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Pathway finder / Physiotherapists / USA

Physiotherapists · USA · checked 19 October 2026

Work as a physiotherapist in the USA

In the USA the profession is called physical therapist. Each state licenses its own PTs; foreign-educated applicants first prove that their degree is substantially equivalent to a US first professional degree, then pass the national exam (NPTE).

  • 4 steps
  • From $485 in official fees
  • Every fee linked to its source
Illustration: USA at dusk with a route leading to a hospital
YOU 1234 US
Your degreeLicence in the USA
Official fees
$485plus 3 that vary
Steps
4from degree to licence
Language
English: usually TOEFL iBT, as required by the evaluating agency and state
Planning time
About 1–2 years
Our estimate, not official

Where did you qualify?

Outside the EU and English-speaking countriesEU, EEA or SwitzerlandUK, Ireland, USA, Canada, Australia or New Zealand

This is your route.

Step by step

Each fee links to the page we took it from.

  1. 1

    Credentials evaluation

    set by the agency

    Through an agency your state accepts, such as FCCPT, TruMerit or IERF. Source

  2. 2

    Apply to a state board

    set by each state

    The board confirms you may sit the NPTE.

  3. 3

    Pass the NPTE

    $485

    US$485 plus a 1.6 % processing fee; Prometric test-centre fees are extra. Source

  4. 4

    Get your state licence

    set by each state

    Some states add a jurisprudence exam or supervised clinical practice.

Not included: courses, translations, travel, visas and living costs.

Stories from people who took this route

No story here yet. Took this route yourself? Share your story – it helps the next person more than any brochure.

Choose where to live

Compare the USA's 51 states side by side: immigrant population, people from your country, recorded crime and, where official data exists, hate crime. Official figures only, no scores.

Compare regions of the USA →

Settling in the USA

Renting a home, using your driving licence and the paperwork of your first months – three short guides, every rule linked to the official page.

Renting a home →Driving licence →Everyday life →

Agencies that help with this route

No agency listed for this route yet.

Recruiter, school or consultant for physiotherapists in the USA? List your agency.

Sources

  1. FSBPT: exam registration and payment
  2. FSBPT: state licensure and NPTE information for foreign-educated PTs

Last checked 19 October 2026. Fees and rules change – always confirm with the regulator before you pay. PassPeers is independent and not affiliated with any regulator or exam provider.

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