Choosing between nursing vs. physical therapy depends on your interests and career goals. Through these careers, you can contribute to people's lives, but the patients you see and type of work you do differ. Nurses care for patients at the bedside, while PTs help patients regain strength and mobility.
If you’re interested in pursuing a career in healthcare, there are countless options to choose from. In this post, we’ll compare registered nursing vs. physical therapy. Why? U.S. News & World Report ranked these occupations among the top 10 best healthcare jobs for 2022, with nurses at No. 5 and physical therapists at No. 10. Let’s see if one of these direct patient care professions is for you.
Northeastern University’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program is committed to helping students achieve their goals of earning a BSN in as few as 16 months. First, though, it’s key to have a clear vision of which career path is best for you.
We’ll show you the differences between nursing vs. physical therapy so you can help make the decision about what your future holds.
What Does a Registered Nurse Do?
Generally speaking, registered nurses are part of a highly diverse profession that applies competence and compassion when caring for individuals across the lifespan. They balance knowledge and expertise with care and compassion when tending to diverse patient populations in a variety of settings.
Nurses work in conjunction with doctors and other healthcare professionals to coordinate, plan, and deliver treatment to patients suffering from any number of medical conditions. They often work in settings such as hospitals, clinics, military bases, private practices, and schools.
Nurses care for various patients depending on their specialty. For example, they care for patients recovering from surgery or with chronic illness. They also care for pregnant patients during birth, children with broken bones, and much more.
What Does a Physical Therapist Do?
Physical therapists work with patients of all ages who have or may develop physical impairments, activity limitations, or participation restrictions due to a disease, disorder, or injury. They provide therapy for injured athletes, stroke patients, and elderly people with mobility issues. They also work with those who have chronic pain caused by an injury or healthcare issue.
Physical therapists can work in a variety of settings, such as private practices, athletic facilities, hospitals, and schools. By providing rehabilitation, performance enhancement, and prevention services, physical therapists help individuals achieve the best possible quality of life as it relates to body movement and health.
Career Comparison Chart
| REGISTERED NURSE (RN) | PHYSICAL THERAPIST (PT) | |
|---|---|---|
| FUNCTION | Working as part of an interprofessional healthcare team, RNs monitor patient conditions, perform medical procedures, and dispense medication. | PTs diagnose movement restrictions in patients and create personalized wellness plans to enhance the physical and functional abilities of these individuals. |
| REGISTERED NURSE (RN) | PHYSICAL THERAPIST (PT) | |
|---|---|---|
| WAGES (Mass.) | Annual mean wage of $96,630* | Annual mean wage of $91,840* |
| WAGES (N.C.) | Annual mean wage of $71,200* | Annual mean wage of $85,750* |
*Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of May 2021
| REGISTERED NURSE (RN) | PHYSICAL THERAPIST (PT) | |
|---|---|---|
| GROWTH (Mass.) | Between 2018 and 2028, RN jobs in Massachusetts are expected to grow by 8%. | Between 2018 and 2028, PT jobs in Massachusetts are expected to grow by 10%. |
| GROWTH (N.C.) | Between 2018 and 2028, RN jobs in North Carolina are expected to grow by 11%. | Between 2018 and 2028, PT jobs in North Carolina are expected to grow by 15%. |
Nursing Education and Licensure
To become a registered nurse and enter the profession at the entry-level, you need to have, at the very minimum, an associate degree in nursing from an accredited program, along with a passing score on the NCLEX-RN® exam.
However, there’s been an industry shift where more and more healthcare employers are requiring their new nurse hires to have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.
How long does it take to earn a BSN degree? See how Northeastern's accelerated nursing program can get you there in as few as 16 months.
In 2021, an American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) survey on the Employment of New Nurse Graduates showed that 40.6% of employers require new hires to have a BSN while 77.4% strongly prefer BSN-prepared nurses.
But no matter the level of nursing degree you have, you must pass the NCLEX-RN and become licensed in the state for which you plan to practice.
Physical Therapy Education and Licensure
To become a physical therapist and enter the profession at the entry-level, you need to have a doctorate in physical therapy from an accredited program and pass a state licensure exam.
According to the American Physical Therapy Association, the Master of Physical Therapy and Master of Science in Physical Therapy degrees are no longer offered to any new students in the United States.
Pros and Cons Comparison Between RN and PT
There are advantages and challenges with careers in both nursing and physical therapy. A couple advantages both careers possess are the ability to help others, a high level of job security, and the ability to work in diverse settings. A few challenges shared between the two careers include physically demanding work and the management of difficult patients. Another shared challenge is the high tuition costs of both BSN and PT programs.
Now we’ll compare a few other factors to consider with registered nurses and physical therapists.
| REGISTERED NURSE (RN) | PHYSICAL THERAPIST (PT) | |
|---|---|---|
| Salary | Average $77,600 yearly in the U.S. (BLS) | Average $95,620 yearly in the U.S. (BLS) |
| Autonomy | Work within a larger healthcare team | High autonomy and ability to start a private practice |
| Specialty Options | High career mobility (90+ specialty areas) | Fewer options for specialties |
| Exposures | Exposure to germs and bodily fluids | Fewer environmental exposures |
| Education | Ability to earn a BSN in 16 months | DPT programs take about 3 years |
| Work Stress | Emotionally demanding health situations | Discouraging when patients don’t progress |
| Charting | Continuous charting in the electronic medical record | Lots of paperwork and patient progress notes |
*If you have a non-nursing bachelor’s degree or at least 60 non-nursing college credits and a 3.0 GPA, our ABSN program makes it possible to earn a quality BSN in as few as 16 months.
Bottom Line
When you compare registered nursing vs. physical therapy, it’s obvious you’ll have a great healthcare career no matter which occupation you choose. Both are rewarding from a personal and financial standpoint. Plus, the increased demand for healthcare services in this country means there’s going to be a lot of job security in these professions for years to come.
Physical therapists may earn higher salaries, but they spend more time in school than registered nurses. Registered nurses can also go back to school at any time to pursue an advanced practice role that yields higher pay. Nurse practitioners, for example, are among the highest-paid professionals in nursing. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of May 2021 nurse practitioners earn a median annual salary of $129,540 in Massachusetts and $112,730 in North Carolina.
So, it’s really up to you to decide which of these professions is best for you. If you’re leaning toward nursing, be sure to contact our admission team to see how Northeastern University’s Accelerated BSN program near Boston, Massachusetts, or in Charlotte, North Carolina, can help you make a 16-month transition into nursing possible.
