Physical Therapists
Machines can already do 19% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 41%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Physical Therapists in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 19% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 2% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2038, and 41% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 267,330 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $102,760 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 95% for contact with people.
- Also called: Acute Care PT (Acute Care Physical Therapist), Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), Home Care Physical Therapist (Home Care PT), Inpatient Physical Therapist (Inpatient PT).
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan, prepare, or carry out individually designed programs of physical treatment to maintain, improve, or restore physical functioning, alleviate pain, or prevent physical dysfunction in patients | 29% | 3% to 25% | |
| Record prognosis, treatment, response, and progress in patient's chart or enter information into computer | 13% | 61% to 79% | |
| Perform and document an initial exam, evaluating data to identify problems and determine a diagnosis prior to intervention | 11% | 3% to 25% | |
| Administer manual exercises, massage, or traction to help relieve pain, increase patient strength, or decrease or prevent deformity or crippling | 8% | 18% to 51% | |
| Evaluate effects of treatment at various stages and adjust treatments to achieve maximum benefit | 5% | 3% to 25% | |
| Test and measure patient's strength, motor development and function, sensory perception, functional capacity, or respiratory or circulatory efficiency and record data | 5% | 3% to 25% | |
| Instruct patient and family in treatment procedures to be continued at home | 4% | 22% to 42% | |
| Confer with the patient, medical practitioners, or appropriate others to plan, implement, or assess the intervention program | 4% | 27% to 46% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills physical therapists use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Athletic Trainers39% of tasks by 2035 · US median $62,520
- Psychiatric Technicians32% of tasks by 2035 · US median $45,130
- Paramedics39% of tasks by 2035 · US median $60,600
- Animal Trainers40% of tasks by 2035 · US median $39,990
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Physical Therapists?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2038. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of physical therapists?
Machines can do 19% of the tasks of physical therapists today and 41% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 29-1123.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Physical Therapists: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/physical-therapists/