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Resume Examples

Physical Therapist resume examples.

Assess, plan, organize, and participate in rehabilitative programs that improve mobility, relieve pain, increase strength, and improve or correct disabling conditions resulting from disease or injury.

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Poise template · 1 of 204

What a physical therapist resume needs

The example beside this is built from the duties and skills most often reported for physical therapists. Every line below is editable in the builder, and the bracketed placeholders are there for you to fill in with your own numbers.

Also advertised as

Pediatric Physical Therapist (Pediatric PT) • Inpatient Physical Therapist (Inpatient PT) • Home Care Physical Therapist (Home Care PT) • Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) • Acute Care PT (Acute Care Physical Therapist) • Outpatient Physical Therapist (Outpatient PT)

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2 complete physical therapist resume examples

Each one is written in full for one person and one job search, and drawn in the template it ships with. The notes beside each say what the resume does well.

Adrian Carver's Physical Therapist resume in the Cirrus template

Example 1 of 2 · Cirrus template

Adrian Carver, Physical Therapist

Adrian Carver is a physical therapist seven years into outpatient orthopaedic and post-surgical work, with four earlier years as a therapist assistant, applying for a senior clinician post. A clinic director hires on caseload, outcomes and how a therapist works with surgeons and insurers, so this resume puts a bulleted summary of qualifications and a skills section grouped under three sub-headings above the work history, and keeps the roles themselves to a line each.

Why this resume works

  • The summary of qualifications is three bullets that each carry a figure, a caseload of 40 patients a week and a fall-prevention class with 60 regular attendees, so the page opens on scale rather than adjectives.
  • Professional Skills is grouped under Orthopaedic Rehabilitation, Patient Education and Care Coordination, each sub-heading over its own bullets, which is how a clinic posting lists what it wants.
  • The rehabilitation group gives an outcome rate, 9 in 10 post-operative patients back to full function inside the surgeon’s window, and a library of 120 exercises the whole clinic adopted.
  • The work history is two roles of three lines each, employer and title, city, dates, so a reader who wants the timeline gets it without a second set of bullets.
  • Education states the Doctor of Physical Therapy over its field with the school and city above it, and the skills column names eight clinical techniques as a plain list.
Build mine in CirrusAbout this template
Yuna Park's New Graduate Physical Therapist resume in the Sienna template

Example 2 of 2 · Sienna template

Yuna Park, New Graduate Physical Therapist

Yuna Park is a Doctor of Physical Therapy graduate with a year of supervised practice across an acute hospital ward and a community rehabilitation programme, applying for her first licensed post. A new graduate is hired on clinical hours, the settings covered and the licence in hand, so this resume leads with the internship, names the patient groups and gives one outcome figure and one caseload figure rather than coursework.

Why this resume works

  • The clinical internship states a recovery-outcome figure, 10% over the ward average, and a daily documentation count, so a supervised placement reads as measured work rather than observation.
  • The volunteer year is kept as a second role with its own bullets, counting workshop attendees and naming gait and balance work, which gives an entry-level page two settings instead of one.
  • The key skills sit in the tinted column as a short bulleted list, six clinical competencies a hiring manager can match to a job advert at a glance.
  • Education carries the Doctor of Physical Therapy over the undergraduate degree with award dates only, the way a new graduate lists a qualification that is the whole point of the page.
  • A Licences and Certifications section under the same rounded band holds the state licence and the BLS certificate with their years, which is the first thing a clinic checks.
Build mine in SiennaAbout this template

Summary examples

The opening paragraph does the most work on a resume. Pick the one that matches where you are, then make the specifics yours.

Early career

0–2 years, or changing field

Leads with training and transferable strengths.

  1. Option 145 words

    A Physical Therapist with training in therapeutic exercise, patient assessment, and rehabilitation planning. Conducts initial examinations and documents prognosis and treatment response in patient charts or electronic records. Instructs patients and family in home programs and applies manual techniques to relieve pain and improve mobility.

  2. Option 245 words

    A Physical Therapist trained to deliver home health rehabilitation that assesses functional capacity and adapts treatment plans to the patient environment. Conducts strength and mobility testing, prescribes assistive devices and home exercise progressions, and documents therapy outcomes for continuity of care and safe discharge planning.

  3. Option 352 words

    With a background in musculoskeletal and post surgical rehabilitation, a Physical Therapist who applies therapeutic exercise and gait training to restore mobility and function. Designs progressive plans of care, measures range of motion and strength, and communicates progress to surgeons and care teams to support return to activity and reduce reoperation risk.

Mid career

3–8 years in the role

Leads with years of experience and proven skills.

  1. Option 144 words

    With [X] years of experience as a Physical Therapist in outpatient and inpatient settings, this professional performs comprehensive evaluations and determines individualized treatment plans. Records progress and adjusts interventions to maximize function while coordinating with physicians and supportive personnel through eClinicalWorks and MEDITECH documentation.

  2. Option 249 words

    An experienced Physical Therapist with [X] years of practice in manual therapy and functional testing who measures strength, motor development, and sensory perception to establish baselines and track improvement. Administers manual exercises and traction, directs group rehabilitation sessions, and uses Microsoft Excel to monitor patient outcomes and plan reevaluation.

  3. Option 341 words

    A Physical Therapist with [X] years of experience in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation who performs respiratory and circulatory efficiency testing to guide individualized treatment. Delivers breathing retraining, endurance conditioning, and airway clearance techniques while tracking physiologic response to improve tolerance for daily activities.

Senior

8+ years, or leading a team

Leads with scope, leadership, and results.

  1. Option 145 words

    A senior Physical Therapist who leads clinical teams and oversees therapy program development and standards across care settings. Reviews physician referrals and patient records to shape service-line protocols, supervises supportive personnel, and mentors clinicians while monitoring clinical outcomes through EHR platforms and structured progress documentation.

  2. Option 244 words

    This Physical Therapist combines clinical leadership with operational oversight to manage therapy services, staffing, and quality improvement initiatives. Develops protocols for assessment, treatment progression, and documentation, directs group rehabilitation activities, and integrates MEDITECH and Advantage Software to standardize data collection and measure program effectiveness.

  3. Option 341 words

    A senior Physical Therapist who directs clinical education and competency programs that elevate bedside skills and documentation standards. Develops mentorship curricula, leads hands-on workshops in manual therapy and outcome measurement, and assesses clinician performance to maintain consistent treatment quality across settings.

Work-history bullets

Recruiters scan for duties they recognise, then stop on the ones that stand out. A good resume carries both.

Duties employers expect

The responsibilities most often reported for physical therapists.

  • Designed individualized physical therapy treatment plans to restore mobility and relieve pain after injury.
  • Performed initial patient evaluations to diagnose functional impairments and establish treatment goals.
  • Administered manual therapy, therapeutic exercise, and modalities to reduce pain and improve strength.
  • Documented treatment response and clinical outcomes for a caseload of [X] patients in electronic medical records.
  • Educated patients and families on home exercise programs to continue recovery outside the clinic.
  • Evaluated treatment effectiveness at each stage and adjusted care plans to maximize patient outcomes.
  • Reviewed physician referrals and medical histories to determine appropriate therapy interventions.
  • Obtained informed consent from patients before initiating interventions and documented consent in charts.

Lines that set you apart

Less common, and more likely to earn a second read.

  • Coordinated care with physicians and support staff to align rehabilitation timelines with medical treatment.
  • Directed and supervised physical therapy assistants and aides across a caseload of [X] patients.
  • Reduced average patient recovery time by [X]% through targeted therapeutic exercise protocols.
  • Fitted and adjusted orthotic and prosthetic devices for [X] patients per month to improve mobility.
  • Mentored physical therapy students during clinical rotations, reinforcing evidence-based treatment techniques.
  • Implemented group rehabilitation classes for neurologic and orthopedic populations to increase therapy access.
  • Developed community outreach workshops on injury prevention and home exercise adaptations for older adults.
  • Piloted a documentation improvement project that reduced charting time per patient by [X] minutes.

Skills to list

Applicant tracking systems match on wording, so use the terms the job ads use. Only claim what you can back up in an interview.

Role-specific skills

The technical and practical skills tied to this job.

  • eClinicalWorks EHR software
  • MEDITECH software
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft Word
  • Advantage Software Physical Therapy Advantage
  • Biometrics video game software
  • Cedaron Dexter Evaluation & Impairment Rating
  • Clinicient Insight
  • Exercise routine creation software
  • Hands On Technology TheraWriter.PT

Transferable skills

Strengths that carry across roles and industries.

  • Active Listening
  • Critical Thinking
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Service Orientation
  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Speaking
  • Monitoring
  • Writing
  • Judgment and Decision Making
  • Time Management
  • Complex Problem Solving
  • Instructing

Templates for this resume

The guide's example above opens in one layout and pages through the rest. These are the same templates with the detail on what each one does with your sections.

Written and reviewed by the Resumarc teamHow we write our guidance

Contains information from the O*NET Database v30.3 by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Content has been modified from the original.