What the letters mean
The letters are the licence. The degree behind it is now the DPT, a three-year doctorate, so many records carry both - PT, DPT. Practitioners who qualified earlier may hold a master's or bachelor's degree in physical therapy and are equally licensed.
A PTA is a physical therapist assistant: a separate credential, differently licensed, working under a PT's direction. And a PT is not an occupational therapist - movement and function on one side, the tasks of daily life on the other.
Physical therapists on the public record
Counted from what providers file about themselves, with suppression applied before anything is counted, refreshed 2026-10-05. Names, specialties and practice locations are public; work email and phone are for signed-in customers.
| State | On record | With work email | With practice phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 28,669 | 5,618 20% | 28,663 |
| New York | 27,755 | 5,802 21% | 27,750 |
| Texas | 19,058 | 4,071 21% | 19,053 |
| Florida | 18,418 | 4,099 22% | 18,414 |
| Pennsylvania | 15,049 | 3,687 24% | 15,049 |
| Illinois | 14,374 | 3,244 23% | 14,373 |
| New Jersey | 12,274 | 2,716 22% | 12,272 |
| Michigan | 11,462 | 2,456 21% | 11,460 |
Closely related, and where to find them.
Closely related
- Physical therapist Movement and function, doctoral entry, and mostly clinic chains rather than individuals.
- OT Occupational therapist - and why occupation does not mean employment.
- DC Doctor of Chiropractic - portal of entry, and no prescribing anywhere.
Find them
- Physical therapists list counts by state, the fields a record carries, a sample record.
- PT, OT & speech physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists.
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