!
- Providing home health care services for homebound patients.
- Evaluate patients on aspects of balance, strength, range of motion(ROM), safe transfer techniques and functional activities.
- Formulate individualized plan of care (POC) , creating measurable goals that help the patient to carry out ADLs without difficulty.
- Provide therapy to meet goals and update and revise exercise as progression.
- Successfully improved QOL of patients . helping them lead a better and safe life.
- Successfully achieved Entry-Level/Beyond Entry-Level status in specialized setting under mentorship/evaluation of two senior level PT's (20+ years experience ea.)
- Management of full-time caseload (6 pt/day)
- Experience working with Multiple Sclerosis, Stroke, Cerebral Palsy, Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia, Cancer, Parkinson's, TBI, Congenital Malformation, Amputee, Spinal cord Injury
- Instruction of community PEP's classes such as Outpatient Neuro strength/conditioning, beginner/advanced Parkinson's, Balance, Aquatic beginner/intermediate strength and conditioning, Aquatic Mother and Baby, Aquatic Parkinson's
- Instruction of Balance, Pilates, and Stroke Group Therapy (2-4 pt)
- Managment of full-time caseload (8pt/day)
- Manual Therapy, Ultrasound, E-Stim, Paraffin, Alter-G
- Efficiency in Exam/Eval/Screen/Treat of all common ortho diagnoses; Rotator Cuff, Post-Surgical Total-Joint, Pelvic Floor, Cervical/Thoracic/Lumbar pathologies
- Execution of thermo, cryo, electrical modalities
- Assisted PT's in managing patients with all ther-ex
- Maintanence/up-keep of all clinic operations such as laundry, filing, cleaning, equiptment set-up/care
- Utilized customer service skills to provide direct patient care in an outpatient orthopedic setting
- Employed excellent written communication and time management skills to document using Epic Systems
- Worked with management, scheduling associates and other providers to establish effective workflows and enhance delivery of patient care
- Planned and coordinated both monthly and quarterly team literature-review meetings
- Assisted both Physical Therapists and Occupational Therapists with patient care
- Managed the operating equipment and treatment area
- Translated from Spanish to English to patients and therapists for better communication
- Helped prepare patients charts and related office duties
- Worked under the supervision of a licensed PT to deliver patient centered quality of care
- Documented patients daily, progress and discharge notes in a clear and concise manner
- Maintained open communication with family, caregivers and patients
- Fostered and maintained collaborative relationship with nurses, doctors, OTs, PTA & ST
- Worked on implementing a comprehensive plan of care
- Appointed by the Chair of the PM&R Institute as Team Lead of the Male Outpatient Department, leading a team 8 Physical Therapists
- Standardized performance management domains including interviewing practices, clinical productivity metrics, and structured teaching to Physical Therapy students
- Joined Al Ain Hospital as the nation's first Doctor of Physical Therapy
- Evaluated and treated a wide range of conditions,including chronic and acute pain, disc prolapse, arthritis and stroke.
- Planned individually-designed treatment programs to restore, maintain and improve physical functioning, alleviate pain and prevent disability.
- Gained lot of experience from Dr.Alaa Balbaa ( Dean of faculty of physiotherapy ,Cairo university )
- Built the company from scratch while covering every key role in the process: business and product development, customer relations, sales, IT, recruiting, team management, HR and finance
- Cultivated excellent customer relations by including team members in key customer related decisions and sales
- Developed and implemented evidence-based healthcare strategies for customers, focusing on high return of investment
- Provided treatments, ergonomic instructions, exercise therapy, health checks and coaching sessions
- Supervised a team of physical therapists in the capital region
- Designed and implemented a web-based health portal
- Provided treatments, exercise therapy and health checks
- Integrate, NAIOMT based manual therapy, Movement Systems Impairment Syndrome (MSIS) and Functional Movements Systems (FMS) based exercises to facilitate improved pain levels and function in patients with a variety of orthopedic and neurological conditions.
- Provide therapeutic care for patients suffering from chronic/acute back pain, arthritis, sports injuries, post-operative orthopaedics, pediatrics, and geriatric patients
- Evaluate and treat patients in the acute care setting following orthopedic surgeries and admittance into the hospital for falls, stroke, respiratory, and neurological disorders
- Document evaluations and treatments using computerized documentation system
- Serve as Clinical Instructor for DPT students from Kansas City area institutions
- Performed Physical Therapy evaluation/treatment in an outpatient treatment setting
- Developed Plan of Care with manual techniques, therapeutic exercise, and aquatic therapy methods to increase functional mobility/reduce pain in clients
- Supervised Physical Therapy Assistants with progression of POC and documentation
- Dealing with different cases of C.P Child
- Treated adults Stroke patient
- Learning Neuro developmental technique &using this technique in the plan of treatmet of each patient
- Performed initial evaluations, patient interactions with differential diagnosis and preparations of short and long term goal planning.
- Daily documentation of patient progress notes, re-examination of patients.
- Prescribing individualized exercise prescription for patients.
- Anchored 7 member team with collaboration of physical therapy exercises and patient care.
- Assisting patients recovering from a wide range of accidents.
- Learning Cranial and other osteopathic techniques from certified osteopathy doctors.
- I became a senior with this staff of certified ,cairo university instructor &licensed osteopathic & sports injuries doctors .
- Treated different sports injuries cases with cooperation of most famous successful surgeons .
- Assisted post-operative patients in regaining mobility.
- Created structured programs for each individual patient, making changes when needed.
- Effectively showed patients how to use various equipment, such as balance beams balance boards and etc.
- Worked with geriatric patients who had undergone hip surgery, knee surgery and other age-related complications.
- Adjusted therapy for individual patients to meet age-related mobility concerns.
- Provided thoughtful, respectful care to all of the patients evenly.
PRO TIP
Check the Physical Therapist job description for inspiration. Look for similarities between your employer’s values and your experience.
Action verbs for your physical therapist resume
Recommended reads:
The Best Way to Write Your Physical Therapist Resume’s Skills Section
Physical therapist resume: skills section checklist
- Scan the job advert for keywords worth including in your resume;
- List both hard and transferable skills;
- Leave room for discussion: include some of your skills in other sections of your resume;
- Focus on skills that prove your expertise and leave the irrelevant ones behind.
Top skills for your physical therapist resume
Physical Therapy
CPR
Pain Management
Observational Skills
Electro-Therapy
Cardiac Rehabilitation
Neuro-Rehabilitation
Manual Therapy
Orthopedic-Rehabilitation
Communication
Compassion
Patience
Flexibility, adaptability, and emotional stability
Proactive, ethical, and responsible nature
Honesty
Team-player
Strong work ethic
Time management
PRO TIP
Add a Talent Section to your resume, where you can pick your top 3 soft skills and describe how you used them to complete a project or balance departmental communication.
Recommended Reads:
Physical therapist resume header: tips, red flags, and best practices
Checklist for your physical therapist resume header
- Your name and surname in a legible and larger resume font
- The job title you’re applying for or your current job title as a subheading to your name
- Link to your portfolio or online profile, such as LinkedIn
- Address (City and State for the US; just your city for rest of the world)
- Email address
- Headshot (required or welcomed in the EU; not required and sometimes frowned upon in the US)
Stick to popular email providers such as Gmail or Outlook. And use these professional formats to create your username:
- first.last@gmail.com
- last.first@gmail.com
- firstlast@gmail.com
- f.last@gmail.com
- first.l@gmail.com
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Some companies, states, and countries have non-discrimination policies about what kind of information can be included on your Physical Therapist resume. This might include a photo (which is often included in a resume header and might be on personal web pages you link to). You can always email the company’s HR department to ask about their policies before you apply.
Writing a strong physical therapist resume summary
Physical Therapist Resume Summary Checklist:
- Mention your position and total years of experience in the field;
- Highlight 1-2 of your top achievements;
- Go for shorter sentences and keep them to the point – don’t include anything that doesn’t support your application;
- Add 2-4 keywords present in the job description.
Resume summary formula:
PRO TIP
Read the job description carefully and understand what the hiring company is exactly looking for. After that, write your summary accordingly while highlighting your potential and ability to be the best at that job.
Recommended reads:
Adding education, courses, and certifications to your physical therapist resume
Education section tips and tricks:
- Add info about your highest degree level, incl. year of graduation, place of study, and degree subject;
- Mention some education-related awards you’ve received;
- Share a bit more about your certifications (if they are relevant);
- Entry-level applicants: Tailor your education section by including classes that are relevant to the position you’re applying for.
Top Certifications for your Physical Therapist Resume
Medicare Provider Enrollment Physical Therapist PECOS - 2022
Physical therapist in private practice Medicare enrollment using PECOS - Updated for 2022
How to Apply as Physical Therapist to the U.S.
Foreign-Trained Physical Therapists' Step-by-Step Guide for U.S. Application
A Physical Therapist's Guide: How to Stretch & Mobilize
Improve your Flexability with Stretching, Learn HOW to stretch, WHY you should/SHOUDN'T, & WHEN. 21+ video demonstations
Practical tips for a Home Health Clinician-Physical Therapy
A Physical Therapist, Occupational Therapist and Speech Therapist's guide to home health care.
Recommended Reads:
PRO TIP
If you hold a certain major and a minor, your majors should be mentioned first.
The best format for your physical therapist resume
Choosing the right format for your resume might seem difficult, regardless of whether you’re a newbie or a master. In short, there are three basic resume formats for you to choose from:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional skills-based resume format;
- Combination (or Hybrid) resume format.
The choice you make depends on your level of experience and the company you’re applying for.
The reverse-chronological resume format is great for you if you have at least 10 years of experience, no employment gaps, and are not looking for a career change. Here, you are expected to list all your previous jobs in a reverse-chronological format, starting from your most recent position and going back to the oldest one. It’s perfect for experienced individuals who are looking for a straightforward way to highlight their expertise.
The functional skills-based resume format, on the other hand, is great for recent graduates or professionals with large employment gaps. It focuses on skills and education, rather than experience. This makes it ideal for showing you’re the right fit without putting too much emphasis on your lack of (relevant) experience.
If you’re looking for something a bit more creative, go for the combination resume format. It’s a mix of the reverse-chronological and the functional skills-based formats, which makes it ideal for all types of applicants. What’s more, it’s considered modern and innovative, and isn’t this what you want your application to feel like anyway?
After choosing the right format for your Physical Therapist resume, it’s time to perfect the layout and style.
- Go for traditional 1-inch resume margins;
- Choose a simple resume font, sized 10-12p;
- Make sure that the length of your resume matches your applicant profile: try to fit in a one-page template; two-page templateare suitable only for candidates with over 10 years of experience.
- Save your resume in PDF to avoid issues around formatting and unauthorized editing.
Looking for more ways to make your application stand out? Read this article!
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Test your draft Physical Therapist resume by sending it out to peers and mentors in your circles. Ask them to review it as if they are hiring you for a project and implement the feedback afterwards.
Other sections to include in your resume
Depending on the type of company, your position, and your general desire to experiment and showcase your creative side, you might want to add some additional sections to your resume. Some examples include:
Creating a memorable physical therapist resume
You want your resume to put you in front of other candidates even when the competition is high, right? Right!
One of the easiest ways to do this is by adding a drop or two of creativity. You can choose a colorful and out-of-the-box template, or maybe even put a ‘what my typical days look like’ section at the bottom of your resume
It’s totally up to you. Just make sure to match the level of creativity to the industry, the position, and the company.
What makes a great physical therapist resume: key takeaways
- Choose a resume layout that sends the right message across and fits your current career situation;
- Create a resume header that shows your desired job title, and easy to find contact numbers;
- Be specific about your experience, accomplishments and future goals in your summary;
- Feature detailed metrics and specific examples that show the impact you made in your previous roles when describing your experience;
- List soft skills backed by examples;
- Add all of your technical skills and certifications that you have and match the job description;
- Show off a dash of personality in your resume that will demonstrate your culture fit and the right mix of hard and soft skills.
