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That breadth is also why social media has become such a useful classroom for the field. A growing group of PTs are sharing what the job actually looks like: new research, treatment techniques, and career advice, along with the business side of practice. Some have built audiences in the hundreds of thousands, and others focus on a single specialty and go deep.
>> See Travel PT Jobs Paying Up to $4,000/Week!
Whether you’re a student weighing your options, a new grad exploring specialties, or an experienced clinician looking for fresh ideas, these creators offer free continuing education and a window into settings you may not have worked in. Here is some more information on the field of PT, what you can expect to make as a travel vs. staff PT, and some of the top physical therapists to follow right now.
Physical Therapists to Follow on Social Media
Physical therapy is one of the few healthcare fields where some of the best continuing education happens in your feed. The creators below range from Boston-area sports rehab clinicians to pelvic health specialists and neuro rehab educators.
They break down new research, show how they progress patients, explain how to build a cash-pay practice, and give a day-in-the-life view of settings you may not have worked in yet. Whether you’re a new grad weighing specialties, a travel PT sizing up your next contract, or a veteran looking for fresh techniques, finding the right physical therapists to follow is a free way to learn and to see where the profession is heading.
Dr. Tom Walters, DPT, OCS (@rehabscience)
Follow him for: Pain psychology + rehab
As an orthopedic assistant and former kinesiology professor, Dr. Tom Walters, DPT, OCS of @rehabscience focuses on pain relief for both his patients and the public who follow him on social media. He explains the ‘why’ behind pain and injuries and sets out to fix pain, whenever possible, from the root cause.
He is a proponent of using strength-building exercises to relieve pain, as well as other applications, such as massage to promote recovery and healing. Dr. Walters also delves into some of the psychological, mental, and emotional aspects of pain and how understanding how pain is experienced in the body can promote healing—and help people later in life who may feel limited by previous injuries.
Cristian and Mikayli Kanae (@traveltherapycouple)
Follow them for: Travel PT inspo
Husband and wife Cristian and Mikayli Kanae travel full-time in their respective PT and OT careers, so their account is a refreshing blend of education and travel inspo as they share their travels around the world. The duo gives insight into what life is like going through PT school, entering the field, and, of course, working as a travel PT.
Yonas Teste (@traveltherapywithyonas)
Follow him for: Travel PT + finances
Yonas Teste, PT, provides a refreshing and honest take on life as a traveling PT with frank talk about the financial aspect of PT. He is very open with his own story of coming to the U.S. as an immigrant, working several jobs to pay for school, pay scales and tips for new PTs, and his own financial journey. He even discusses the considerations to make about paying off debt vs. keeping “good” debt.
Margie Nguyen (@margie.pta)
Follow her for: PTA content
Physical therapy assistant Margie Nguyen combines educational content in the physical therapy world with content creation from her everyday life. She specializes in pelvic floor health and women’s health issues, such as postpartum, with tips and tricks for moves that can protect and strengthen the pelvic floor—and encouragement for women that it’s never too late to visit PT for your pelvic floor health.
Mike Reinold (@mikereinold)
Follow him for: Educational content + social media growth mentoring
Mike Reinold, DPT, ATC, CSCS, is the former head athletic trainer and physical therapist for the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox. He now runs Champion Physical Therapy and Performance in the Boston area. His social media focuses heavily on educational content around PT, but he also has a second area of focus: providing tips to aspiring PT influencers on social. For instance, he gives advice and mentorship on how to grow a following as a PT influencer.
Lenny Macrina (@lenmacpt)
Follow him for: Post-surgical rehab + cash clinic tips
Co-founder and Director of Physical Therapy at Champion Physical Therapy and Performance, Lenny Macrina, MSPT, CSCS has been practicing since 2003 and is a board-certified sports physical therapist and CSCS. He’s published widely in JOSPT, AJSM, and Sports Health, and co-hosts “The Ask Mike Reinold Show” podcast. His content covers shoulder and knee rehab, ACL return-to-sport protocols, and the business side of running a cash-pay clinic.
Dr. Dan Ginader (@dr.dan_dpt)
Follow him for: All things PT, hypermobility, and pain
@dr.dan_dpt Give this a try and see how you do!! #physicaltherapy
Clinic director at Mims Method Physical Therapy in New York City, Dr. Dan Ginader, DPT, specializes in sports and dance physical therapy after earning his DPT at the University at Buffalo. He’s built one of the largest patient-facing followings in the field on TikTok (he calls himself the “original PT on TikTok”) and Instagram, breaking down common issues like hyperextended knees in short, accessible videos, and has extended his teaching into a book, The Pain Free Body, as well as the MoveWell app. He also speaks about hypermobility, a popular topic on social media, and how that applies to functional fitness.
Dr. Erson Religioso III (@modernmanualtherapy)
Follow him for: Advanced PT techniques + cash practice tips
Owner of EDGE Mobility System and EDGE Rehab and Sport Science in the Buffalo, NY area, Dr. Erson Religioso III, DPT, FAAOMPT “Dr. E” is a fellowship-trained manual therapist and the founder of Modern Manual Therapy, where he posts near-daily on research, pain science, and case reviews. He’s also part of UpDoc Media, producing the podcasts Therapy Insiders and Untold Physio Stories, and curates and recommends physio products for his audience.
Kelly Starrett (@thereadystate)
Follow him for: Mobility + movement quality for athletes
A physical therapist, CrossFit trainer, and New York Times bestselling author of “Becoming a Supple Leopard,” Kelly Starrett, DPT is likely the most mainstream-famous name on this list, having built a following well beyond the clinical PT world around mobility, movement quality, and injury prevention for athletes. He also discusses common-sense activity and functional fitness for everyone, not just athletes, so his advice is practical for all.
Dr. Gaby Go (@dr.gabygo)
Follow her for: Running injury prevention + rehab
Specializing entirely in running injury prevention and rehab, Dr. Gaby Go, DPT, has built a niche but highly engaged following among runners looking for evidence-based injury advice. She suffered injuries herself during her college years that prevented her from moving as she loved, so she went to DPT school to not only rehab herself, but teach others how to prevent injuries from keeping them from staying active.
Teddy Willsey (@strengthcoachtherapy)
Follow him for: Strength-coach approach to rehab
Dr. Teddy Willsey, DPT brings a strength-coach lens to sports rehab, explaining recovery and return-to-play through the language of strength and conditioning rather than traditional clinical framing, an approach that’s grown his account past 500,000 followers. He also posts some “controversial” takes that are worth a second look, like his proclamation that core strength isn’t necessarily linked to lower back pain and that stretching won’t actually prevent injuries. (Really!)
Kevin Wilk (@wilk_kevin)
Follow him for: Sports rehab research + free webinars
A Fellow of the APTA and co-founder of Champion Sports Medicine, Kevin Wilk, DPT, FAPTA, leads rehabilitation research at the American Sports Medicine Institute. He supplements his posts with recurring free webinars through Northeast Seminars, giving clinicians deeper study time than a typical post allows. His posts are highly informative and often humorous, like the time he rehabbed a 6’11” player!
Nicole Cozean, PT, DPT, WCS (@nicolecozeandpt)
Follow her for: Pelvic health education
A board-certified pelvic health specialist and founder of PelvicSanity, Nicole Cozean, PT, DPT, WCS, has built one of the most recognized platforms in pelvic PT, covering pelvic floor dysfunction, pelvic pain, recurring UTIs, and pre/post-pregnancy issues. She also hosts The Pelvic PT Rising podcast aimed at helping other pelvic PTs grow their own practices.
Gretchen Hawley (@doctor.gretchen)
Follow her for: MS-specific neuro rehab
Gretchen Hawley, DPT, focuses almost exclusively on physical therapy for multiple sclerosis. Her content translates neuro-rehab research into exercises and strategies tailored to an MS-specific audience. She has worked with clients in over 38 countries and is your go-to resource for MS strength-based work.
Stacie Barber, PT (@docstacie)
Follow her for: Stroke recovery documentation
Stacie Barber, PT, documents stroke recovery through structured, progressive exercise content, giving both stroke survivors and clinicians a window into long-term neuro rehab that goes beyond the acute recovery phase most content covers.
Emily Heisey, PT, DPT (@kinactive_kids)
Follow her for: Pediatric mobility work
Co-leader of KinActive Kids, which promotes healthy kinetic development for kids, Heisey shares content focused on helping children build mobility and strength. Her content is bright and colorful and offers practical tips for parents interested in their children’s development, as well as great inspiration for any current or aspiring PTs interested in the pediatric space. Her realistic approach is especially helpful to pediatric PTs who may be wondering why their client work is not all fun and games—she’s honest about the reality of working with children and how intense it can be, even with very young patients. PT is hard work!
Dr. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (@thepelvicdancefloor)
Follow her for: Pelvic health education
@thepelvicdancefloor #stitch with @Possumbaby
A physical therapist who focuses on pelvic health, Dr. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas has built a TikTok following of about 1 million. Her videos give plain-language expert advice on improving pelvic health, and she often uses the stitch feature to respond to other creators and patient questions. That format helps her reach people who would never search for a pelvic floor PT.
Mike Salame, PT (@physio_mike)
Follow him for: Patient education + mobility tips
@physio_mike An often overlooked and VERY important component of physiotherapy is educating your patient about the nature of their injuries, their prognosis, and a plan moving forward. This is a detail I make sure to spend time on with every new assessment. #physicaltherapy #physiomike #assessment #dayinmylife
Known online as “Physio Mike,” Salame runs his own practice, Movenetics, and has roughly 273,000 TikTok followers. He posts about mobility and gives a look inside how a PT thinks. One video argues that explaining an injury, prognosis, and plan to the patient is an overlooked part of good physiotherapy. He also posts simple and practical exercises, like a hip stretch, that should be done by nearly everyone.
Physical Therapist Role Overview & Pay Details
Physical therapists treat movement problems caused by injuries, health conditions, and disabilities. That means evaluating patients, designing exercise and hands-on treatment plans, and guiding recovery. The role requires a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree, a passing score on the National Physical Therapy Examination, and a state license.
Like other healthcare professions, DPTs can earn different amounts, depending on if they take a staff role, own their own business, or work as a travel PT.
How Much Can Staff and Traveling Physical Therapists Make?
Based on active listings on Vivian Health, you can expect to see:
- Travel PTs average $2,269 per week, about 5% above the therapy average of $2,145 per week.
- Staff PTs average about $52 per hour, according to Vivian’s job data.
- Per diem PTs average about $56 to $58 per hour, with top listings reaching $75 to $76 per hour.
- Local contract PTs average about $51 per hour, with top listings reaching $98 per hour.
Travel roles pay more because facilities offer a premium to fill short-term staffing gaps. Assuming a standard 40-hour week, a $52 hourly staff wage works out to roughly $2,080 per week, so travel pays about 9% more on average. Pay varies a lot by location.
Where PTs get paid the most in travel roles:
- Alaska: $2,666 per week on average
- Nebraska: $2,564
- Idaho: $2,556
- Montana: $2,550
- Vermont: $2,499
- California: $2,498 on average, with the highest ceiling. The top listing reaches $4,830 per week.
Among cities, Santa Ana, California leads at an average of $3,444 per week, followed by Quincy, CA, at around $3,347 per week, and Reading, Massachusetts at $3,300/week.
See How Your Pay Compares
Check Vivian’s Travel Physical Therapist Salary Guide for state-by-state and city-by-city pay, or the Staff Physical Therapist Salary Guide for permanent roles.
Ready for your next role? Explore active Physical Therapist jobs on Vivian and compare offers from multiple agencies.
