Physical Therapy vs. Personal Training

[busupshot83]

I currently hold a bachelor's degree, and am in the process of applying to physical therapy schools to attain a Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree. However, my passion is fitness, not necessarily rehab. I am trying to decide on whether to complete the DPT degree, or obtain a personal trainer certification (NSCA, NASM, etc.) and begin working as a trainer.

Here is what I've assessed thus far:

PHYSICAL THERAPY
Pros:
+ Job stability (due to aging population)
+ High salary ($70,000 median)

Cons:
- Expensive tuition (typically $90,000 in debt)
- Long schooling (3 years)

PERSONAL TRAINING
Pros:
+ Cheaper than DPT school
+ Shorter schooling (6-9 months)

Cons:
- Job stability (There are so many trainers out there... I've read that many trainers work part-time and have trouble retaining clients.)

Both careers deal with fitness, but physical therapy seems more stable when you first start out. Is it possible to do physical therapy and personal training? Or should I just focus on one? Any input from practicing professionals would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

[CypKitty]

I am studying PT at the moment and I work in childcare. I love children but also love fitness. However PT doesn't look like a stable job. If you are financially able to, do PT because later on it apparently picks up

 

[FunctionalTrain]

It is very easy to do both, even though the two are completely different. PT goes beyond the fitness realm as it's more specific to healthcare. Yes, PTs spend a great deal of rehab doing therapeutic exercises, however when doing preventative or maintenence programs, they are not billable to insurance companies; so a lot of PTs stay away from this.

I'm going for my PT license and I currently hold the CSCS credential, and I plan on doing both rehabilitative work, as well as strength and conditioning. I would recommend looking into PT a little bit more to get a better idea on what their job description are, because there dozens of realms within PT.