Registered Nurses vs Physical Therapists
Median pay is about $5k higher for Physical Therapists. The usual entry education is associate's or Bachelor's plus license for Registered Nurses and doctoral (DPT) for Physical Therapists.
marks the higher pay or growth. Education, difficulty and the AI rows depend on what you want, so they are not marked.
| Measure | Registered Nurses | Physical Therapists |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | ||
| Median pay | $97,550 | $102,760, higher |
| Entry pay 25th percentile | $80,330 | $86,160, higher |
| Experienced pay 75th percentile | $112,350 | $121,160, higher |
| Outlook, 2025 to 2035 | ||
| Projected growth | +5.6% Growing fast | +12% Growing fast, higher |
| Openings a year | 180,800 | 13,400 |
| Getting in | ||
| Typical education | Associate's or Bachelor's plus license | Doctoral (DPT) |
| Difficulty modeled | 3 / 5 | 4.2 / 5 |
| AI | ||
| Displacement risk modeled | Low | Low |
| AI exposure modeled, percentile | 73rd pct | 39th pct |
Where the skills differ
Only Registered Nurses
- Active Learning
Only Physical Therapists
- Writing
Both lean on speaking, active listening, critical thinking, reading comprehension, monitoring.
More comparisons
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Pay and outlook: BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills: O*NET 30.3. Difficulty, displacement risk and AI exposure are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.