SOC 29-1229.04

    Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physicians

    Diagnose and treat disorders requiring physiotherapy to provide physical, mental, and occupational rehabilitation.

    Median pay
    $265,930
    Growth
    +3.4%
    As fast as average
    Openings a year
    9,400
    Typical education
    Doctoral or professional degree

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections · figures for the broader BLS group "Physicians, all other"

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $69,170
    Median
    $265,930
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $452,360
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    342,720 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians diagnose and treat disorders that require physiotherapy to restore physical, mental, and occupational functioning. This career offers a median annual pay of $265,930.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians do

    Job Zone 5: Extensive preparation

    Diagnose and treat disorders requiring physiotherapy to provide physical, mental, and occupational rehabilitation.

    Most need a graduate degree, such as a master's, PhD, MD or JD.

    What the work is like

    Physicians in this field, also known as physiatrists, focus on assisting and caring for patients who need physical rehabilitation. Their daily tasks involve getting detailed patient information, analyzing medical data, and making critical decisions to solve complex health problems. They document patient progress, interpret medical findings for patients and their families, and offer expert consultation to other healthcare professionals.

    To succeed in this role, doctors must have deep knowledge of medicine, biology, psychology, and therapy. Strong skills in critical thinking, active listening, and reading comprehension are essential for evaluating treatment plans. Because they work closely with patients experiencing life-altering conditions, these physicians rely on empathy, social perceptiveness, and cooperation. They must also show high attention to detail, cautiousness, and dependability while maintaining self-control and integrity in clinical settings. This career strongly appeals to individuals with investigative interests who enjoy solving scientific and medical puzzles.

    How to get there

    Entering this profession requires extensive preparation, typically classified as Job Zone 5. Candidates must earn a doctoral or professional degree, such as a Medical Doctor (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree. Relevant college majors include medicine, medical clinical sciences, graduate medical studies, and multiple-pathway medical fellowship programs.

    After completing medical school, physicians undergo residency and fellowship training. To demonstrate expertise, practitioners can pursue professional credentials such as the Certification in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation from the American Osteopathic Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, or the Certification in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation: Sports Medicine from the American Board of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. Additionally, some states list a license for this work.

    Pay and outlook explained

    According to 2025 data, the median annual pay for this career is $265,930, which is based on the broader occupational group of all other physicians. Earnings vary widely depending on experience and location; the lowest 10% of earners make less than $69,170, while the highest 10% earn more than $452,360.

    There are 342,720 people employed in this broader physician group. Employment is projected to grow by 3.4% from 2025 to 2035, which is as fast as the average for all occupations. About 9,400 job openings are expected each year during this ten-year period.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R)
    65 / 100
    Investigative (I) · strongest
    88 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    15 / 100
    Social (S)
    83 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    12 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    33 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code ISR. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Documenting/Recording Information
    93
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    93
    Getting Information
    91
    Assisting and Caring for Others
    86
    Analyzing Data or Information
    84
    Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others
    84
    Providing Consultation and Advice to Others
    84
    Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
    84
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    80
    Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
    80
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Critical Thinking
    • Active Listening
    • Complex Problem Solving
    • Judgment and Decision Making
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Social Perceptiveness
    • Speaking
    • Coordination
    • Monitoring
    • Writing

    Knowledge

    • Medicine and Dentistry
    • English Language
    • Psychology
    • Biology
    • Therapy and Counseling
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Education and Training
    • Administrative
    • Administration and Management
    • Mathematics

    Abilities

    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Inductive Reasoning
    • Oral Expression
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Written Comprehension
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Written Expression
    • Speech Clarity
    • Speech Recognition
    • Category Flexibility

    Work styles

    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability
    • Cautiousness
    • Cooperation
    • Empathy
    • Integrity
    • Self-Control
    • Intellectual Curiosity
    • Perseverance
    • Achievement Orientation

    Also called

    Acute Rehabilitation Unit Physiatrist · Attending Physician · DO Physician (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Physician) · EDX Medicine MD (Electrodiagnostic Medicine Medical Doctor) · Interventional Pain Physician · Interventional Physiatrist · MD (Medical Doctor) · Medicine Physician · Pain Management Physician · Pain Medicine Physician

    Career pathway

    From your interests to physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physicians$265,930 median pay

    3. Majors

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work. Showing 12 of 63.

    • Adolescent Medicine Fellowship Program
    • Aerospace Medicine Residency Program
    • Allergy and Immunology Fellowship Program
    • Allergy and Immunology Residency/Fellowship Programs, Other
    • Blood Banking/Transfusion Medicine Fellowship Program
    • Clinical Biochemical Genetics Residency Program
    • Clinical Genetics and Genomics Residency Program
    • Combined Medical Residency/Fellowship Program, General
    • Combined Medical Residency/Fellowship Programs, Other
    • Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism Fellowship Program
    • Family Medicine/Osteopathic Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine Combined Specialty Program
    • Family Medicine/Preventive Medicine Combined Specialty Program

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    52 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Federal

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

    All careers

    Questions about physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What are some alternative job titles for physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians?

    These professionals are often called physiatrists, attending physicians, or pain management physicians. They may also be referred to as interventional pain physicians, acute rehabilitation unit physiatrists, or electrodiagnostic medicine medical doctors.

    What college majors are recommended for this career path?

    Students preparing for this career typically major in medicine. Other relevant fields of study include medical clinical sciences, graduate medical studies, and multiple-pathway medical fellowship programs.

    What professional certifications are available for these doctors?

    Physicians can earn a Certification in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation through the American Osteopathic Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Another option is the Certification in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation: Sports Medicine, offered by the American Board of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.