Physiotherapist

Kairomiromi

Physiotherapists help people regain movement and function after they have been affected by an injury, disability or health condition. They also give advice on how to prevent injuries.

Pay

Physiotherapists usually earn

$64K-$99K per year

Physiotherapists can earn

$48K-$119K per year

Source: TEC research

Job opportunities

Chances of getting a job as a physiotherapist are good due to a shortage of workers.

Length of training

4 years of training required.

About the job

Pay

Pay for physiotherapists varies depending on experience and responsibilities.

Physiotherapists usually earn $64,000 to $99,000 a year.
Physiotherapists can earn $48,000 to $119,000.

Pay for physiotherapists working in private practice depends on their experience and the success of their business.

Source: TEC research.

PAYE.net.nz website - use this calculator to convert pay and salary information

(This information is a guide only. Find out more about the sources of our pay information)

What you will do

Physiotherapists may do some or all of the following:

assess and diagnose patients' injuries or functional problems, and decide on treatment
use a range of treatments to reduce pain and improve movement
plan exercises for patients to improve their strength and fitness
keep records of patients' progress
educate people on how to prevent further injury
help rehabilitate people who have suffered from strokes or accidents
educate caregivers and family about the patient's physiotherapy programme.

Skills and knowledge

Physiotherapists need to have:

knowledge of physiotherapy methods and equipment
knowledge of the biomedical sciences, including anatomy, physiology and pathology
understanding of movement, injuries and disabilities, and the ageing process
skill in performing exercises and techniques that increase movement and flexibility, and reduce pain
general knowledge of any medical conditions that may affect the treatment given.

Working conditions

Physiotherapists:

usually work regular business hours but may also work weekends and be on call
work at various locations such as private and public practices, hospitals, sports training grounds, rehabilitation centres, community centres, and in patients' homes.

What's the job really like?

Laura Haime

Physiotherapist

Making a difference

"Physiotherapy is a rewarding career where you can help people get their mobility and independence back," says Laura Haime.

"I’d wanted to be a doctor but when having physio for my back injury I got interested in physiotherapy. I realised I could still make a difference in someone’s life and have better work-life balance."

Building knowledge with a broad range of physiotherapy

After graduation, Laura worked in a private clinic treating patients with musculoskeletal (bone and tissue) and spinal injuries.

She then moved to APM – a company offering a variety of services. "I see patients with concussion, do sports physio for the New Zealand wheelchair rugby team, and take group exercise classes for people with neurological disorders like autism.

"If you can get experience in the types of physio that interest you, it gives you a good foundation."

Communication and problem solving essential

Laura says you often have to look beyond a person's injury to help with their recovery. "It could mean asking questions about their life, such as whether they need assistance at home.

"It can also be challenging getting some patients to do their exercises, so there's a lot of problem solving.

"My goal is to have my own business, so with my colleagues' guidance I’m getting as much experience and knowledge as I can."

Senior Physiotherapist video

Aroha Montgomery talks about life as a senior physiotherapist – 2.01 mins.

View transcript

My name is Aroha Montgomery,
and I'm a senior physiotherapist at a private clinic in Auckland.
A day in the life of my job looks different depending on the day.
There's the patient side of things,
when we are in the clinic or in the gym and the admin side of doing
the actual paperwork. We change the towels in between each patient.
There's a lot of washing to do.
My favourite thing in my job is being able to understand how that injury is
limiting that person and what they would like to be able to get back to that
they're not currently doing now, and then seeing them get back to doing that.
And sometimes even setting goals higher than what they thought.
It looks like a mess and then it'll all come right.
So the base here of physio is usually 1 year,
and then the degree itself is another 3 years.
How fast you progress depends on how much you put into it.
I sort of liked being in the clinic,
so I started doing this and then just played sport myself on the side.
The hard parts of my job,
you're taking on the things that are contributing to the injury.
Sometimes that can be quite hard going.
It's not uncommon with healthcare professionals to kind of get compassion fatigue.
So you have to look after yourself and make sure that you have your own hobbies
and interests in things you do that you enjoy outside of work. So this is an
example of what your spine looks like without all of the muscles and stuff
attached on top of it.
And probably one of the things I wish people knew about physio is that we can't
magic your pain away,
but your nerve endings and things like this that come out of the side are the
ones that are responsible for giving you pain signals.
And so a lot of our job is just about to educate why these signals are being
sent. It's not a great way of life for someone to sustain a knee injury and they
never get back to running.
You want them to be able to do what they were able to do beforehand.
And that's part of our job is to educate people on,
maybe that's not possible now, but if you work through these steps,
you can get to that.

How to enter the job

Entry requirements

You need a qualification to become a physiotherapist.

You need:

a Bachelor of Physiotherapy OR a Bachelor of Health Science (Physiotherapy)
an Annual Practising Certificate
to pass a police check.

You may need:

a Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours)
a Bachelor of Health Science (Physiotherapy) (Honours)
a Master of Physiotherapy Practice.

The Vulnerable Children Act 2014 means that if you have certain serious convictions, you can’t be employed in a role where you are responsible for, or work alone with, children.

Ministry of Justice website - information on Vulnerable Children Act requirements

Secondary education

You need University Entrance to do the study or training for this job. Useful subjects include physical education, health, biology, chemistry, physics and maths.

Additional requirements for specialist roles:

To specialise in a particular area of physiotherapy, such as working with older adults, you need to complete a:

portfolio assessment
practical clinical assessment
panel review with The New Zealand Physiotherapy Board.

Personal requirements

Physiotherapists need to be:

supportive and positive
able to gain people's trust
able to work well in a team
good listeners and communicators
able to relate to people from a range of cultures and backgrounds
good at planning and organising.

The main thing you need as a physio is communication. Good physios can relate to people from all walks of life.

Laura Haime

Physiotherapist

Useful experience

Useful experience for physiotherapists includes:

work as a nurse aide or physiotherapy assistant
occupational health nursing
counselling
work as a personal trainer
other work in the health sector.

Physical requirements

Physiotherapists need to be reasonably fit and healthy as they treat injuries and diseases using physical methods such as massage, movement and exercise.

Registration

Physiotherapists need to be registered with the New Zealand Physiotherapy Board and have a current Annual Practising Certificate.

Physiotherapy Board of New Zealand website - information about registration

Find out more about training

Physiotherapy New Zealand: (04) 801 6500 - pnz@physiotherapy.org.nz - www.physiotherapy.org.nz

Check out related courses

Job opportunities

What are the chances of getting a job?

Shortage of physiotherapists

Physiotherapists are in demand to treat a growing and ageing population.

As a result, physiotherapist appears on Immigration New Zealand's long-term skill shortage list. This means the government is actively encouraging skilled physiotherapists from overseas to work in New Zealand.

According to the Census, 4,482 physiotherapists worked in New Zealand in 2018.

Demand for physiotherapists across a range of areas

Many graduates find work in clinics specialising in sports and musculoskeletal injuries (which relate to bones and tissues such as muscles and tendons).

However, demand is also high for physiotherapists to treat patients with other health conditions such as cardiovascular (heart) and neurological (nervous system) conditions. Graduates who want to gain skills in treating these conditions should look for work in hospitals, or private businesses that offer a wide range of opportunities in community rehabilitation.