Audiologists vs Physical Therapist: $96K vs $103K Median Pay

Audiologists vs Physical Therapist: what changes?

Consider Audiologists if you want to assess and treat persons with hearing and related disorders. Consider Physical Therapist if you would rather assess, plan, organize, and participate in rehabilitative programs that improve mobility, relieve pain, increase strength, and improve or correct disabling conditions resulting from disease or injury. Both list doctoral or professional degree; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Audiologists and Physical Therapist. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Audiologists

National median pay (2025): $95,780
Route into the job: Doctoral or professional degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Maintain patient records at all stages, including initial and subsequent evaluation and treatment activities.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 600

Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (14,200 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Audiologists brief

Physical Therapist

National median pay (2025): $102,760
Route into the job: Doctoral or professional degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Plan, prepare, or carry out individually designed programs of physical treatment to maintain, improve, or restore physical functioning, alleviate pain, or prevent physical dysfunction in patients.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 13,400

Know before you choose

The work routinely happens in close physical proximity to other people; personal space is limited.

See the full Physical Therapist brief

How the national numbers differ

Physical Therapist has the edge on annual openings

Physical Therapist is at 13,400 annual openings, compared with 600 annual openings for Audiologists.

Physical Therapist has the edge on median pay

Physical Therapist is at $102,760, compared with $95,780 for Audiologists.

Physical Therapist has the edge on projected growth

Physical Therapist is at 11.9% projected growth, compared with 11% projected growth for Audiologists.

51.7/ 100

Audiologists

71.5/ 100

Physical Therapist

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence