Where Can a DPT Take You? Exploring Physical Therapy Career Opportunities
OK, you’ve decided to earn a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. You know you want to be a physical therapist. But what does that actually mean for your career? Where will you work? Who will you work with? And what might your day-to-day life look like once you have your DPT?
The answer is: It depends
That may seem like a murky answer, but physical therapy is a much bigger profession than many people realize. You could work with athletes, older adults, children or patients recovering from a serious injury or illness. You could practice in a hospital, outpatient clinic, rehabilitation center, school or a patient’s home. You could build a career in sports medicine, neurological rehabilitation, pediatrics or another specialty. And your path can change as your interests and experience evolve.
So, what can you actually do with a DPT? And how do you figure out which path is right for you? We sat down with Katie Donovan, Director of Career Services for Graduate Programs at Tufts University School of Medicine, to gather insights, advice and resources that can help DPT students explore their career options and prepare for what comes next.
Want to explore the possibilities?
Read the Tufts DPT Career Guide to learn more about physical therapy career settings, specialties, job opportunities and where a DPT can take you.
What can you do with a DPT?
Physical therapy offers a wide range of career paths. Your interests, preferred work environment, patient population and professional goals can all shape the type of physical therapy career you pursue.
A physical therapist who enjoys being on the move might work in home health, traveling to patients in their homes and communities. Someone who prefers a clinical environment might work within a health system, with opportunities to practice in a hospital or one of its affiliated organizations. A sports-minded physical therapist might work with college athletes and eventually pursue a career in professional sports.
Physical therapists also work in rehabilitation hospitals, nursing homes and outpatient clinics, and while the work may share common foundations, each setting offers a different environment, pace, and patient population.
“Nursing homes, rehabilitation hospitals, and outpatient clinics all give you the ability to do the same work, but each have their own vibe,” Donovan says. “As a PT, you can find the vibe that works for you.”
Physical therapy careers can evolve
A DPT can also provide a foundation for careers that extend beyond traditional patient care. Physical therapists may pursue clinical research, teaching, rehabilitation leadership, health care administration, health technology, or health policy.
Your first employment after graduation does not have to define your career. As your interests and experience develop, you can move into new practice settings, pursue a specialty or take on leadership and other professional opportunities if the move feels right for you.
Where do physical therapists work?
A degree in physical therapy opens the door to diverse career paths across health care and community settings. Common areas include acute and specialty hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, outpatient clinics, home health, skilled nursing and long-term care, schools and pediatric settings, colleges and universities and professional sports.
Specialty practice can also take many forms, including neurological rehabilitation, oncology rehabilitation, pelvic health, vestibular and concussion care, geriatrics, pediatrics and sports medicine.
Tufts DPT graduates have gone on to work with organizations including Boston Children's Hospital, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Mass General, Encompass Health, HonorHealth, Adventist Health, Kindering, ATI Physical Therapy, Fox Rehabilitation and Ivy Rehab. Graduates have also pursued specialized opportunities, including a physical therapy fellowship with the Chicago Cubs and a clinical specialist role in medical technology.
These career paths reflect the breadth of the profession. Physical therapists can work with different populations, in different environments and at different points in the health care system.
Are physical therapists in demand?
The physical therapy job market continues to grow at a faster-than-average pace. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' August 2026 report, an average of 13,400 physical therapist job openings are projected each year over the next decade. The median annual pay for physical therapists was $102,760 in 2025.
For students entering the profession, a strong job market can create an opportunity to think beyond simply finding a position. It can allow them to consider what type of workplace, patient population and professional environment best fits their goals.
“I’m not worried about any PT student getting a job in the current job market,” Donovan says. “I’m worried the students aren't using this amazing market to get what works for them.”
How do you choose a physical therapy career path?
You do not have to know exactly what type of physical therapist you want to become before starting a DPT program.
Clinical education experiences can expose students to different patient populations and practice settings, helping them identify the areas that fit their interests and goals. A student who enters a program interested in sports medicine, for example, may discover an interest in neurological rehabilitation, pediatrics or acute care.
For others, the appeal may be less about a particular specialty and more about the environment. Some may prefer the pace of a hospital, while others may value the independence of home health or the relationships they can build in an outpatient clinic.
That flexibility is part of what makes physical therapy a broad and evolving profession.
How Career Services can help you build a PT career
Tufts’ Career Services helps students translate their interests into a job search, develop their professional identity and navigate the process of evaluating and pursuing opportunities.
One place to start is the DPT Career Management Handbook, a comprehensive resource covering the practical aspects of the job search, including writing a resume, creating a LinkedIn profile and finding job opportunities. With those fundamentals in place, individual appointments with Career Services can focus on each student's goals, whether that means exploring a particular career path, identifying professional connections or preparing to tell their story in an interview.
Career Services also provides support throughout the job search process, including mock interviews, resume and LinkedIn guidance, networking support and job offer review and negotiation. Students can connect with more than 60 employers through the annual virtual career fair, while workshops, a weekly Career Services newsletter and Handshake provide additional opportunities to explore the profession and find early-career positions.
Donovan describes the Career Services approach through three pillars: storytelling, building a professional community and aiming for two job offers rather than focusing on starting a job.
“All three are critical for your entire career because I have yet to meet a student who plans on retiring from the very first job they get after school,” Donovan says. “Once you get your first job offer, we’ll guide you as you nurture more offers, review and understand the job offer or offers, and negotiate the first and any additional offers that come your way.”
Start building your professional community early
For students considering a DPT, Donovan recommends starting to build a professional community before graduate school.
“Tell the person who styles your hair, your high school friends, and your online community that you are thinking of becoming a PT,” she says.
Those conversations can help prospective students learn more about the profession, hear different perspectives on physical therapy and begin identifying the types of careers that interest them. Over time, those relationships can also become part of a professional network.
“Cultivate those relationships because some may be people you want to work with, collaborate with, and eventually hire some day,” Donovan says.
Where you learn can shape where you practice
Physical therapy is practiced in communities across the country, and the health care environment surrounding you can influence your clinical experiences and professional network.
Tufts offers its hybrid DPT program in Atlanta, Boston, Phoenix, and Seattle. Students complete online coursework alongside hands-on labs and clinical education, gaining experience in different health care environments as they prepare for practice.
Each Tufts location also offers exposure to a distinct health care ecosystem. Atlanta’s growing health care market serves a large and diverse population. Boston provides access to academic medical centers, specialty care, and research. Phoenix offers opportunities in a rapidly growing region with an aging population and demand for orthopedic, neurological and geriatric care. Seattle's health care environment includes integrated health systems, technology and telehealth, as well as opportunities connected to an active outdoor population.
Together, these locations give students multiple perspectives on where a career in physical therapy can lead.
Start exploring your physical therapy career opportunities
A DPT can prepare you for a career that evolves with your interests. You may begin in an outpatient clinic, move into a hospital system, pursue a specialty, work with athletes, transition into leadership or explore opportunities beyond traditional patient care.
The question is not only, “What job can I get with a DPT?” It is also, “What kind of physical therapy career do I want to build?”
At Tufts, students can begin exploring that question through clinical experiences, career advising, professional networking and connections with employers across the country.
Explore Tufts’ Doctor of Physical Therapy programs and discover where a DPT can take you.
Related Links:
Request Information About Tufts DPT
Tufts DPT Admissions
Clinical Education at Tufts DPT