Physical therapists delivered 4.2 million outpatient visits across the US in 2022. Treatment produced a 23 percent relative drop in opioid use for musculoskeletal conditions and a 5.7 percent absolute reduction in emergency department visits within bundled care programs. Employment for the occupation is projected to rise 1.5 percent per year through 2032.
Key Takeaways
- 1.5% year-over-year growth in employment for physical therapists from 2022 to 2032 (projected 2022–2032 growth rate)
- 4.2 million outpatient physical therapy visits in the US in 2022 (CMS utilization measure)
- $110 million Medicare savings from physical therapy in 2019 (estimate for selected PT interventions)
- 5.7% absolute reduction in emergency department visits after PT within bundled care programs (health system outcome metric)
- 10th percentile of physical therapist wages at $65,000 in May 2023 (BLS occupational wage distribution)
- 23% relative reduction in opioid use after physical therapy for musculoskeletal conditions (systematic review result)
- 0.41 standard-deviation improvement in pain scores with exercise-based physical therapy for chronic low back pain (meta-analysis effect size)
- 2.4% absolute improvement in physical function following PT interventions for knee osteoarthritis at 3 months (meta-analysis estimate)
- 0.78% annual mean wage growth for physical therapists (2014–2023 average annual growth rate, Bureau of Labor Statistics series)
- 47.6% of physical therapists work in outpatient care centers (distribution of employment by industry for the occupation)
- 32% share of US musculoskeletal spending is for back and neck disorders (spending distribution by MSK condition type)
- 18.5% of US adults report chronic pain (prevalence measure relevant to PT demand)
- 11.3% of adults reported needing help for functional limitations (functional limitation prevalence relevant to PT use)
- 12.6 minutes per session mean average time spent on therapeutic exercise in outpatient PT (time-motion workflow metric)
- 1.1-point reduction in disability (NDI) following exercise-based PT for neck pain (meta-analysis reported mean change)
Physical therapy is projected to grow 1.5 percent yearly while reducing pain and disability, saving Medicare millions.
Related reading
01 · Category
Labor Outlook1 stats
01
1.5% year-over-year growth in employment for physical therapists from 2022 to 2032 (projected 2022–2032 growth rate)
Interpretation
Labor Outlook Interpretation
From 2022 to 2032, employment for physical therapists is projected to grow by 1.5% year over year, indicating a steady but modest labor outlook.
02 · Category
Utilization & Outcomes1 stats
01
4.2 million outpatient physical therapy visits in the US in 2022 (CMS utilization measure)
Interpretation
Utilization & Outcomes Interpretation
In 2022, the United States saw 4.2 million outpatient physical therapy visits, underscoring strong real world utilization that supports evaluating physical therapy outcomes through widespread use.
03 · Category
Cost Analysis2 stats
01
$110 million Medicare savings from physical therapy in 2019 (estimate for selected PT interventions)
02
5.7% absolute reduction in emergency department visits after PT within bundled care programs (health system outcome metric)
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Cost analysis shows that in 2019 physical therapy could generate an estimated $110 million in Medicare savings while also producing a 5.7% absolute reduction in emergency department visits within bundled care programs.
04 · Category
Compensation & Pricing1 stats
01
10th percentile of physical therapist wages at $65,000in May 2023 (BLS occupational wage distribution)
Interpretation
Compensation & Pricing Interpretation
In the Compensation and Pricing category, the 10th percentile physical therapist wage of $65,000 in May 2023 suggests entry-level pay is anchored around that level rather than being much lower.
05 · Category
Clinical Effectiveness7 stats
01
23% relative reduction in opioid use after physical therapy for musculoskeletal conditions (systematic review result)
02
0.41 standard-deviation improvement in pain scores with exercise-based physical therapy for chronic low back pain (meta-analysis effect size)
03
2.4% absolute improvement in physical function following PT interventions for knee osteoarthritis at 3 months (meta-analysis estimate)
04
30% of patients with low back pain improve to clinically important outcomes with early physical therapy (cohort study proportion)
05
18% lower likelihood of hospital readmission among patients receiving physical therapy within transitional care programs (observational study)
06
0.63 risk ratio for functional improvement with PT compared with usual care in stroke rehabilitation (systematic review effect size)
07
1.6-point mean reduction in disability score (ODI) after PT interventions for low back pain (meta-analysis estimate)
Interpretation
Clinical Effectiveness Interpretation
Across clinical effectiveness outcomes, physical therapy interventions show consistent patient benefit, including a 23% relative reduction in opioid use for musculoskeletal conditions and meaningful functional improvements such as a 0.63 risk ratio for greater recovery in stroke rehabilitation.
More related reading
06 · Category
Workforce Data2 stats
01
0.78% annual mean wage growth for physical therapists (2014–2023 average annual growth rate, Bureau of Labor Statistics series)
02
47.6% of physical therapists work in outpatient care centers (distribution of employment by industry for the occupation)
Interpretation
Workforce Data Interpretation
From a workforce data perspective, physical therapists have seen only modest wage growth of 0.78% per year on average from 2014 to 2023 while nearly half of them, 47.6%, work in outpatient care centers.
07 · Category
Market Size3 stats
01
32% share of US musculoskeletal spending is for back and neck disorders (spending distribution by MSK condition type)
02
18.5% of US adults report chronic pain (prevalence measure relevant to PT demand)
03
11.3% of adults reported needing help for functional limitations (functional limitation prevalence relevant to PT use)
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
With 32% of US musculoskeletal spending going to back and neck disorders and about 18.5% of adults living with chronic pain alongside 11.3% reporting functional limitation needs, the market size signal for Physical Therapists is strong and driven by high-prevalence pain and disability.
08 · Category
Clinical Outcomes2 stats
01
12.6 minutes per session mean average time spent on therapeutic exercise in outpatient PT (time-motion workflow metric)
02
1.1-point reduction in disability (NDI) following exercise-based PT for neck pain (meta-analysis reported mean change)
Interpretation
Clinical Outcomes Interpretation
From a clinical outcomes perspective, outpatient PT dedicates an average of 12.6 minutes per session to therapeutic exercise and this approach is linked to a 1.1-point mean reduction in disability on the NDI for neck pain.
09 · Category
Safety & Quality2 stats
01
9.5% of patients were reported to experience an adverse event during physical therapy interventions in a large observational safety study (adverse event incidence).
02
0.7% rate of serious adverse events associated with outpatient physical therapy services reported in a claims-based analysis (serious event incidence).
Interpretation
Safety & Quality Interpretation
From a Safety and Quality perspective, adverse outcomes appear uncommon but not negligible, with 9.5% of patients reporting an adverse event in a large observational study and 0.7% experiencing serious adverse events in outpatient physical therapy claims data.
report visual · Comparison
Physical Therapy Impact: Employment Growth vs Patient Outcomes
Pair workforce growth with measurable healthcare outcomes tied to PT utilization and effectiveness.
5.7% absolute reduction in emergency department visits after PT within bundled care programs (health system outcome metr5.7%
4.2 million outpatient physical therapy visits in the US in 2022 (CMS utilization measure)
4.2
2.4% absolute improvement in physical function following PT interventions for knee osteoarthritis at 3 months (meta-anal
2.4%
1.5% year-over-year growth in employment for physical therapists from 2022 to 2032 (projected 2022–2032 growth rate)
1.5%
source-verifiedbls.gov · data.cms.gov · jamanetwork.com · pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov2022
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
David Kowalski. (2026, February 13). Physical Therapist Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/physical-therapist-statistics
MLA
David Kowalski. "Physical Therapist Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/physical-therapist-statistics.
Chicago
David Kowalski. 2026. "Physical Therapist Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/physical-therapist-statistics.
Sources & references
21 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+14 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)