INDEX/JOBS/PHYSICAL-THERAPIST
HEALTHCARELOW EXPOSUREREPORT ID #3112

Physical Therapist.

Physical therapists are among the most resilient healthcare roles — hands-on manual therapy, movement assessment, and the motivational coaching relationship cannot be replicated by AI.

EXPOSURE
22%
↑ 2.1pp vs Q1
RESILIENCE
92
durable index
MEDIAN PAY
$96k
$72k – $128k
10Y GROWTH
+17%
Much faster than avg
020406080100
// EXPOSURE
0%
Physical Therapists
THE TASK-LEVEL VERDICT
DOCUMENT-ANALYSIS
RESEARCH-SYNTHESIS
Where the score comes from

Time spent, weighted by AI capability.

Distribution by class
0%
22%
78%
AI-Substitutable
AI-Assisted
Human-Critical
Task breakdown
All 7 canonical tasks
Task Exposure ClassificationTime share
01Document treatment plans and progress notes
68%
AI-Assisted14%
02Research evidence-based protocols
62%
AI-Assisted8%
03Coordinate with referring physicians
22%
Human-Critical4%
04Movement and gait assessment
18%
Human-Critical18%
05Exercise instruction and correction
14%
Human-Critical16%
06Patient motivation and coaching
8%
Human-Critical12%
07Perform manual therapy and manipulation
4%
Human-Critical28%
Task profile · radar
Where the work concentrates.
COGNITIVE62CREATIVE44MANUAL94SOCIAL88PROCEDURAL72JUDGEMENT84
Procedural and Cognitive tasks dominate this role — both highly model-addressable. Social and Judgement axes are smaller but more resilient.
Capability creep · 8 years
Exposure climbed 17pp since 2018.
'18'20'22'24'26
Editorial signals

What the data is telling us.

INSIGHT · 01
EXPOSURE SIGNAL
Documentation is the main AI-assisted task — ambient note tools free therapists from charting and redirect time to patients.
INSIGHT · 02
AUGMENTATION SIGNAL
AI movement analysis tools (video-based gait assessment) are emerging but remain supplementary to the clinician's hands-on evaluation.
INSIGHT · 03
RESILIENCE SIGNAL
Manual therapy, human touch, and therapeutic alliance are the mechanism of recovery. This role grows in demand as populations age — AI cannot fill it.
Resilient adjacencies

Where physical therapists move next.

Occupational Therapist
Low
19%
-3pp vs Physical
Sports Medicine Physician
Low
28%
6pp vs Physical
Chiropractor
Low
16%
-6pp vs Physical
Rehabilitation Specialist
Low
24%
2pp vs Physical
Fitness Trainer
Low
32%
10pp vs Physical
Community pulse
Has AI already changed your work?
12,408 physical therapists responded in the last 30 days.
← Cast your vote to see the breakdown
Share your result

Made for LinkedIn-day-three conversations.

Preview
Physical Therapist
22%
AI-Exposed
78% remain human-critical
TASKEXPOSED.COM/JOBS/PHYSICAL-THERAPISTRESEARCH BRIEF · MAY 2026
Share
Your shareable result card
Auto-generated OG image, optimized for LinkedIn and X. Updates with the dataset.
TASKEXPOSED.COM/JOBS/PHYSICAL-THERAPIST
FAQ

Common questions about Physical Therapist AI exposure.

What is the AI exposure score for Physical Therapists?

Physical Therapists have an overall AI exposure score of 22%, meaning approximately 22% of their time-weighted tasks can be substantially assisted or substituted by current frontier AI models. This places the role in the "Low" exposure category.

Will AI replace Physical Therapists?

AI is unlikely to fully replace Physical Therapists in the near term. The 78% of tasks classified as Human-Critical — including Perform manual therapy and manipulation and Movement and gait assessment — remain strongly human-dependent. AI is more likely to augment the role, raising productivity and shifting focus toward higher-judgment work.

What tasks are most exposed to AI for Physical Therapists?

The most AI-exposed tasks for Physical Therapists include: . These have exposure scores of respectively.

What skills should Physical Therapists develop to stay resilient?

Physical Therapists should focus on developing skills in areas that AI struggles with: Perform manual therapy and manipulation, Movement and gait assessment, Exercise instruction and correction. Adjacent careers with lower exposure include Occupational Therapist and Sports Medicine Physician.