Physical Therapist

What the Numbers Say About Physical Therapist

As of the March 2025 reporting window, 3,783 people work in the Physical Therapist occupation (OPM code 633) across federal agencies, 0.2% of the 2,289,472-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved down by -0.0% from the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.

Physical Therapist pays $120,629 per year on average, 9.8% above the $109,869 federal civilian average, after moving up 2.5% from the prior period (a broad shift as locality pay tables and grade-level adjustments moved through the workforce). Employees in this role stay an average of 9.3 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.

The Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group family (code 6) groups Physical Therapist together with 44 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Physical Therapist postings should also review these sibling occupations, since federal hiring managers often cross-post positions across closely related codes when recruitment is difficult. All figures here come directly from OPM FedScope Employment Cubes, the same official source referenced in federal workforce planning, budget justifications, and GAO reports.

Physical Therapist makes up 1.1% of the 356,984 employees across the Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group family, ranking #17 of 45 occupations in that family by headcount. Its average salary ranks in the top half (73rd percentile) of pay among Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group occupations.