Physical Therapy Manager Job Description

Salary Range

Varies by employer

Experience

Mid-career licensed therapist

Work Environment

Outpatient clinic or hospital rehab department

What Does a Physical Therapy Manager Do?

Although patients come for their therapist, a clinic only runs well if someone manages the schedule, the billing and the staff behind each visit. Physical therapy managers do that for outpatient clinics, hospital rehab departments and sports medicine practices, and most are licensed physical therapists who still see some patients. Budgets and referrals fill the rest of the week.

Other Job Titles for This Work

Workers in this occupation report titles such as Cancer Center Director, Clinical Director, Health Information Management Director (HIM Director), Health Information Manager (HIM Manager), Healthcare System Director, Medical Records Director, Medical Records Manager, Mental Health Program Manager.

Physical Therapy Manager Duties and Responsibilities

The primary responsibilities of a physical therapy manager include:

• Hire, schedule and evaluate physical therapists, assistants, aides and front desk staff.
• Set productivity targets and review visit volume and cancellations each week.
• Audit treatment notes and billing codes for Medicare and insurer requirements.
• Manage the department budget, equipment purchases and staffing costs.
• Build referral relationships with surgeons, physicians and athletic programs.
• Monitor patient outcomes and satisfaction and lead quality improvement projects.
• Treat a reduced caseload of patients while covering for absent staff.
• Keep licenses, continuing education and competency records current for every clinician.
• Enforce safety, infection control and HIPAA policies in treatment areas.
• Resolve patient complaints and billing disputes that front desk staff cannot settle.

Required Skills and Qualifications

To succeed as a physical therapy manager, you will need the following skills and qualifications:

• State physical therapist license
• Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree
• Medicare and insurance billing rules for therapy
• Scheduling and productivity reporting
• Documentation systems such as WebPT or Epic
• Staff coaching and performance reviews
• Marketing to referral sources
• Budgeting and cost control

Education and Training

Most rehab departments want a licensed physical therapist in charge, so the usual route runs through a Doctor of Physical Therapy program and a state license. BLS lists a bachelor's degree as typical for the wider management group. Some managers begin as physical therapist assistants and move up through clinic coordination, and courses in business or health administration round out the management side.

Salary and Job Outlook

The broad group of medical and health services managers, which includes physical therapy managers, should grow about 24 percent from 2025 to 2035, according to BLS. Roughly 62,300 openings a year are expected across the group, though its pay figures include hospital executives. Growth in outpatient rehab and an aging population should keep demand for experienced clinic leaders strong.

Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Medical and health services managers.

Physical Therapy Manager Pay Range

Highest-Paying States for Physical Therapy Managers

The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are New York ($164,120), District of Columbia ($155,140), Hawaii ($147,630), New Jersey ($145,650), Washington ($145,290). Pay is lowest in Mississippi ($98,160), Alabama ($97,790), Arkansas ($94,340).

What the Work Is Like

O*NET surveys people who work as medical and health services managers about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:

• 100% use email every day
• 100% say teamwork is very or extremely important in their job
• 96% work indoors in a climate-controlled space every day
• 93% are on the phone every day
• 89% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important
• 79% spend more than half the workday sitting
• 50% usually work more than 40 hours a week

Education Workers Say the Job Needs

Tools and Software Physical Therapy Managers Use

Tools and equipment

• Desktop computers
• Laptop computers
• Personal computers
• Scanners

Software

• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Office software
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Adobe Acrobat
• Apache Hadoop
• Apache Maven
• Autodesk Revit
• Cisco Webex
• eClinicalWorks EHR software
• Epic Systems
• Facebook

Is This Job a Good Fit for You?

People who do well in this job tend to enjoy leading, persuading and making business decisions as well as organized work with data, records and clear procedures.

Skills O*NET rates most important: Speaking, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Writing, Monitoring.

Knowledge areas used most: Administration and Management, English Language, Customer and Personal Service, Personnel and Human Resources, Education and Training.

Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 4 of 5, which means considerable preparation.

Related Careers

These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:

• Chief Medical Technologist job description
• Public Health Officer job description
• Clinic Manager job description
• Health Promotion Director job description
• Nursing Supervisor job description
• Radiology Manager job description
• Health Educator job description
• Business Analyst job description

Applying for a Physical Therapy Manager Job

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