Physical Therapy Military Career

By allied health world contributing writer
Published: January 18th, 2010

Indeed.com says that a military career in physical therapy can be exceptionally rewarding, as the average physical therapist in the U.S. Armed Forces earns $63,000 per year.

Why are salaries so high for physical therapists in the military? For one thing, army.mil reports that routine maintenance on the joints of the body through cardiovascular and strength training are crucial to the health of military personnel. The Web site even makes the analogy that this kind of bodily maintenance is as important as making sure that combat equipment is functioning properly.

In the military, physical therapists perform such tasks for officers as:

Aquatic therapy.
Transitional gym training.
Therapuetic exercise planning.
Knee and back education.
Knee and ankle agility training.
Exercise classes in stabilization.

Physical therapists work with all soldiers, units, and commanders in the field, and they promote battle readiness by being equipped with medicine in battle zones.

In the Army, physical therapists are a part of the Medical Specialist Corps, and they serve similar functions in the other U.S. Armed Forces branches. They may work in aid stations, medical centers, and combat support hospitals, and they sometimes serve as providers in organic units.