Overview
All Physiotherapists
-
$1,444 Weekly Pay
-
Strong Future Growth
-
23,600 workers Employment Size
-
Very high skill Skill level rating
-
63% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
42 hours Average full-time
-
35 years Average age
-
67% female Gender Share
Physiotherapists assess, treat and prevent disorders in human movement caused by injury or disease.
Also known as: Physical Therapist.
Specialisations: Aquatic Physiotherapist, Cardiothoracic Physiotherapist, Continence and Women's Health Physiotherapist, Gerentological Physiotherapist, Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist, Neurological Physiotherapist, Occupational Health Physiotherapist, Paediatric Physiotherapist, Sports Physiotherapist.
You need a bachelor degree in physiotherapy to work as a Physiotherapist. It is also common to complete postgraduate studies.
Tasks
- administering muscle, nerve, joint and functional ability tests to identify and assess physical problems of patients
- designing treatment programs to address patients' problems
- treating patients to reduce pain, improve circulation, strengthen muscles, improve cardiothoracic, cardiovascular and respiratory functions, restore joint mobility, and improve balance and coordination
- using the therapeutic properties of exercise, heat, cold, massage, manipulation, hydrotherapy, electrotherapy, ultraviolet and infra-red light and ultrasound in the treatment of patients
- reviewing, continually monitoring, assessing and evaluating programs and treatments
- consulting with other Health Professionals as required about patients' problems, needs and progress
- instructing patients and their families in procedures to be continued at home
- recording treatments given and patients' responses and progress
- developing and implementing screening and preventative health promotion programs
Prospects
There were 23,600 Physiotherapists in 2020. The number of workers:
- fell over the past 5 years
- is expected to grow strongly over the next five years
- is likely to reach 26,900 by 2025.
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, seasonally adjusted data to November 2020 and National Skills Commission Employment Projections to 2025. The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.
Employment Snapshot
- Size: This is a medium sized occupation.
- Location: Physiotherapists work in many regions of Australia.
- Industries: Most work in the Health Care and Social Assistance industry.
- Earnings: Full-time workers on an adult wage earn around $1,444 per week (similar to the average of $1,460). Earnings tend to be lower when starting out and higher as experience grows.
- Full-time: Many work full-time (63%, similar to the average of 66%).
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 42 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 35 years (compared to the average of 40 years).
- Gender: 67% of workers are female (compared to the average of 48%).
Employment Outlook
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2020 and National Skills Commission Employment Projections to 2025.
Weekly Earnings
Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (cat. no. 6306.0), May 2018, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.
Main Industries
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Industries are based on the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC 06).
States and Territories
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian States and Territories, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Education Level
Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Pathways
You need a bachelor degree in physiotherapy to work as a Physiotherapist. It is also common to complete postgraduate studies.
Registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency is required.
Before starting a course, check it will provide you with the skills and qualifications you need. Visit
- Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
- ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
Skills & Knowledge
Employers look for Physiotherapists who are caring, compassionate, empathetic and work well in a team.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Education and training
Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
Therapy and counselling
Diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.
-
Psychology
Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
-
Medicine and dentistry
Diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.
-
Biology
Plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
Sociology and anthropology
Group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Physics
The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.
-
Law and government
How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
Sales and marketing
Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
-
Public safety and security
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
Communications and media
Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Chemistry
Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
-
Economics and accounting
Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Social perceptiveness
Understanding why people react the way they do.
-
Writing
Writing things for co-workers or customers.
-
Critical thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
Serving others
Looking for ways to help people.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Learning strategies
Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
-
Management of personnel resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
-
Operations analysis
Understanding needs and product requirements to create a design.
-
Persuasion
Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
-
Systems analysis
Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
-
Science
Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Inductive reasoning
Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Deductive reasoning
Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
Written comprehension
Read and understand written information.
-
Written expression
Write in a way that people can understand.
-
Categorising
Come up with different ways of grouping things.
-
Sorting or ordering
Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
-
Speech clarity
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Speech recognition
Identify and understand the speech of another person.
-
Brainstorming
Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
-
Flexibility of closure
See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
-
Manual dexterity
Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
-
Multilimb coordination
Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.
-
Static strength
Lift, push, pull, or carry things.
-
Arm-hand steadiness
Keep your hand or arm steady.
-
Finger dexterity
Put together small parts with your fingers.
-
Trunk strength
Use your abdominal and lower back muscles a number of times without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
Helping and caring for others
Providing personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.
-
Handling and moving objects
Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
Monitoring people, processes and things
Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Building good relationships
Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
Documenting or recording information
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
-
Thinking creatively
Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
-
Doing physically active work
Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.
-
Working with the public
Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.
-
Planning and prioritising work
Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Communicating within a team
Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Collecting and organising information
Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
-
Making sense of information and ideas
Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
-
Explaining things to people
Helping people to understand and use information.
-
Coming up with systems and processes
Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.
-
Training and teaching others
Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
-
Communicating with the public
Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 29-1123.00 - Physical Therapists.
Work Environment
Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.
Filter Work Environment
Demands
The physical and social demands workers face most often are shown below.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Physically close to people
Work physically close to other people.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Contact with the public
Work with customers or the public.
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Telephone
Talk on the telephone.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
Time pressure
Work to strict deadlines.
-
Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
Indoors, heat controlled
Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
Lead or coordinate a team
Lead others to do work activities.
-
Spend time standing
Spend time standing at work.
-
Electronic mail
Use electronic mail.
-
Health and safety of others
Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.
-
Disease or infection
Be exposed to disease or infections.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Using your hands to handle, control, or feel
Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.
-
Letters and memos
Write letters and memos.
Values
Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
-
Relationships
Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
-
Achievement
Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
-
Recognition
Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.
-
Independence
Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.
-
Working conditions
Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
-
Support
Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
-
Helping
Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.
-
Analytical
Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
-
Practical
Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
-
Administrative
Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
-
Enterprising
Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
-
Creative
Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 29-1123.00 - Physical Therapists.
All Physiotherapists
-
$1,444 Weekly Pay
-
Strong Future Growth
-
23,600 workers Employment Size
-
Very high skill Skill level rating
-
63% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
42 hours Average full-time
-
35 years Average age
-
67% female Gender Share
Physiotherapists assess, treat and prevent disorders in human movement caused by injury or disease.
Also known as: Physical Therapist.
Specialisations: Aquatic Physiotherapist, Cardiothoracic Physiotherapist, Continence and Women's Health Physiotherapist, Gerentological Physiotherapist, Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist, Neurological Physiotherapist, Occupational Health Physiotherapist, Paediatric Physiotherapist, Sports Physiotherapist.
You need a bachelor degree in physiotherapy to work as a Physiotherapist. It is also common to complete postgraduate studies.
Tasks
- administering muscle, nerve, joint and functional ability tests to identify and assess physical problems of patients
- designing treatment programs to address patients' problems
- treating patients to reduce pain, improve circulation, strengthen muscles, improve cardiothoracic, cardiovascular and respiratory functions, restore joint mobility, and improve balance and coordination
- using the therapeutic properties of exercise, heat, cold, massage, manipulation, hydrotherapy, electrotherapy, ultraviolet and infra-red light and ultrasound in the treatment of patients
- reviewing, continually monitoring, assessing and evaluating programs and treatments
- consulting with other Health Professionals as required about patients' problems, needs and progress
- instructing patients and their families in procedures to be continued at home
- recording treatments given and patients' responses and progress
- developing and implementing screening and preventative health promotion programs
There were 23,600 Physiotherapists in 2020. The number of workers:
- fell over the past 5 years
- is expected to grow strongly over the next five years
- is likely to reach 26,900 by 2025.
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, seasonally adjusted data to November 2020 and National Skills Commission Employment Projections to 2025. The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.
Employment Snapshot
- Size: This is a medium sized occupation.
- Location: Physiotherapists work in many regions of Australia.
- Industries: Most work in the Health Care and Social Assistance industry.
- Earnings: Full-time workers on an adult wage earn around $1,444 per week (similar to the average of $1,460). Earnings tend to be lower when starting out and higher as experience grows.
- Full-time: Many work full-time (63%, similar to the average of 66%).
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 42 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 35 years (compared to the average of 40 years).
- Gender: 67% of workers are female (compared to the average of 48%).
Employment Outlook
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2020 and National Skills Commission Employment Projections to 2025.
Weekly Earnings
Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (cat. no. 6306.0), May 2018, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.
Main Industries
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Industries are based on the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC 06).
States and Territories
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian States and Territories, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Education Level
Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
You need a bachelor degree in physiotherapy to work as a Physiotherapist. It is also common to complete postgraduate studies.
Registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency is required.
Before starting a course, check it will provide you with the skills and qualifications you need. Visit
- Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
- ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
Employers look for Physiotherapists who are caring, compassionate, empathetic and work well in a team.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Education and training
Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
Therapy and counselling
Diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.
-
Psychology
Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
-
Medicine and dentistry
Diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.
-
Biology
Plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
Sociology and anthropology
Group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Physics
The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.
-
Law and government
How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
Sales and marketing
Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
-
Public safety and security
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
Communications and media
Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Chemistry
Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
-
Economics and accounting
Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Social perceptiveness
Understanding why people react the way they do.
-
Writing
Writing things for co-workers or customers.
-
Critical thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
Serving others
Looking for ways to help people.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Learning strategies
Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
-
Management of personnel resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
-
Operations analysis
Understanding needs and product requirements to create a design.
-
Persuasion
Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
-
Systems analysis
Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
-
Science
Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Inductive reasoning
Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Deductive reasoning
Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
Written comprehension
Read and understand written information.
-
Written expression
Write in a way that people can understand.
-
Categorising
Come up with different ways of grouping things.
-
Sorting or ordering
Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
-
Speech clarity
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Speech recognition
Identify and understand the speech of another person.
-
Brainstorming
Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
-
Flexibility of closure
See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
-
Manual dexterity
Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
-
Multilimb coordination
Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.
-
Static strength
Lift, push, pull, or carry things.
-
Arm-hand steadiness
Keep your hand or arm steady.
-
Finger dexterity
Put together small parts with your fingers.
-
Trunk strength
Use your abdominal and lower back muscles a number of times without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
Helping and caring for others
Providing personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.
-
Handling and moving objects
Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
Monitoring people, processes and things
Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Building good relationships
Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
Documenting or recording information
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
-
Thinking creatively
Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
-
Doing physically active work
Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.
-
Working with the public
Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.
-
Planning and prioritising work
Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Communicating within a team
Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Collecting and organising information
Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
-
Making sense of information and ideas
Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
-
Explaining things to people
Helping people to understand and use information.
-
Coming up with systems and processes
Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.
-
Training and teaching others
Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
-
Communicating with the public
Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 29-1123.00 - Physical Therapists.
Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.
Filter Work Environment
Demands
The physical and social demands workers face most often are shown below.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Physically close to people
Work physically close to other people.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Contact with the public
Work with customers or the public.
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Telephone
Talk on the telephone.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
Time pressure
Work to strict deadlines.
-
Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
Indoors, heat controlled
Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
Lead or coordinate a team
Lead others to do work activities.
-
Spend time standing
Spend time standing at work.
-
Electronic mail
Use electronic mail.
-
Health and safety of others
Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.
-
Disease or infection
Be exposed to disease or infections.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Using your hands to handle, control, or feel
Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.
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Letters and memos
Write letters and memos.
Values
Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
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Relationships
Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
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Achievement
Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
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Recognition
Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.
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Independence
Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.
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Working conditions
Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
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Support
Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
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Helping
Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.
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Analytical
Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
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Practical
Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
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Administrative
Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
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Enterprising
Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
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Creative
Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 29-1123.00 - Physical Therapists.