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Physical therapists treat people with a wide variety of diseases and injuries in order to improve movement and functional abilities. They have extensive direct interaction with patients and focus on improving patient quality of life, often seeing the same patient regularly over a period of time. People in this profession get jobs in hospitals, outpatient clinics, and many own their own physical therapy practices.

Training at Physical Therapist Schools

Becoming a physical therapist requires completing a program offered by one of many physical therapy schools accredited by the American Physical Therapy Association. Most programs offer doctoral degrees, which take at least 3 years to complete. However, about 5 percent of programs offer master's degrees that take about 2 to 2 1/2 years to complete. The typical courses offered at a physical therapist schools include neuroscience, biomechanics, pharmacology, radiology, and exercise physiology. After earning their specialized degrees, all physical therapists must then be licensed by the state in which they practice.

The median salary for those in physical therapist careers was $74,480 a year as of 2009, but top earners made over $105,000 a year. The prospects for physical therapists are excellent, as the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects this profession to grow over 30 percent in the years between 2008 and 2018.

Learn more about becoming a physical therapist:

• Physical Therapist Salary