Physiotherapist

Job titles this occupation covers

If your job title is one of these, this is usually the code it belongs to, whatever your employer calls the role.

• Physical Therapist

Specialisations within it

• Aquatic Physiotherapist
• Cardiothoracic Physiotherapist
• Continence and Women's Health Physiotherapist
• Gerentological Physiotherapist
• Maori Physiotherapist (NZ)
• Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist
• Neurological Physiotherapist
• Occupational Health Physiotherapist
• Paediatric Physiotherapist
• Sports Physiotherapist

Duties

Published for unit group 2525 Physiotherapists

• administering muscle, nerve, joint and functional ability tests to identify and assess physical problems of patients
• designing treatment programs to address patients' problems
• treating patients to reduce pain, improve circulation, strengthen muscles, improve cardiothoracic, cardiovascular and respiratory functions, restore joint mobility, and improve balance and coordination
• using the therapeutic properties of exercise, heat, cold, massage, manipulation, hydrotherapy, electrotherapy, ultraviolet and infra-red light and ultrasound in the treatment of patients
• reviewing, continually monitoring, assessing and evaluating programs and treatments
• consulting with other Health Professionals as required about patients' problems, needs and progress
• instructing patients and their families in procedures to be continued at home
• recording treatments given and patients' responses and progress
• developing and implementing screening and preventative health promotion programs
• Occupation:
• 252511 Physiotherapist

This is what the occupation is, not what a skills assessment requires. The assessing body applies its own criteria on top of this, and those criteria are not published here. Check them with the body itself.

Who assesses this occupation

Last confirmed against the department's list on 30 July 2026.

This occupation reads differently for the 186 and 482

Two editions of ANZSCO are current at once, and the department applies ANZSCO 2022 to the employer sponsored visas while everything above follows ANZSCO 2013.

The definition is identical in both editions, but the published duties are not:

• administering muscle, nerve, joint and functional ability tests to identify and assess physical problems of patients
• designing treatment programs to address patients' problems
• treating patients to reduce pain, improve circulation, strengthen muscles, improve cardiothoracic, cardiovascular and respiratory functions, restore joint mobility, and improve balance and coordination
• using the therapeutic properties of exercise, heat, cold, massage, manipulation, hydrotherapy, electrotherapy, ultraviolet and infra-red light and ultrasound in the treatment of patients
• reviewing, continually monitoring, assessing and evaluating programs and treatments
• consulting with other Health Professionals as required about patients' problems, needs and progress
• instructing patients and their families in procedures to be continued at home
• recording treatments given and patients' responses and progress
• developing and implementing screening and preventative health promotion programs

If you are going for a 186 or a 482, this is the wording that governs you. Everything above governs the points tested routes.

Where this comes from

Definition and duties: Australian Bureau of Statistics, ANZSCO
Assessing authorities and skilled lists: Department of Home Affairs skilled occupation list

Vizard is not a registered migration agent and nothing here is migration advice. It is published government information, organised. For advice on your own situation, speak to a registered migration agent.