JOB REPORT / 29-1123 · 24 TASKS

Physical Therapists.

Can AI do the work of Physical Therapists?

Mostly it works alongside you. Here is what shifts, task by task.

YOUR EXPERIENCE MATTERS

How does this fit your work?

How many tasks do you use AI to assist with at work?

Drag the dot. There’s no wrong answer; it starts at our estimate.

Starting pointOur estimate

The mark shows what’s typical for this job.

The parts of your job AI can already do most of:

Record prognosis, treatment, response, and progress in patient's chart…
Review physician's referral and patient's medical records to help…
Identify and document goals, anticipated progress, and plans…

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A guided certificate program in AI-assisted Physical Therapists work. It covers the 15 AI-affected parts of your job and ends in a capstone a person reviews.

WHAT WE LOOKED AT

Your job, task by task.

15 of 24 tasks reviewed

This job has 24 core tasks. We went through 15 of them, one at a time.

Task by task, from the work Physical Therapists actually do. How we describe AI use in each task is our own read of it, not a measurement of whether AI can replace the job.

TASK 01
Record prognosis, treatment, response, and progress in patient's chart or enter information into computer.
AI DOES
Drafts structured clinical notes, suggests standard phrases, and flags missing fields
YOU DO
Verify clinical accuracy and apply professional judgment before signing the record
TASK 02
Review physician's referral and patient's medical records to help determine diagnosis and physical therapy treatment required.
AI DOES
Summarizes records, highlights key diagnoses, and suggests common treatment protocols for review
YOU DO
Apply hands-on clinical judgment and tailor the plan to the real patient in front of you
TASK 03
Identify and document goals, anticipated progress, and plans for reevaluation.
AI DOES
Suggests goal language, outcome measure benchmarks, and documentation templates based on diagnosis
YOU DO
Examine the patient in person and set goals that fit their real body, life, and recovery pace
TASK 04
Refer clients to community resources or services.
AI DOES
Searches local databases and compiles lists of relevant community services quickly
YOU DO
Use your knowledge of the whole patient to pick the right fit and make the personal connection
TASK 05
Perform and document an initial exam, evaluating data to identify problems and determine a diagnosis prior to intervention.
AI DOES
Drafts documentation templates, suggests diagnostic categories, and flags patterns in patient history data
YOU DO
Perform the hands-on physical exam and apply clinical reasoning to reach a real diagnosis
TASK 06
Provide information to the patient about the proposed intervention, its material risks and expected benefits, and any reasonable alternatives.
AI DOES
Drafts clear patient-friendly summaries of treatments, risks, benefits, and alternatives
YOU DO
Lead the live conversation, answer follow-up questions, and read the patient's understanding and emotions
TASK 07
Teach physical therapy students or those in other health professions.
AI DOES
Drafts lesson plans, generates practice cases, and builds quiz questions
YOU DO
Demonstrate hands-on techniques and read how students are actually learning in real time
TASK 08
Confer with the patient, medical practitioners, or appropriate others to plan, implement, or assess the intervention program.
AI DOES
Summarizes patient records, flags relevant guidelines, and drafts care plan templates
YOU DO
Listen to the patient in person and build trust through real conversation
TASK 09SOURCE-BACKED TASK
Plan, prepare, or carry out individually designed programs of physical treatment to maintain, improve, or restore physical functioning, alleviate pain, or prevent physical dysfunction in patients.
AI DOES
Suggests exercise plans and tracks patient progress
YOU DO
Adapt treatment based on patient response
About this analysis
38% · Methodology: exposure-v1 · Analysis date: unavailable · Confidence: medium
TASK 10
Discharge patient from physical therapy when goals or projected outcomes have been attained and provide for appropriate follow-up care or referrals.
AI DOES
Drafts discharge summaries, flags goal completion in records, and suggests referral options based on diagnosis history
YOU DO
Assess the patient in person and make the final call on readiness and safety
TASK 11
Participate in community or community agency activities or help to formulate public policy.
AI DOES
Drafts policy briefs, summarizes research, and outlines talking points
YOU DO
Show up, build trust, and advocate in person
TASK 12
Inform patients and refer to appropriate practitioners when diagnosis reveals findings outside physical therapy.
AI DOES
Suggests referral options and helps draft patient-friendly explanations
YOU DO
Make the clinical judgment and have the in-person conversation with the patient
TASK 13SOURCE-BACKED TASK
Conduct or support research and apply research findings to practice.
AI DOES
Searches databases and summarizes findings quickly
YOU DO
Judge what applies to your situation
About this analysis
21% · Methodology: exposure-v1 · Analysis date: unavailable · Confidence: medium
TASK 14
Test and measure patient's strength, motor development and function, sensory perception, functional capacity, or respiratory or circulatory efficiency and record data.
AI DOES
Helps document findings and suggests standardized test protocols
YOU DO
Be physically present to touch, observe, and judge patient responses in real time
TASK 15SOURCE-BACKED TASK
Provide educational information about physical therapy or physical therapists, injury prevention, ergonomics, or ways to promote health.
AI DOES
Gathers research and drafts educational content
YOU DO
Tailor advice to real bodies and lives
About this analysis
10% · Methodology: exposure-v1 · Analysis date: unavailable · Confidence: medium

START LEARNING AI

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There are 15 short lessons for this job, about 15 minutes each. Each one starts from a task above and teaches the part that stays with you.

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AT A GLANCE

Occupation: Physical Therapists
SOC code: 29-1123
Tasks reviewed: 15 of 24

How we assess

PAY & OUTLOOK

Compare pay by state

Median pay (national): $102,760 · BLS OEWS 2025
Median pay (Colorado): $102,030 · BLS OEWS 2025
Employed (national): 267,330
Employed in Colorado: 5,630
Job outlook: +10.9% by 2034 · ~13,200 openings/yr

Wages from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. National figures cover the United States. Job outlook is national.

How does this fit your work?

Earn a certificate in your job

Your job, task by task.

Record prognosis, treatment, response, and progress in patient's chart or enter information into computer.

Review physician's referral and patient's medical records to help determine diagnosis and physical therapy treatment required.

Identify and document goals, anticipated progress, and plans for reevaluation.

Refer clients to community resources or services.

Perform and document an initial exam, evaluating data to identify problems and determine a diagnosis prior to intervention.

Provide information to the patient about the proposed intervention, its material risks and expected benefits, and any reasonable alternatives.

Teach physical therapy students or those in other health professions.

Confer with the patient, medical practitioners, or appropriate others to plan, implement, or assess the intervention program.

Plan, prepare, or carry out individually designed programs of physical treatment to maintain, improve, or restore physical functioning, alleviate pain, or prevent physical dysfunction in patients.

Discharge patient from physical therapy when goals or projected outcomes have been attained and provide for appropriate follow-up care or referrals.

Participate in community or community agency activities or help to formulate public policy.

Inform patients and refer to appropriate practitioners when diagnosis reveals findings outside physical therapy.

Conduct or support research and apply research findings to practice.

Test and measure patient's strength, motor development and function, sensory perception, functional capacity, or respiratory or circulatory efficiency and record data.

Provide educational information about physical therapy or physical therapists, injury prevention, ergonomics, or ways to promote health.

Practice AI.Use your judgment.

Practice AI.
Use your judgment.