Occupational Therapy vs. Physical Therapy: What’s the Difference?

Occupational therapists specialize in helping patients manage day-to-day functions, often ones that involve the hand, wrist, or elbow. Typically, this involves helping people re-learn how to do something due to a medical condition or accident. For example, as an OT, you may help a stroke victim re-learn how to cook now that they are partially paralyzed. Or you may assist someone with Parkinson’s disease and teach them how to shower safely with their condition.

OTs don’t always just provide treatments but often share advice to help patients live with their condition.

Common conditions you may treat as an OT include:

Physical therapists are concerned with helping patients overcome issues with motor functions. This often involves hands-on, or manual, therapy where you and the patient would work to lessen the effects of physical limitations. For example, after shoulder surgery, you might find yourself working with a patient over many weeks to regain full functionality. Or you might help someone who has recently recovered from a coma to regain strength in their leg muscles.

Common conditions you may treat as a PT include:

PTs may also work with patients in a more preventative capacity. For example, as a PT, you may lead someone recovering from a fall through stretching and strength-building exercises to recover and prevent future injuries.

It is slightly quicker to become an occupational therapist. You need to earn a minimum of a master’s degree to become an OT, and many graduate programs will require 20-100 hours of working under a licensed OT to be admitted. This means it will take you, on average, six total years of undergraduate and graduate school. There are also doctorate OT programs if you’re looking for a more in-depth education and would like to advance the field.

After earning your degree, you’ll need to pass the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) exam. Then, you can apply for licensure.

The process of becoming a physical therapist is slightly longer. All states require licensed PTs to hold a doctorate in physical therapy to apply for licensure. That means it may take you upwards of seven years to complete all of your postsecondary education, including undergraduate and graduate school.

Next, you’ll have to pass the National Physical Therapy Examination. Then, you can apply for a license in your state.

Many physical therapist and occupational therapist jobs are specialized. Here are a few of the specializations you can pursue in each field.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median wage for an OT was $96,370 in 2023. That’s more than double the national average for all occupations in the U.S. ($48,060). The lowest-earning 10% earned less than $65,210 annually, and the highest-earning 10% made more than $129,620, according to BLS data.

Salaries can vary depending on where you work. OTs made the most money annually if they worked with a home healthcare service provider ($104,790). Meanwhile, OTs working in California have the highest average salaries in the U.S. at $113,550 per year. However, California also has one of the highest costs of living in the U.S.

Additionally, employment of OTs is projected to grow 11% from 2023-2033.

Physical therapist salaries are, on average, slightly higher than OTs’. Employment of PTs is expected to grow 14% over the next decade.

PTs posted a median annual wage of $99,710 in 2023, according to BLS. Again, this is more than double the national median wage for all occupations in the U.S. ($48,060). The lowest-earning 10% made less than $72,260 per year, and the highest 10% earned more than $130,870, according to BLS.

PTs, like OTs, tend to earn the most when they work at a home healthcare provider ($107,870). They also, on average, earn higher wages if they work in California, where the average PT salary was $114,270 in 2023.

Life as an occupational therapist is not harder or easier than life as a physical therapist. Each job carries its own responsibilities and daily tasks, which can vary widely. Your ability to excel in either field will largely depend on your own strengths and weaknesses, so there is no one-size-fits-all answer to which is harder.

Yes, some patients require both physical and occupational therapy, so these therapists may co-treat patients together in the hospital, though usually not at the same time. In many cases, a severe injury can completely change someone’s life. That patient will likely need physical therapy to recover their motor functions, and they may also need occupational therapy to re-learn how to perform tasks with their disability. This can happen after severe accidents, for example.

One reason someone may choose to become an OT instead of a PT is due to the shorter educational requirements. Both fields have similar salaries, so some may not think it’s worthwhile to spend more time in school to become a PT.

To become an OT, all you need is a master’s degree, which typically takes two additional years of college after earning your undergraduate degree. You can also earn doctorate if you wish. To become a PT, you must attain a doctorate, which can take three years or longer after your undergraduate program.