Nurse Practitioners vs Physical Therapists AI Risk

Job 1

Job 2

Job 1

Job 2

medium risk

Nurse Practitioners

59 shared · 40 different

core competencies

low risk

Physical Therapists

Side-by-Side Comparison

Physical Therapists leads 4–1

Metric	Nurse Practitioners	Physical Therapists
Risk Score	27.3%	22.6%
Risk Tier	Medium Risk	Low Risk
Risk Percentile	26th	12th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)	4 / 15	2 / 15
Median Salary	$129,210	$101,020
Employment	307K	249K

Skill Comparison

Sorted by largest difference

Developing and Building Teams

Performing General Physical Activities

Handling and Moving Objects

Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others

Interacting With Computers

Getting Information

Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates

Medicine and Dentistry

Coaching and Developing Others

Psychology

Sociology and Anthropology

Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Nurse Practitioners

38%

total discount

Physical Therapists

37%

total discount

Task Risk Comparison

Tasks sorted by AI automation risk — higher means more automatable

Nurse Practitioners

4 of 15 at risk

86%Maintain complete and detailed records of patients' health care plans and prognoses.

52%Prescribe medications based on efficacy, safety, and cost as legally authorized.

51%Analyze and interpret patients' histories, symptoms, physical findings, or diagnostic information to develop appropriate diagnoses.

51%Develop treatment plans, based on scientific rationale, standards of care, and professional practice guidelines.

49%Prescribe medication dosages, routes, and frequencies, based on such patient characteristics as age and gender.

Physical Therapists

2 of 15 at risk

86%Record prognosis, treatment, response, and progress in patient's chart or enter information into computer.

51%Review physician's referral and patient's medical records to help determine diagnosis and physical therapy treatment required.

49%Identify and document goals, anticipated progress, and plans for reevaluation.

41%Discharge patient from physical therapy when goals or projected outcomes have been attained and provide for appropriate follow-up care or referrals.

40%Instruct patient and family in treatment procedures to be continued at home.

Wage Comparison

Physical Therapists earns -$28,190(-22%) vs Nurse Practitioners

Nurse PractitionersPhysical Therapists

10th

$97,960$74,420

25th

$109,940$83,470

Median

$129,210$101,020

75th

$149,570$117,190

90th

$169,950$132,500

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Nurse Practitioners2028–2035

Physical Therapists2028–2035

20242030203520402045

Physical Therapists has a longer runway before significant displacement, projected 0 years later than Nurse Practitioners.

Risk-Adjusted Salary

Salary weighted by displacement risk: salary × (1 − risk%)

Nurse Practitioners

$93,936

from $129,210

Physical Therapists

$78,240

from $101,020

After adjusting for AI risk, Nurse Practitioners offers $15,696 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

Unique to Nurse

Unique to Physical

Combined Protection Strategy

Regardless of which path you choose, focus on these protective factors

Fine Manipulation

Social Intelligence

Decision Complexity

Regulatory Barriers

Nurse PractitionersPhysical Therapists

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