Physical Therapists vs Psychologists
Physical Therapists earns $3,650 more at the middle. Every figure is US government data you can check.
| Physical Therapists | Psychologists | |
|---|---|---|
| Pay in the middle median annual wage, May 2025 | $102,760 | $99,110 |
| Pay range 10th to 90th percentile | $77,140 to $135,140 | not published to not published |
| Years of school you pay for our own estimate from published entry requirements, not a BLS figure | 8 | 8 |
| Typical entry education | Doctoral or professional degree | See How to Become One |
| Jobs opening up each year | 13,400 | 11,300 |
| Growth by 2035 | 11.9% | 5.6% |
| People doing it now | 283,700 | 209,400 |
| Where the pay is highest and lowest state medians, not adjusted for cost of living or taxes | $124,190 in California down to $85,330 in North Dakota | not published by state |
Jobs that use what you already know
Same skills, same knowledge, same daily tasks. Most of these are not on this site.
Psychologists covers 6 separate job codes. “4 of 6” means 4 of those 6 name that job as closely related.
Physical Therapists
- Physical Therapist Assistants
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physicians
- Occupational Therapists
- Physical Therapist Aides
- Occupational Therapy Assistants
- Occupational Therapy Aides
What these usually take: Graduate school — a master's, or a doctorate.
Psychologists
- Psychiatrists4 of 6
- Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses3 of 6
- Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors2 of 6
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers2 of 6
- Marriage and Family Therapists2 of 6
- Mental Health Counselors2 of 6
What these usually take: Graduate school — a master's, or a doctorate.
O*NET 30.3 Database, U.S. Department of Labor. These are jobs that use similar skills, knowledge and daily tasks. It is a measure of how alike two jobs are — not a record of people moving between them.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational employment and wage data, May 2025, and employment projections 2025-35. Years of school is our own estimate from published entry requirements, not a BLS figure. State medians are not adjusted for cost of living or taxes, and that difference could be large either way. No advice, just data.