A physical medicine and rehabilitation physician diagnoses and treats injuries, illnesses, and disabilities that affect movement and function. You help patients regain independence and quality of life through medical care and therapy coordination. It requires a doctoral degree and extensive training.
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Physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians work with patients recovering from injuries, surgery, or chronic conditions. You assess patients, order tests, and develop treatment plans that may include medication, therapy, and rehabilitation strategies. You document medical records, communicate with other healthcare providers, and make clinical decisions about patient care. You stay current with medical advances and monitor patient progress over time. The work combines diagnosis and problem-solving with direct patient care and ongoing education in medicine, psychology, and therapy approaches.
Core work activities
Career video courtesy of CareerOneStop.
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physicians earn a median of $265,930 a year, based on 2025 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and location.
The outlook is steady. Employment is projected to grow 3 percent from 2024 to 2034, about as fast as average for all occupations, with about 9,600 openings a year.
Top skills
Knowledge areas
This career requires a doctoral degree in medicine, followed by specialized residency training in physical medicine and rehabilitation. You will complete medical school, pass licensing exams, and pursue additional board certification in your specialty. The path typically takes many years of education and hands-on clinical training. During residency, you gain experience in patient care, diagnostic procedures, and rehabilitation techniques. Strong foundational knowledge in biology, anatomy, and medical sciences prepares you for medical school prerequisites and the rigorous coursework ahead.
The route to this career is clear: medical school, then residency training in your specialty. The timeline is long, so if you are weighing the commitment and want to map out the full path, Pathly can map the physical medicine and rehabilitation physician path that fits you and work through it step by step with your counselor.
Many physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians must be licensed, and professional certifications can strengthen your resume.
Common certifications
Licensing is handled at the state level and the requirements vary, so check the licensing board in your state. Pathly shows your state's specific steps inside your roadmap.
You are drawn to investigative work that involves understanding complex medical problems, analyzing patient data, and applying scientific knowledge to improve health outcomes.
Reading about a career is the easy part. Turning it into a plan is where most students get stuck. Pathly takes you from curious to a clear next step, and gives your counselor the insight to champion you along the way.
Start with a quick quiz and assessments that surface your personality, your EQ, and what really motivates you, so your next steps are built around who you actually are.
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Last updated July 1, 2026.
Data sources. Career details from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Salary and outlook figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025 wages; 2024–2034 projections), delivered via the CareerOneStop API. Certification, licensing, wage, and outlook data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by USDOL/ETA and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).