What it is
PM&R physicians (physiatrists) help patients restore function and quality of life after injury, illness, or disability — treating pain, mobility, and rehabilitation without surgery.
What you do
They manage rehabilitation after stroke, spinal-cord or brain injury, and musculoskeletal pain, using therapy, injections, and coordinated care.
Training path & length
4-year residency (after a preliminary year), with fellowships.
Fellowship subspecialties
Fellowships include pain medicine, sports medicine, spinal-cord injury, brain injury, and pediatric rehabilitation.
Pay & job outlook
Physicians are among the highest-paid professionals. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median wage of $275,930 for physicians and surgeons (May 2025), with employment projected to grow about 4% from 2025 to 2035 and ~22,100 openings per year. Pay varies widely by specialty — procedural and surgical fields generally earn more, primary-care and pediatric fields less.
Physiatrists earn around the physician median, with a strong quality-of-life reputation.
How to get there
Become a physician first: earn an MD or DO, then match into this residency through the national match. Licensure requires completing residency and passing the board exams.
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Key facts
- Residency4 years
- FocusFunction, mobility, rehabilitation, pain
- Also calledPhysiatry
- FellowshipsPain, sports, SCI, brain injury
- EntryMD or DO via the match