Working in outpatient clinics and private practice as an OT, PT, or SLP

BLS’s largest single industry for occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, physical therapists, and physical therapist assistants is “Offices of physical, occupational and speech therapists, and audiologists.” It is second for speech-language pathologists, after schools. APTA supports PT-owned private practices. ASHA says nearly one-fifth of SLPs work in private practice. Medicare.gov describes outpatient physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology coverage.

Quoted from official pages checked November 10, 2026. Confirm current requirements, fees, and dates on those sites. This page is not legal advice and does not guarantee eligibility, certification, or licensure.

What BLS says

BLS lists “Offices of physical, occupational and speech therapists, and audiologists” at these shares of 2025 jobs, checked November 10, 2026: occupational therapists 28%, occupational therapy assistants 39%, physical therapists 36%, physical therapist assistants 44%, and speech-language pathologists 25%. BLS also lists “Offices of physicians” at 6% of physical therapist and 6% of physical therapist assistant jobs. For speech-language pathologists it lists “Self-employed workers” at 5%. Sources: the OT, OTA and aide, PT, PTA and aide, and SLP handbook pages.

BLS’s occupational therapy aide table uses a different category, “Offices of other health practitioners”. That figure is for aides, not assistants, and aides are not assistants (see assistant vs aide).

BLS states: “Physical therapists typically work in private offices and clinics, hospitals, patients’ homes, and nursing homes.” And: “Occupational therapists work in a variety of settings, such as hospitals, schools, and outpatient clinics.” On schedules, the PTA page states: “Some work nights and weekends because many physical therapy offices and clinics have extended hours to accommodate patients’ schedules.” For speech-language pathologists: “Others work in private practice or in hospitals or nursing and residential care facilities.”

Physical therapists: APTA

APTA’s Private Practice page, checked November 10, 2026, states: “If you own or work in a PT–owned private practice, we have resources to support you.” It also states: “The APTA Private Practice Section is specifically dedicated to those interested in business and management, whether you own a practice or are considering starting one.” Whether a patient can see a PT without a referral depends on state law; see direct access to physical therapy.

Speech-language pathologists: ASHA

ASHA’s employment settings page, checked November 10, 2026, states: “Nearly one-fifth (19%) of SLPs are employed full- or part-time in private practice.” It also states: “Some private practitioners work alone, and some own large practices that employ a large staff with different types of professionals as well as SLPs.” And: “Private practitioners also manage business aspects of their practices, such as billing, marketing, and contracting.” On outpatient settings: “SLPs treat clients/patients of all ages in their homes or in free-standing outpatient settings, such as speech and hearing clinics or doctors' offices.” ASHA’s figures are its own and separate from BLS.

What Medicare.gov says about outpatient therapy

Medicare.gov’s Physical therapy services page, checked November 10, 2026, states: “Physical therapy helps to restore or improve physical movement in your body after an injury, illness, or surgery.” Its Occupational therapy services page describes “Therapy to help you perform activities of daily living (like dressing or bathing).” Its Speech-language pathology services page states: “Speech-language pathology services provide evaluation and treatment to regain and strengthen speech and language skills.”

Each page says a doctor or other health care provider, “including a nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, or physician assistant”, must certify the need. The physical therapy page states: “There's no limit on how much Medicare pays for your medically necessary outpatient therapy services in one calendar year.” These are Medicare coverage rules for patients. Costs and billing are not copied.

Occupational therapy: AOTA

AOTA’s pages returned no readable content on November 10, 2026, so no AOTA private-practice material is quoted. An ASHA private-practice address tried the same day returned ASHA’s page-not-found message, so nothing is quoted from it.

What this page does not do

It gives no visit volumes, productivity targets, fee schedules, or advice on starting a business. Business licensing, insurance credentialing, and practice ownership rules vary by state and payer.

Pay

This page copies no wages. BLS median pay by industry is on OT, OTA, PT, PTA, and SLP work settings, and national figures are on pay and outlook.