Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physicians

SOC code 29-1229 · O*NET-SOC 29-1229.04 · Extensive preparation needed · Healthcare

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physicians pay

U.S. national figures, May 2025 BLS survey · How we got this number

Median pay

$265,930

a year

Hourly

$127.85

per hour

10th$69,170Median$265,93090th$452,360

The solid band is the middle 50% of workers; the bar spans the 10th to 90th percentile.

Average pay

$262,040

$125.98 per hour

Middle 50%

$102,930 – $378,770

25th to 75th percentile

Full spread

$69,170 – $452,360

10th to 90th percentile

People employed

342,720

nationwide

National U.S. figure, May 2025. Local pay can be higher or lower.

These pay and employment figures are for the broader BLS group “Physicians, All Other”, not this job alone.

10th percentile: $69,170; $33.26/hr
25th percentile: $102,930; $49.48/hr
Median percentile: $265,930; $127.85/hr
75th percentile: $378,770; $182.10/hr
90th percentile: $452,360; $217.48/hr

What do physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians do?

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

The tasks that matter most day to day

Document examination results, treatment plans, and patients' outcomes.
Examine patients to assess mobility, strength, communication, or cognition.
Develop comprehensive plans for immediate and long-term rehabilitation, including therapeutic exercise, speech and occupational therapy, counseling, cognitive retraining, patient, family or caregiver education, or community reintegration.
Assess characteristics of patients' pain, such as intensity, location, or duration, using standardized clinical measures.
Monitor effectiveness of pain management interventions, such as medication or spinal injections.
Provide inpatient or outpatient medical management of neuromuscular disorders, musculoskeletal trauma, acute and chronic pain, deformity or amputation, cardiac or pulmonary disease, or other disabling conditions.
Consult or coordinate with other rehabilitative professionals, including physical and occupational therapists, rehabilitation nurses, speech pathologists, neuropsychologists, behavioral psychologists, social workers, or medical technicians.
Prescribe orthotic and prosthetic applications and adaptive equipment, such as wheelchairs, bracing, or communication devices, to maximize patient function and self-sufficiency.

How to qualify for this work

Most people in this role hold doctoral degree — 55% of workers surveyed reported it as their level of education.

Preparation level: zone 5 — Extensive preparation needed

Education: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Experience: Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Training: Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.

See all zone 5 occupations →

Education reported by people doing this job

Doctoral Degree55%
Post-Doctoral Training43%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.1%
Bachelor's Degree1%

Common questions

How much does a physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians earn?

The national median is $265,930 a year. The full range runs from $69,170 at the 10th percentile to $452,360 at the 90th — entry pay sits closer to the lower figure, and experience, licensing and specialisation move you up the range.

Can you become a physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians without a degree?

Not usually — this occupation sits in preparation zone 5, where the typical entry route is most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree). The education breakdown above shows what people in the role actually reported.

Skills and knowledge you need

Core skills

Critical Thinking4.1/5
Reading Comprehension4.0/5
Active Listening4.0/5
Speaking4.0/5
Writing3.9/5
Monitoring3.9/5

Knowledge areas

Medicine and Dentistry4.9/5
English Language4.1/5
Psychology4.0/5
Biology3.9/5
Therapy and Counseling3.8/5
Customer and Personal Service3.5/5
Education and Training3.5/5
Administrative2.8/5

Transferable strengths: Social Perceptiveness, Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making, Coordination.