What is a physiatrist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

If people seek you out for advice or if you're a good listener, you may want to consider a career in psychology. Physiatrists are mental health professionals that observe, interpret and record human behavior. They study human behavior to understand human activities better.

If you decide on a psychology career, you can research and come up with new hypotheses and theories on human behavior. But suppose you're not interested in research work. In that case, you can work in a clinical or counseling setting and help people improve their quality of life by overcoming psychological and emotional issues.

If you're a physiatrist employed in industrial or organizational work, your earnings would be different than those in other fields. The average annual wage for these physiatrists is $109,030.

ScorePhysiatristUS Average
Salary
10.0

Avg. Salary $305,616

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
10.0

Growth Rate 7%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
1.7
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.16%

Asian 18.58%

Black or African American 5.11%

Hispanic or Latino 9.65%

Unknown 4.46%

White 62.03%

Gender

female 46.32%

male 53.68%

Age - 48
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 48
Stress Level
10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
9.9

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
5.1

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a physiatrist

  1. Explore physiatrist education requirements

    Most common physiatrist degrees

    Certificate

    25.0 %

    Bachelor's

    23.9 %

    Doctorate

    23.9 %
  2. Start to develop specific physiatrist skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Patients35.48%
    Rehabilitation34.18%
    Physical Medicine18.60%
    Patient Care7.32%
    Pain Management2.47%
  3. Complete relevant physiatrist training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New physiatrists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a physiatrist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real physiatrist resumes.
  4. Research physiatrist duties and responsibilities

    • Monitor and manage patient medical records in compliance with HIPPA.
    • Provide physical medicine and rehabilitation services under the direct supervision of orthopedic surgeons.
    • Work closely with CNO to improve morale of staff.
    • Evaluate complex test results to ensure patient diagnosis is comprehensive and accurate.
  5. Prepare your physiatrist resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your physiatrist resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a physiatrist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Physiatrist Resume templates

    Build a professional Physiatrist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Physiatrist resume.
    Physiatrist Resume
    Physiatrist Resume
    Physiatrist Resume
    Physiatrist Resume
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    Physiatrist Resume
    Physiatrist Resume
    Physiatrist Resume
    Physiatrist Resume
  6. Apply for physiatrist jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a physiatrist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Physiatrist Job

Zippi

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Average physiatrist salary

The average Physiatrist salary in the United States is $305,616 per year or $147 per hour. Physiatrist salaries range between $147,000 and $635,000 per year.

Average Physiatrist Salary
$305,616 Yearly
$146.93 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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