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Kinesiotherapy

A program that prepares individuals, under the direction of physicians, to treat the effects of disease, injury, and congenital disorders through therapeutic exercise and education. Includes instruction in human anatomy, human physiology, kinesiology, biomechanics, therapeutic exercise and adapted physical education, human growth and development, motor learning and performance, testing and measurement, first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation, psychology, rehabilitation procedures, patient assessment and management, and professional standards and ethics.

Types of Degrees Kinesiotherapy Majors Are Earning

Those studying Kinesiotherapy have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	13
Bachelor’s Degree	36
Master’s Degree	72

What Kinesiotherapy Majors Need to Know

Studies in Kinesiotherapy build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Kinesiotherapy graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Kinesiotherapy emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.4 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Therapy and Counseling — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a Kinesiotherapy program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Kinesiotherapy careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Kinesiotherapy graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.7 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Performing General Physical Activities	4.0 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Kinesiotherapy professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
MEDITECH software	Medical software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Prognosis Innovation Healthcare ChartAccess	Medical software	—
Biometrics video game software	Action games	—
MediGraph	Accounting software	—
Medical procedure coding software	Medical software	—
SpectraSoft AppointmentsCS	Calendar and scheduling software	—
eClinicalWorks EHR software	Medical software	—
Advantage Software Physical Therapy Advantage	Medical software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Kinesiotherapy graduates include:

• Kinesiotherapist
• LPT (Licensed Physical Therapist)
• Home Care Physical Therapist (Home Care PT)
• Travel Physical Therapist (Travel PT)
• Orthopedic Physical Therapist (Orthopedic PT)
• Inpatient Physical Therapist (Inpatient PT)
• Home Health Physical Therapist (Home Health PT)
• Sports Physical Therapist (Sports PT)
• Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)
• Geriatric Physical Therapist (Geriatric PT)
• Acute Physical Therapist (Acute PT)
• Acute Care PT (Acute Care Physical Therapist)
• Registered Physical Therapist (RPT)
• Pediatric Physical Therapist (Pediatric PT)
• Outpatient Orthopedics Physical Therapist (Outpatient Ortho PT)

What Can You Do With a Kinesiotherapy Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Kinesiotherapy commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Physical Therapists	8.0%	$144,047	$124,136–$163,959
Exercise Physiologists	1.7%	$144,072	$118,869–$169,275

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Kinesiotherapy graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	35.4%
Bachelor’s degree	30.7%
Doctoral degree	30.3%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.5%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Kinesiotherapy?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 57% women and 43% men among Kinesiotherapy graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	69	57.0%
Men	52	43.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Kinesiotherapy graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	75	62.0%
Asian	7	5.8%
Hispanic or Latino	7	5.8%
Black or African American	14	11.6%
Two or More Races	7	5.8%
Race Unknown	1	0.8%
International Students	10	8.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Kinesiotherapy Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Kinesiotherapy graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$67,332
4 years	$70,102
5 years	$75,167

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $75,167 — roughly 12% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Kinesiotherapy Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Kinesiotherapy graduates earn a median of $70,102 four years after completion — roughly 84% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions	29,603
Physical Therapy/Therapist	13,424
Occupational Therapy/Therapist	10,460
Rehabilitation Science	1,107
Art Therapy/Therapist	768
Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy	722
Music Therapy/Therapist	651
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions, Other	621
Orthotist/Prosthetist	408
Assistive/Augmentative Technology and Rehabilitation Engineering	108
Animal-Assisted Therapy	93
Play Therapy/Therapist	65

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.