Orthopedic Surgeon to Physical Therapist

Summary: None of the 5 core skills listed for Physical Therapist match Orthopedic Surgeon word for word, but 2 build on related experience. The US median salary changes by -68% ($285K → $92K). Difficulty: Challenging, typically around 9 months of focused upskilling.

The two roles

Orthopedic Surgeon: Musculoskeletal surgery.

Physical Therapist: Help patients recover mobility and manage pain through therapy. Growth outlook +15%; AI-resistant. Typical education: doctorate. Typical experience: Entry with DPT.

Skills that carry over

None of the listed skills match word for word, but the related experience below transfers.

Builds on related experience

• Patient Assessment — builds on Patient Care
• Treatment Planning — builds on Patient Care

Skills to learn for Physical Therapist

• Manual Therapy
• Exercise Prescription
• Communication

Salary comparison (median, estimated)

Salary figures are estimates benchmarked against public compensation data — see methodology.

Next steps

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Related

Orthopedic Surgeon career guide | Physical Therapist career guide

Other transitions to consider

• Orthopedic Surgeon to Dental Surgeon — 6 of the core skills carry over
• Orthopedic Surgeon to Cardiologist — 4 of the core skills carry over
• Orthopedic Surgeon to Physician/Doctor — 4 of the core skills carry over
• Orthopedic Surgeon to Dermatologist — 5 of the core skills carry over
• Occupational Therapist to Physical Therapist — 3 of the core skills carry over
• Speech-Language Pathologist to Physical Therapist — 5 of the core skills carry over
• Physician/Doctor to Physical Therapist — 3 of the core skills carry over
• EMT/Paramedic to Physical Therapist — 3 of the core skills carry over