Skills
Physical Therapist Skills & Tools
The technical skills, people skills and tools employers look for in physical therapists, and how to build and show them.
What skills do physical therapists need?
Physical Therapists need technical skills such as musculoskeletal evaluation, therapeutic exercise, and manual therapy, plus people skills like motivation skills and empathy. They also use tools such as Exercise equipment and Treatment tables.
Technical (hard) skills
- Musculoskeletal evaluation
- Therapeutic exercise
- Manual therapy
- Neurologic rehab
- Gait training
- Documentation
People (soft) skills
- Motivation skills
- Empathy
- Communication
- Patience
Tools, equipment and technology
- Exercise equipment
- Treatment tables
- Goniometers
- Ultrasound and electrical stimulation
- Gait aids
- Electronic health records
Skills in action: common tasks
These step-by-step guides show how physical therapists put their skills to work:
How to show these skills on a resume
- Lead your skills section with the technical skills from the job posting, for example, “Musculoskeletal evaluation” and “Therapeutic exercise.”
- Prove soft skills with results: instead of listing “motivation skills,” describe a situation where you used it.
- List credentials such as NPTE near the top, with the issuing organization and date.
- Use the employer’s vocabulary. Our physical therapist glossary covers the terms hiring managers expect.
How to build these skills
Formal training, supervised practice and certification are the most direct routes. Our Physical Therapist training introduces each of these skills with plain-language lessons, procedures and a final knowledge check: a strong foundation before hands-on training or your first day.