Remote physical therapy jobs
Remote physical therapy jobs may seem incompatible to the profession, but with a little ingenuity and proper planning, physical therapists are finding ways to leverage their skills in the virtual environment.
Summary
- Physical therapists can explore a variety of nontraditional roles such as telehealth providers, online coaches, ergonomic consultants, content writers, educators, and business consultants—each offering unique benefits and challenges.
- Most remote physical therapy jobs allow clinicians to work from home, set their own schedules, and reach clients across a broader geographic area, supporting work-life balance and autonomy. Using an EHR integrated with teletherapy like TheraPlatform can ensure remote connections are secure and HIPAA compliant.
- Some remote physical therapy jobs require additional training, marketing savvy, teletherapy training or business acumen. PTs should assess their transferable skills and be proactive in obtaining relevant certifications. PTs can enhance their knowledge of teletherapy by taking an online course.
- Success in remote physical therapy jobs involves strategic planning, networking with mentors, and clearly communicating how your clinical skills apply in new industries—especially to those outside of healthcare.
Streamline your practice with One EHR
- Scheduling
- Flexible notes
- Template library
- Billing & payments
- Insurance claims
- Client portal
- Telehealth
- E-fax
In this blog, we will outline opportunities for remote physical therapy jobs that align with the skills of physical therapists and some of the positives and challenges of each.
Remote physical therapy job opportunities
Telehealth and virtual rehabilitation provider
Many clients are turning to telehealth to access top-tier or specialist providers from the comfort of their own homes, offices, or wherever they want. Physical therapists looking for more flexibility and a lighter commute can find telerehabilitation jobs in many specialty areas.
Some private businesses specialize in telerehabilitation and advertise remote physical therapy job openings on popular sites like Indeed.com, while other companies have created fully immersive telerehabilitation platforms like Hinge Health.
Positives of being a telehealth and virtual rehabilitation therapist
- Flexibility to work from home
- Access to clients over a broader geographic area
- Interaction with new physical therapy technology and AI tools
Challenges of being a telehealth and virtual rehabilitation therapist
- Competition for some remote jobs is high
- Insurance reimbursement for telehealth can vary by plan
- Lack of social interactions and face-to-face mentorship with coworkers
Practice Management + EHR + Telehealth
Manage more in less time in your practice with TheraPlatform
Online coach
Physical therapists are making a name for themselves in the wellness space through online coaching. These services fall outside the scope of impairment-based physical therapy and instead focus on things like injury prevention, health and wellness promotion, and sports performance and are a great option for a remote physical therapy job.
Clients can take advantage of the expertise physical therapists bring to their niche and work with a professional who may be physically located anywhere in the world. Here is an example of PTs offering coaching (some in addition to traditional PT services)
Positives of being an online coach
- Flexibility to work from home
- Ability to set your own fee structure
- Opportunities to work with your area of interest
Challenges of being an online coach
- Marketing to grow your clientele
- May require special certifications
- Lack of employee-based health insurance or benefits
Free Resources for Therapists
Click below and help yourself to peer-created resources:
Remote ergonomic consultant
Ergonomics–the process of designing or arranging a workplace, its products, or systems to fit the users who engage with them to lessen the risk of workplace-related musculoskeletal disorders, provides another avenue for remote work for physical therapists. Ergonomics-specialist physical therapists undergo extra training to learn how to assess the products, systems and environment of a workplace and make recommendations for adjustments or modifications that maximize worker safety and efficiency.
Video conferencing and phone technology are used to perform these assessments from afar allowing physical therapists to reach clients across a larger geographic area, offering an alternative remote physical therapy job.
Positives of being an ergonomic consultant
- Access to employers in other states
- May have more flexibility to set your own hours
- Ergonomics certifications may improve her hireability
Challenges of being an ergonomic consultant
- Reliance on technology to gain a full picture of a workplace
- Cost of maintenance of professional certificates
- Time to build clientele if working on your own
PT content writer
Content writers in the physical therapy space use their expertise to disseminate knowledge on healthcare and rehabilitation topics. Healthcare, healthcare marketing or physical therapy clinics hire PT content writers to create unique blog content, email and website copy along with other projects like e-courses. Physical therapists with a niche or specialty interest can leverage their knowledge by creating content.
Positives of being a PT content writer
- Option to be self-employed
- Diversify into non-clinical roles
- Opportunities to work from anywhere
Challenges of being a PT content writer
- Must produce interesting and unique content
- Variability in client relationships or needs can create some instability in income
- Building a portfolio of work is important to create client trust and interest
Educator
Physical therapists with several years of experience may be interested in remote education opportunities. The growth in hybrid physical therapy programs allows therapists opportunities to act as adjuncts or full professors in a mostly virtual capacity. Though some courses require on-site lab participation, much of the work can be done from your home. These roles can be a great entry point into the world of education for any therapist who would like to get their foot in the door.
Positives of being an educator
- Access to employers in other states
- Opportunity to gain footing in the PT education space
- Diversify your skillset
Challenges of being an educator
- Lack of face-to-face interaction with coworkers or mentors
- Limited face-to-face interaction with students
- May need to travel out of state for on-site work obligation
PT consultant
A PT consultant uses their expertise in healthcare, wellness and physical therapy business practices to advise therapists and PT businesses on how to optimize their workflow, revenue, marketing or other aspects of business. These therapists usually have quite a bit of experience working in different roles within physical therapy and love the idea of sharing this expertise to help other PTs grow, thrive and succeed.
Positives of being a PT consultant
- Can provide a good work-life balance
- Full control over the structure of your work life
- Help others succeed using your earned experience
Challenges of being a PT consultant
- Running a solo business takes a lot of skill and work
- Past experience and success required to advise others
- Requires good business acumen
Practice Management + EHR + Telehealth
Manage more in less time in your practice with TheraPlatform
Getting started in remote physical therapy jobs
If you are interested in a remote physical therapy job, now is the time to start planning. Though we outlined six different ways that physical therapists can use their skills for remote work, more roles exist.
Below are three tips you can use to help you begin your journey to working as a remote physical therapist:
- Take some time to outline all of the skills you have as a physical therapist (we do much more than just treat patients) and consider how you would describe these in ways that align with the knowledge and understanding of professionals in your industry of interest. Remember, people outside physical therapy may need help to see how your skills can fit within a role outside of healthcare–they can though, so help them understand
- Familiarize yourself with the necessary certifications, training or even additional licenses required to work in a given role. Obtain these ahead of applying for remote jobs or marketing yourself to clients
- Look for mentors in your role of interest and ask for 10 minutes of their time to address a specific question or area of interest
Most importantly, come to the job interview process with enthusiasm. There have never been more opportunities for remote physical therapy jobs or for physical therapists to work in nontraditional roles and with some effort we can continue to show different industries the value we bring to the table.
Streamline your practice with One EHR
- Scheduling
- Flexible notes
- Template library
- Billing & payments
- Insurance claims
- Client portal
- Telehealth
- E-fax
Resources for physical therapists
TheraPlatform is an all-in-one EHR, practice management, and teletherapy software with AI-powered notes built for therapists to help them save time on admin tasks. It offers a 30-day risk-free trial with no credit card required and supports different industries and sizes of practices, including physical therapists in group and solo practices.
More resources
- Therapy resources and worksheets
- Therapy private practice courses
- Ultimate teletherapy ebook
- The Ultimate Insurance Billing Guide for Therapists
- The Ultimate Guide to Starting a Private Therapy Practice
- Insurance billing 101
- Practice management tools
Free video classes
- Free on-demand insurance billing for therapist course
- Free mini video lessons to enhance your private practice
- 9 Admin tasks to automate in your private practice
FAQs about remote physical therapy jobs
What types of remote jobs can physical therapists do?
Physical therapists can work remotely as telehealth providers, online coaches, ergonomic consultants, content writers, educators, and business consultants.
Do remote physical therapy jobs require additional training or certifications?
Some roles require telehealth training, ergonomic certifications, business skills, or marketing knowledge, depending on the position.
Are remote PT jobs HIPAA compliant?
Yes, when using secure teletherapy platforms and EHR systems like TheraPlatform that support encrypted, HIPAA-compliant communication.
