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EDITORIAL | 19 July 2022

The data in this blog is for general informational

purposes only and information presented was
accurate as of the publication date.

Occupational
Therapy vs
Physical Therapy:
What Are the
Differences? |
USAHS

Physical therapy and occupational therapy are

both rehabilitative disciplines that require
hands-on work—leading many people to believe
they are interchangeable. However, these
professions vary greatly. When deciding which
healthcare career is right for you, it’s important
to know the differences between occupational
therapy vs physical therapy that set these two
roles apart.

How is Occupational Therapy

different from Physical
Therapy?

The Main Difference

There is one main difference between occupational

and physical therapy: Occupational therapy is
used to help or regain patients’ ability to
perform everyday activities on their own, while
physical therapy is used to improve patients’
ability to move their bodies and manage their
pain.

While both professions focus on clients who are

recovering from injuries, occupational therapists
also assist patients who have cognitive or
developmental disabilities that affect their motor
skills, behavior or emotions. For example, if you
need help getting dressed or taking a shower, you
would go to occupational therapy. If you need help
recovering after giving birth or improving
movement in a sprained ankle, you would go to
physical therapy.

OT vs PT: Other Differences

But the differences between occupational therapy

and physical therapy extend beyond job
descriptions. Below, we outline the differences in
education, specialties, job duties and job outlook.

Job functions

So, what does an OT do? The skill sets of physical

and occupational therapists overlap in several
areas. In fact, several physical therapy techniques
are used in occupational therapy, and vice versa.
Because physical therapists work primarily with
people recovering from musculoskeletal injuries,
they use exercises, massage, and other techniques
to restore function, prevent disability, and reduce
pain in patients.¹ Their responsibilities include:

Consulting with patients to learn about

their physical condition and symptoms

Performing physical therapy evaluations

according to APTA standards

Developing a treatment plan for patients

Teaching patients therapeutic exercise

techniques

Promoting healing through massage or

electrical stimulation

Assisting patients with the use of exercise

equipment

Maintaining patient records

Keeping track of patient goals and

progress to evaluate mobility and strength

Offering in-home exercises and treatment

options

While occupational therapists focus on helping

patients recover from physical injuries, their main
focus is on activities of daily living (ADLs), such as
brushing teeth, doing laundry, etc. OTs develop
plans to help patients accomplish these everyday
activities in an easier or less painful way.² Their
responsibilities include:

Assessing the patient’s functional abilities,

including sensory, cognitive, emotional,
and physical elements

Developing a treatment plan

Helping the patient achieve goals set in the

treatment plan

Creating and using assistive technology to

promote independence in daily activities

Helping patients improve their fine motor

skills needed for meaningful daily tasks,
such as getting dressed or writing checks

Working with patients who have memory

loss or other cognitive issues

Providing home exercises for patients and

recommendations for continued therapy

Physical therapists and occupational therapists can

work in a variety of settings, including acute care,
inpatient and outpatient settings, long-term care,
schools, home health environments, and skilled
nursing facilities. While the job duties of these
professions do differ, physical therapists and
occupational therapists often collaborate on
teams.

Education

Physical Therapy Education

In order to become a physical therapist, you need

to:

Earn a bachelor’s degree, preferably in a

health-related field.

Attend graduate school to earn your

Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. DPT
programs typically take about three years
to complete; however, time to completion
can vary, depending on the program and
other factors.

Pass the National Physical Therapy

Examination (NPTE) administered by the
Federation of State Boards of Physical
Therapy to become a licensed physical
therapist in your state.³

Occupational Therapy Education

To become an occupational therapist, you must:

Earn your bachelor’s degree in a health-

related field.

Earn at least a Master of Occupational

Therapy degree. MOT programs typically
take around two years to complete, but
again, time to completion can vary.

Pass the National Board of Certification of

Occupational Therapy (NBCOT)
examination to practice in your state.

If you want to deepen your knowledge of the field

and further your occupational therapy career
opportunities, you can opt to earn your Doctor of
Occupational Therapy instead of a master’s.4

Specialties & certifications

Once you are licensed, you can become certified in

a specialty area. Many physical and occupational
therapists specialize in one or more areas over the
course of their careers. Typically it’s necessary to
earn a certificate and meet other eligibility
requirements.

The American Board of Physical Therapy

Specialties (ABPTS) and the American
Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) offer
board certification in several areas for physical
therapists and occupational therapists. (Check
with the AOTA about their certification process, as
it is currently in flux.)

Below are popular physical therapy and

occupational therapy examples for specializations
and certifications.

Physical Therapy Specialties Occupational T

Cardiovascular & Pulmonary Certified
Physical Rehab
Specialist (CCS)
Clinical Electrophysiologic Certified Driving and Com
Specialist (ECS) (SCDCM or SCD
Geriatric Certified Specialist (GCS) Gerontology (B
Environmental M
Neurologic Certified Specialist (NCS)
SCEM-A)
Feeding, Eating
Orthopedic Certified Specialist (OCS)
(SCFES or SCFE
Pediatric Certified Specialist (PCS) Pediatrics (BCP
Sports Certified Specialist (SCS) Low Vision (SCL
Women’s Health Certified Specialist
Mental Health (
(WCS)

Salary & job outlook

Both professions have a healthy median salary and

are expected to enjoy strong job growth within the
next 10 years. According to the U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics, occupational therapy is projected
to see 17% job growth from 2020 to 2030.
Similarly, physical therapy has a projected job
growth rate of 21% from 2020 to 2030. The
median wage of an occupational therapist was
$85,570 in 2021,5 while the median wage of a
physical therapist was $95,620.6

Choosing the Right Career Path

for You

The roles of both occupational therapists and

physical therapists are fundamental to
rehabilitative healthcare. However, there are
several differences that define each. Occupational
therapy requires an understanding of mental health
and assists patients in their ability to complete
everyday tasks. Physical therapy focuses on
helping patients decrease pain and recover range
of motion from anatomical injuries.

If you are looking to become an occupational or

physical therapist, you must first acquire your
bachelor’s degree and then complete a graduate
degree program in your chosen field. When
choosing a grad school, make sure you find one
that has the proper resources needed to achieve
your career goals.

At the University of St. Augustine for Health

Sciences, we offer both entry-level and transitional
programs in rehabilitative sciences for students
interested in entering into or advancing their
careers. Contact our admissions office today to
start your journey to becoming an occupational
therapist or physical therapist.

Sources:

Bureau of Labor Statistics (1) (2) | Glassdoor (1) (2)

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