Physical Therapist cover letter examples. Experienced, entry-level and short.
The experienced letter is written from our physical therapist example resume, the entry-level one is for a first physical therapist job, and the short one fits an email. Copy the closest, then swap in your own results.
Three physical therapist cover letters. Pick the one closest to you.
1
Physical therapist cover letter example
An outpatient PT. Patient outcomes and plan completion, in numbers.
Dear Clinic Director,
I'm applying for the Physical Therapist position at Cascade Sports & Spine. At Puget Motion Physical Therapy, I treat about 14 outpatients a day for knee, shoulder and spine conditions with manual therapy and therapeutic exercise.
I added a return-to-sport testing protocol for our ACL patients, and their average LEFS gains rose from 18 to 26 points. I complete about eight evaluations a week and write plans of care in WebPT, and 92% of my patients finish their plan. Before that, I worked in acute care at Elliott Bay Medical Center, mobilizing about 10 inpatients a day after joint replacement, stroke and cardiac surgery.
I'd welcome the chance to meet your team.
Sincerely,
Jonah Feldman, PT, DPT
2
Entry-level physical therapist cover letter example
A new DPT graduate. Clinical rotations carry it.
Dear Clinic Director,
I'm applying for the Physical Therapist position at Cascade Sports & Spine. I earned my DPT in May, passed the NPTE in July and am licensed in Washington.
My final clinical rotation was 12 weeks in an outpatient orthopedic clinic, where I carried a caseload of up to 10 patients a day by the end, mostly knee and shoulder rehab. Earlier rotations were in acute care and a skilled nursing facility.
I'd love to join a team focused on sports rehab. My resume is attached.
Sincerely,
Rachel Kim, PT, DPT
3
Short physical therapist cover letter
For an email body or an application form's text box. One paragraph of proof.
Dear Clinic Director,
I'm applying for the Physical Therapist position. I treat about 14 outpatients a day at Puget Motion Physical Therapy, my return-to-sport protocol raised ACL patients' LEFS gains from 18 to 26 points, and 92% of my patients finish their plan.
My resume is attached.
Sincerely,
Jonah Feldman, PT, DPT
Have your own results? The builder writes the letter around them as you type and saves it as Word.
How to write a physical therapist cover letter. Three rules the examples follow.
Open with a result, not an adjective.
A physical therapist hiring manager decides in the first lines whether to keep reading. Put your strongest result there, with its number, as the example does: “At Puget Motion Physical Therapy, I treat about 14 outpatients a day for knee, shoulder and spine conditions with manual therapy and therapeutic exercise.”
Name the skills the posting names.
Use the job ad's own words for your tools and methods, such as PT license, DPT and HCPC registered physiotherapist, and put each in a sentence with what came of it. A list of skills belongs on the resume.
End on this employer, not on you.
One line on why this employer, then a plain close. The example ends: “I'd welcome the chance to meet your team.” Change it for every application.
What physical therapist screeners look for. Your letter should back it up.
License and setting
A state PT license in the US, HCPC registration in the UK, the Physiotherapy Council of Kenya or a DHA licence in the Gulf. Then outpatient orthopedics, acute care, neuro, pediatrics or home health, because each runs on different skills.
Caseload and productivity
Patients a day, evaluations a week and visit targets tell an outpatient or hospital manager whether you can carry their schedule. Put the number next to the setting.
Outcomes, not just techniques
Manual therapy, therapeutic exercise and gait training are expected. Outcome measures like LEFS, Oswestry, Berg or TUG with a before and after are what set one therapist apart.
Documentation, billing and teamwork
Plans of care, progress notes in WebPT or Epic, CPT coding and Medicare rules keep visits paid. Discharge planning with doctors, nurses and occupational therapists shows you work across the team.
Skills to name. Only the ones you can back up.
PT license
DPT
HCPC registered physiotherapist
BSc Physiotherapy
OCS
dry needling certification
BLS
evaluations
plan of care
therapeutic exercise
Pick the two or three the job posting asks for first and put each in a sentence with a result. The full physical therapist skills list has the rest.
Physical Therapist cover letter questions
What should a physical therapist cover letter include?
The job title and employer in the first sentence, then your strongest result with its number. A physical therapist letter should show license and setting, caseload and productivity and outcomes, not just techniques. Close with one line on why this employer and a plain sign-off.
How long should a physical therapist cover letter be?
One page at most. The experienced letter above is 120 words, the entry-level one 93 and the short version 52. Use the short one when you're pasting into an email or an application form.
How do I write a physical therapist cover letter with no experience?
Lead with the closest work you have done, such as placements, internships, part-time jobs or a course project, and give each one a result. The entry-level example above shows how: a new DPT graduate. Clinical rotations carry it.
Can I write a physical therapist cover letter for a career change?
Yes. Open with the physical therapist job you want, then pick two results from your current work that the new job needs, and say in one sentence what you're learning to fill the gap. The builder's Career change template is set up for this.
What skills should a physical therapist cover letter mention?
Two or three the job posting asks for, each in a sentence with a result, such as PT license, DPT and HCPC registered physiotherapist. Leave out any you couldn't talk through in an interview.