Occupational Therapy vs. Physical Therapy: What to Know

Published on: February 12, 2025

A nurse helps a patient stretch their arm.

People often compare occupational therapy vs. physical therapy when deciding what kind of care they need or which career path to pursue. The professions frequently work with the same patients and may be involved at overlapping points in recovery, but their goals and approaches differ. Understanding those distinctions can make it easier to choose the right type of care or determine which profession better matches your interests.

Get Your Occupational Therapy Degree

What Is the Difference Between Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy?

Occupational therapy helps people build or regain the skills needed for daily life, from getting dressed to returning to a classroom or a job. Physical therapy focuses on restoring movement, strength and function after an injury, surgery or illness. The table below breaks down the difference between occupational therapy and physical therapy across the categories people ask about most.

Primary focus: Occupational therapy centers on independence in daily activities. Physical therapy centers on movement, strength and pain.
Common areas of focus: OTs work on fine motor skills, cognition, sensory processing and daily living tasks. PTs work on musculoskeletal injuries, mobility limits and chronic pain.
Typical settings: Both practice in hospitals and outpatient clinics. OTs are also found in schools and home health, while PTs also work in sports facilities and home health.
Degree required: Occupational therapy requires a master's or doctoral degree in the field. Physical therapy requires a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT).
Licensing exam: OT candidates sit for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) exam. PT candidates sit for the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE).

What Is Occupational Therapy?

At the center of occupational therapy is participation in meaningful daily activities, often called occupations. These can include bathing, cooking, handwriting, driving, working and playing. Despite the name, the profession is not limited to helping people return to work. According to the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), occupational therapists support people across the lifespan as they develop, regain or adapt the skills needed to participate more independently in daily life.

What Is Physical Therapy?

Physical therapy focuses on movement and physical function, including strength, flexibility, balance and mobility. Physical therapists evaluate movement limitations and develop treatment plans designed to improve or restore function. The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) describes physical therapists as movement experts who work with people across a range of conditions and settings.

Key Differences Between Occupational Therapists and Physical Therapists

Consider someone recovering from a stroke. An occupational therapist and a physical therapist may both contribute to the care plan, but they approach recovery from different angles. Following that example through the sections below helps show how their goals, methods and areas of focus can differ in practice.

Treatment Goals

For the physical therapist, treatment may focus on rebuilding the strength, balance and mobility needed to walk safely. The occupational therapist may work toward a different goal: helping the same person regain enough fine motor control, coordination or sequencing to get dressed, prepare a meal or complete other daily activities more independently.

Therapeutic Approaches

Occupational therapy may incorporate adaptive techniques, assistive devices and changes to the environment. Depending on the person's needs, that could mean using a reacher, modifying a commonly used object or finding a different way to complete the steps of getting dressed. Physical therapy more often emphasizes approaches such as therapeutic exercise, gait training and other interventions aimed at improving strength, range of motion and movement.

Patient Populations

Both professions work with people across the lifespan, but the reasons for treatment can differ. Physical therapists commonly support patients recovering from orthopedic injuries, surgery or neurological conditions, as well as people managing mobility limitations. Occupational therapists may address many of those same conditions while also working with developmental, cognitive, sensory and mental health needs that affect daily participation. As a result, both professions can serve broad and sometimes overlapping patient populations.

Where Each Profession Works

Hospitals, home health services and outpatient clinics employ both occupational therapists and physical therapists, which helps explain why the professions are sometimes confused. Occupational therapists also commonly work in schools, mental health settings and long-term care environments, where treatment may focus on functioning within a particular setting. Physical therapists may work in sports medicine and specialized orthopedic or neurological clinics, with greater emphasis on movement and physical function. Even when the setting overlaps, the goals guiding treatment can remain distinct.

How Occupational Therapists and Physical Therapists Work Together

Occupational therapists and physical therapists often work as part of the same rehabilitation team. After hip replacement surgery, for example, a physical therapist may help a patient rebuild the strength and range of motion needed to walk, climb stairs and move safely. An occupational therapist may focus on how that recovery translates into daily life, such as getting in and out of the shower, dressing or completing household tasks. By coordinating their goals and sharing information about a patient's progress, the two professionals can address different parts of the same recovery process.

Common Misconceptions About Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy

A few myths about occupational therapists and physical therapists come up often enough to be worth correcting directly.

Occupational therapy and physical therapy are not two names for the same service. The professions overlap in some settings and patient populations, but their treatment goals and approaches differ.
Occupational therapy is not limited to helping people return to work. In this context, an occupation can be any meaningful daily activity, including self-care, school, work or leisure.
Occupational therapy is not limited to fine motor skills, just as physical therapy is not limited to strength. Both professions can address a broader range of physical and functional needs, while occupational therapy may also address cognitive and sensory factors that affect daily participation.
Therapy is not only for people recovering from injuries or for older adults. Both professions work with patients across the lifespan, including children with developmental needs and adults managing chronic conditions.

Education and Licensure: Two Different Paths

The education and licensure paths also differ. Each profession requires graduate-level preparation through an appropriately accredited program, along with clinical or fieldwork experiences. Graduates also complete a national examination as part of the licensure process, with specific requirements varying by jurisdiction.

Becoming an Occupational Therapist

To become an occupational therapist, students complete an entry-level master's or doctoral degree through a program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). The curriculum includes supervised fieldwork that allows students to apply what they have learned in practice settings. After graduation, candidates take the NBCOT examination. All states require occupational therapists to be licensed, with specific requirements determined by each jurisdiction.

Becoming a Physical Therapist

Becoming a physical therapist requires a DPT degree from a program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). Clinical education is built into the program, giving students supervised experience before graduation. Graduates then take the NPTE as part of the state licensure process. As with occupational therapy, specific licensure requirements are set by each jurisdiction.

Which Career Is Right for You?

When comparing these careers, consider the type of work you want to do rather than relying on a simple list of personality traits. Physical therapy may be a stronger fit for someone drawn to movement, strength and physical recovery, while occupational therapy may appeal to someone interested in helping people participate more fully in the practical activities of everyday life. Observing professionals in both fields can provide additional perspective before committing to a graduate program. Reviewing the occupational therapist job outlook can also help put one of these career paths in a broader employment context.

Start Your Occupational Therapy Career at Husson

If occupational therapy aligns with your goals, Husson University's Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) offers an accredited path into the profession. The program combines occupational therapy coursework with supervised fieldwork and prepares graduates to take the NBCOT examination. Explore the program page to learn more about admission requirements, curriculum and the path toward professional practice.