Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physicians: Career Overview
Diagnose and treat disorders requiring physiotherapy to provide physical, mental, and occupational rehabilitation.
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The Daily Work of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physicians Take On?
The day-to-day responsibilities of physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians span:
- Document examination results, treatment plans, and patients' outcomes.
- Examine patients to assess mobility, strength, communication, or cognition.
- Assess characteristics of patients' pain, such as intensity, location, or duration, using standardized clinical measures.
- Provide inpatient or outpatient medical management of neuromuscular disorders, musculoskeletal trauma, acute and chronic pain, deformity or amputation, cardiac or pulmonary disease, or other disabling conditions.
- Monitor effectiveness of pain management interventions, such as medication or spinal injections.
- Develop comprehensive plans for immediate and long-term rehabilitation, including therapeutic exercise, speech and occupational therapy, counseling, cognitive retraining, patient, family or caregiver education, or community reintegration.
- Coordinate physical medicine and rehabilitation services with other medical activities.
- Perform electrodiagnosis, including electromyography, nerve conduction studies, or somatosensory evoked potentials of neuromuscular disorders or damage.
What Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physicians Need to Know
Effective physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
These are the skills that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Other Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physicians Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- DO Physician (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Physician)
- Hospitalist Physician
- Interventional Pain Physician
- Interventional Physiatrist
- MD (Medical Doctor)
- Medical Director Acute Rehabilitation Unit Physiatrist
- Medicine Physician
- Pain Management Physician
Employment and Demand
There are roughly 2,053,749 physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +14.6% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physicians
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $117,397 |
| Hourly median | $56.44 |
| 10th percentile | $67,984 |
| 25th percentile | $92,691 |
| 75th percentile | $142,104 |
| 90th percentile | $166,810 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physicians Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| New Jersey | $238,870 |
| New York | $237,710 |
| North Carolina | $236,970 |
| Utah | $232,740 |
| Delaware | $232,180 |
| Ohio | $231,300 |
| Rhode Island | $229,340 |
| West Virginia | $228,680 |
| Connecticut | $227,720 |
| Arizona | $223,680 |
| Illinois | $218,880 |
| Massachusetts | $216,170 |
| Puerto Rico | $211,700 |
| Maryland | $209,370 |
| California | $201,510 |
| Michigan | $197,950 |
| Pennsylvania | $163,100 |
| Kansas | $140,330 |
| District of Columbia | $74,650 |
Where Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physicians Earn the Most
Pay for physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians shift depending on where you work. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other U.S. Territories | $211,700 | 0.3% | 0.45 |
| Middle Atlantic | $199,012 | 16.6% | 1.24 |
| Great Lakes | $183,977 | 20.6% | 1.57 |
| New England | $181,974 | 5.4% | 1.14 |
| Far Western US | $115,922 | 11.4% | 0.73 |
| Rocky Mountains | $108,612 | 2.4% | 0.71 |
| Southeast | $50,284 | 24.9% | 1.08 |
| Plains States | $35,517 | 5.4% | 0.91 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physicians
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington, NC | NC | $238,520 | 70 |
| Rochester, NY | NY | $237,660 | 420 |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | TN | $236,970 | 160 |
| Odessa, TX | TX | $234,850 | 40 |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | WA | $234,800 | 40 |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | MI | $234,380 | 310 |
| Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | WV | $233,240 | 60 |
| Sandusky, OH | OH | $233,170 | 130 |
Top Industries Employing Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physicians
The bulk of physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 258,240 | $235,660 |
| Educational Services | 10,850 | $72,170 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2,280 | $221,680 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 1,670 | n/a |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 1,330 | n/a |
| Finance and Insurance | 770 | $227,720 |
| Manufacturing | 220 | $88,370 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 200 | $136,060 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tools and Technology
- Medical software: eClinicalWorks EHR software (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
Daily working conditions for physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
Education and Training
The role falls in Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Chiropractors (Supplemental)
- Physician Assistants (Supplemental)
- Occupational Therapists (Primary-Long)
- Physical Therapists (Primary-Long)
- Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses (Supplemental)
- Nurse Practitioners (Primary-Long)
- Anesthesiologists (Supplemental)
- Cardiologists (Primary-Short)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Aspiring physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians typically earn programs in:
Health Professions and Related Programs
3 programs across 2 majors
References
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 29-1229.04 (Physicians, All Other).
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