Physiotherapist
Physiotherapists assess and treat problems with movement and pain, using exercise, hands-on therapy and education to help people recover or manage a condition.
- Median salary
- $98,200
3.9%vs last year, before tax
- People employed
- 46,600
3.1%vs last year
- Projected growth
- +35.1%
to 2035
- AI exposure*
- Low
- automation risk
- Average hours
- 41/wk
+1h vs all jobs
- Shortage status
- In shortage
national
Physiotherapists work in private clinics, hospitals, aged care, community health and sports settings, and the setting shapes the caseload more than the title does. The role is often confused with occupational therapy, which also works on rehabilitation but focuses on how someone manages daily activities, while physiotherapy works on the movement, strength and pain underneath them. Registration with the Physiotherapy Board of Australia through AHPRA is required before you can practise or use the title.
How much do physiotherapists earn?
The median full-time salary for a physiotherapist is $98,200 per annum, before tax, up $20,400 since 2018.
Where you work shapes pay more than anything else. Public hospital roles sit under state enterprise agreements with defined increments, while private practice commonly pays a base plus a share of what you bill, so a busy caseload lifts your income. Senior clinical, management and practice ownership roles pay more again, and part-time work is common across the profession, which is worth keeping in mind when comparing annual figures.
What does a physiotherapist do day to day?
The list below is what fills most weeks; the exact mix shifts with seniority and whatever stage the current work is at.
- Testing a patient's strength, range of motion and movement patterns to work out what is causing the problem
- Building an exercise and manual therapy plan around what the patient wants to get back to, whether that is walking to the letterbox or returning to sport
- Demonstrating exercises and physically guiding patients through them, which keeps you on your feet for most of the day
- Explaining the same thing several times over, because understanding why a shoulder hurts is part of what helps it improve
- Writing notes, reports and funding paperwork between appointments, which is heaviest in private practice where sessions run short and back to back
What skills do physiotherapists need?
Employers look for patient care and support, clinical assessment and treatment, care planning and coordination, backed by Ultrasound therapy equipment fluency and strong written communication.
Specialist skills
- Patient care and support
- Clinical assessment and treatment
- Care planning and coordination
- Health education and advice
- Rehabilitation and therapy
Software and tools
- Ultrasound therapy equipment
- Exercise bands and weights
- Goniometer
- Electrotherapy units
- Patient management software
General skills
- Written communication
- Problem solving
- Attention to detail
Is the job growing?
About 46,600 people work as physiotherapists in Australia, and employment is projected to grow 35.1% over the decade to 2035. That's very strong growth. Few roles in Australia are expanding this fast, and it points to solid demand for years to come.
How do you become a physiotherapist?
Here's the path most physiotherapists take, step by step.
- 1Complete an accredited physiotherapy degree
The usual route is a four-year Bachelor of Physiotherapy at a university accredited by the Australian Physiotherapy Council. Entry is competitive and generally expects Year 12 biology, chemistry or physics and maths, and some students start with a three-year health science degree and follow it with a two-year master's.
- 2Register with AHPRA
You cannot work as a physiotherapist or use the title without registration through the Physiotherapy Board of Australia, which also requires meeting the English language standard and passing a criminal history check.
- 3Start in a supervised role
Most graduates begin in a public hospital rotation or a private practice graduate program, where the first year includes structured supervision and a mix of cardiorespiratory, neurological and musculoskeletal cases.
- 4Specialise or take on more responsibility
Postgraduate study in sports, musculoskeletal, paediatric or neurological physiotherapy, or a move into clinical leadership, aged care or practice ownership, opens up the higher-paid work.
Ready to apply as a physiotherapist?
Whether you're working toward becoming a physiotherapist or already are one and want a hand with the next step (sharpening your resume for ATS screening, tightening your cover letter, or knowing what you'll actually be asked at interview), here are examples grounded in this specific role, not generic templates.
What jobs can a physiotherapist move to?
Moving into University Lecturer typically comes with the biggest pay rise, worth $53,800 a year more on average.
| Move to | Typical pay change | Overlap | Retraining |
|---|---|---|---|
| University Lecturer Physiotherapists can move into teaching and research, but usually need further study such as a doctorate.Known move | +$53,800 | 3% | requalify |
| Resident Medical Officer Physiotherapists use their clinical assessment and patient care skills, but must complete a medical degree to become a resident medical officer.Known move | +$5,800 | 55% | requalify |
| Occupational Therapist Physiotherapists share rehabilitation and movement expertise, but need to retrain to meet occupational therapy registration.Known move | +$1,300 | 79% | requalify |
| Exercise Physiologist Physiotherapists bring exercise prescription and rehabilitation knowledge, but must complete an exercise physiology qualification to register.Known move | −$2,100 | 81% | requalify |
| Myotherapist Physiotherapists have manual therapy and musculoskeletal skills, needing only a short course to practise as a myotherapist.Known move | −$33,200 | 59% | short course |
Moves are chosen from Jobs and Skills Australia's Data on Occupation Mobility, which follows income tax records between 2011-12 and 2020-21, together with entry requirements and skill overlap. A known move is one people were seen making in that data. Pay change compares median full-time pay for the two roles.
Who works as a physiotherapist?
The typical physiotherapist is 33 years old; 58% are women, 72% work full-time, and full-timers average 41 hours a week.
- 33
- Median age
- 58%
- Female share
- 72%
- Full-time
- +1h
- vs all-jobs avg
What's it like being a physiotherapist?
A physiotherapist's day is built from appointments, so the rhythm is set by the diary rather than by a project. You spend that time on your feet, moving between examining a patient, guiding them through exercises and writing up what you found. The pressure comes from caseload and paperwork, and from the patience a slow recovery asks of both the patient and you.
What people like
- You see people get back to things that matter. Patients usually arrive unable to do something specific, so progress shows up in what they can do again, from lifting a grandchild to running a full lap.
- The work mixes hands, movement and conversation. A single day can move between manual therapy, teaching an exercise and talking someone through why their pain behaves the way it does.
- You follow people over weeks, not minutes. Rehabilitation is a series of appointments, which means you get to know patients and see whether the plan is actually working.
- There is room to specialise. Sports, paediatrics, neurological rehabilitation and musculoskeletal physiotherapy each have their own caseloads and postgraduate pathways.
What people find hard
- It is hard on your body. Sessions are spent standing, demonstrating and supporting patients, and hands, wrists and lower back carry the load over a career.
- Recovery is often slow. Chronic pain and complex neurological conditions can improve a little at a time or plateau, and some patients will not get back to where they were.
- Administration does not stay at work. Notes, reports and insurer requirements still have to be done, and in private practice they often spill past the last appointment.
- Private practice runs on volume. Short appointments back to back and billing targets can make a busy clinic feel like a production line, especially in the first years.
Based on our synthesis of professional-body surveys and public accounts of the role, not first-person verified reviews.
Which industries employ physiotherapists?
Health Care and Social Assistance employs the largest share of physiotherapists.
Top employing industries
- 1Health Care and Social Assistance
Ranked by employment share; the source doesn't publish an exact percentage per industry.
| Bachelor degree | 58.6% | |
|---|---|---|
| Postgraduate | 38.4% | |
| Diploma / Advanced Diploma | 1.4% | |
| Year 12 or below | 0.4% | |
| Certificate III/IV | 0.2% |
Will AI replace physiotherapists?
Physiotherapy sits at the low end of AI exposure, because so much of the work depends on hands-on assessment, physical treatment and reading how a patient responds in the room. Practice management software, exercise prescription apps and telehealth triage already handle scheduling, records and printed programs, and they reduce some paperwork rather than the treatment itself. What technology has not taken over is the clinical judgement in a physical examination or the coaching that keeps someone going through a slow recovery.
Share of typical working time by exposure level
- Hands-on assessment and manual therapyFeeling where a joint is restricted, or testing strength against resistance, relies on touch and on watching how the patient moves, which no tool does for you.40%low
- Exercise prescription and program designSoftware can suggest a standard program for a knee replacement or a low back strain, but choosing the load, the progressions and what to leave out for this patient is still clinical work.25%moderate
- Patient education and coachingExplaining why a shoulder hurts, and adjusting that explanation until the patient trusts the plan enough to follow it, depends on the conversation in the room.20%low
- Notes, referrals and funding paperworkTemplates, dictation and insurer portals have sped up reports and claims, though the clinical reasoning in a letter to a GP still has to come from you.15%moderate
Common questions about becoming a physiotherapist
Straight answers to the questions people ask most.
How much do physiotherapists earn in Australia?
Physiotherapists earn a median of $98,200 per year before tax. Pay moves with the sector and the caseload: private practice often ties earnings to billings, and senior or specialised clinical roles pay more than standard clinic work.
How do you become a physiotherapist?
You complete an accredited physiotherapy degree, usually a four-year bachelor, then register with AHPRA through the Physiotherapy Board of Australia. Career changers often take a two-year master's after an earlier health science degree, and registration is required before you can work or use the title.
Are physiotherapists in demand in Australia?
Physiotherapists are currently in shortage nationally, and employment is projected to grow 35.1% over the decade to 2035. About 46,600 people work in the field across hospitals, private practice, aged care and community health, so openings are spread rather than concentrated in one setting. For someone qualifying now, the settings you are willing to work in shape how easy the first job is to find.
Will AI replace physiotherapists?
AI is unlikely to replace physiotherapists, because the core of the job is hands-on assessment and treatment and the relationship that keeps a patient following the plan. Practice software, exercise prescription tools and telehealth triage already handle scheduling, records and program handouts, and they change how much time goes to administration rather than who does the treatment.
What can physiotherapists move into?
Some move into occupational therapy or exercise physiology, which share much of the assessment and rehabilitation work, but each has its own registration, so you would need to complete that degree. A shorter route is myotherapy, where manual therapy skills transfer with a short course, though it pays $33,200 less. Many physiotherapists stay in the field and open their own clinic, which is often where earnings grow.
Do you need a postgraduate degree to work as a physiotherapist?
No, but many physiotherapists hold one. A bachelor degree is the standard entry point, and 59% of the physiotherapy workforce holds one, while others come in through a postgraduate master's after an earlier degree or add one later to specialise.
Related roles
- Resident Medical Officer
- Occupational Therapist
- Exercise Physiologist
- Myotherapist
- University Lecturer
- Allied Health Assistant
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