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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

Same route for EU degrees.

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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