Physical Therapist Job Ads: What 119 Postings Really Require
We analyzed 119 real Physical Therapist job postings to see what employers actually ask for, rather than what job seekers assume. A Physical Therapist license shows up in 38.66% of ads, making it by far the single most common requirement. After that, the list fragments quickly: no other requirement appears in even half as many postings.
Based on 119 real Physical Therapist job postings
What the data reveals about the most-demanded requirements
Licensure dominates this field: a Physical Therapist license appears in 38.66% of ads, and variations like 'Physical Therapist (PT) license' (4.2%) and 'Physical Therapy license' (3.36%) suggest employers are describing the same core requirement in different phrasing. Below that, requirements split into scheduling flexibility (full-time availability at 9.24%, or full-time/part-time/PRN at 6.72%) and clinical setting experience (outpatient orthopedics at 8.4%, outpatient orthopedic physical therapy at 8.4%, home health at 4.2%, long-term care at 3.36%). Notably, only one soft skill, 'Patient care focus,' cracks the top list at 3.36%, meaning most ads are far more specific about credentials and setting than about personality traits.
Which gaps are easy to fix and which aren't
If you have outpatient orthopedics or home health experience but your CV buries it in a generic job description, that's a fast fix: name the setting explicitly, since ads clearly differentiate between outpatient orthopedic, home health, and long-term care work. The PT license itself is not something you can paper over: if a posting requires it and you don't hold it, no amount of CV editing will close that gap, so it's worth being upfront about license status (active, pending, or by endorsement) rather than leaving it ambiguous.
How to stand out for this role
Lead with your license status in unambiguous terms, since it's the single requirement nearly 4 in 10 employers name outright. Then spell out the specific care settings you've worked in (outpatient orthopedic, home health, long-term care) rather than a general 'clinical experience' line, since these settings each show up as distinct, separately-tracked requirements in real postings. If you're open to full-time, part-time, or PRN scheduling, say so directly: availability shows up as its own requirement category, not just a scheduling afterthought.
See how your CV stacks up
Run your CV against these real Physical Therapist requirements with Joballyzer's analyzer to see exactly which ones you already cover and which ones are worth adding.
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