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Army MOS · Medical

68F Physical Therapy Specialist

Current service use not established

This code is listed in the directory. Inclusion alone does not confirm current service use.

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Overview

A Physical Therapy Specialist administers or supervises physical therapy under the direction of a physical therapist and following a medical referral. The specialist works to decrease patients' physical disabilities and promote their physical fitness.

Minimum ASVAB: ST 101

ASVAB policy: Not policy-reviewed · coverage unknown · as of 2026-10-19

Program scope has not been reviewed.

Policy applicability and coverage of the program's score routes have not been reviewed. Shown-route arithmetic is not an eligibility decision.

Source: smartbook-611-21-ch10c-fy2025 (source date 2025-12). Policy applicability has not been established.

See if you would hit this score: free ASVAB practice test

Core Skills

  • Referred therapy delivery under therapist direction
  • Physical fitness promotion for rehabilitation patients

Civilian Career Paths

Career associations are editorial assessments of the cited evidence, not an official crosswalk unless the evidence explicitly says so. O*NET supplies civilian occupation information, not proof of a military match. Related experience does not confer civilian qualifications. Tasks and tools below describe civilian work, not military training.

Physical Therapist Assistants

Administering physical therapy after medical referral and under a physical therapist's direction directly overlaps with supervised civilian rehabilitation treatment.

How to prepare: Have your documented military education and clinical training assessed against accredited PTA associate-degree requirements to identify remaining gaps before pursuing the PTA-level NPTE. State licensure or certification is required separately from the exam, and the board may add requirements such as a jurisprudence exam or background check.

What the civilian work involves
  • Instruct, motivate, safeguard, and assist patients as they practice exercises or functional activities.
  • Document patient information, such as notes on their progress.
  • Observe patients during treatments to compile and evaluate data on their responses and progress and provide results to physical therapist in person or through progress notes.
Civilian tools and software (examples)
  • eClinicalWorks EHR software

Physical Therapist Aides

Military experience administering therapist-directed physical therapy provides relevant preparation for assisting patients in a civilian rehabilitation setting.

How to prepare: Apply to rehabilitation clinics offering aide orientation and on-the-job training, using your documented therapist-directed patient-care experience. Aides typically need a high school diploma or equivalent and on-the-job training, but states do not require aide licensure.

What the civilian work involves
  • Clean and organize work area and disinfect equipment after treatment.
  • Secure patients into or onto therapy equipment.
  • Instruct, motivate, safeguard, or assist patients practicing exercises or functional activities, under direction of medical staff.
Civilian tools and software (examples)
  • Patient record maintenance software

Training & Development

Choose credentials for your target role. COOL funding markers describe program listings, not a guarantee of eligibility or funding.

Getting Started

  • National Physical Therapist Assistant Examination (NPTAE)

    Complete the PTA-level national examination component of the physical therapist assistant licensing process after educational eligibility is established.

    Eligibility and preparation: FSBPT requires candidates to be at least 18, hold an appropriate CAPTE-accredited degree or have education determined substantially equivalent by a recognized credentialing agency, and obtain approval from the licensing jurisdiction or its authorized designee. Candidates must have no open security investigation or incomplete sanctions. Testing limits include three consecutive attempts in 12 months followed by skipping the next test date, six lifetime attempts per exam level, and no further testing after two scores below 400.

    For: Physical Therapist Assistants

Notes & Sources

Evidence for this guidance (6 documents)
  1. Army COOL MOC feed: 68F Physical Therapy Specialist

    [1] data/authority/army-codes.json entry 68F (OSD COOL feed, fetched 2026-07-25); DB rank enlisted, authority codeType enlisted

    Supports: Referred therapy delivery under therapist direction, Physical fitness promotion for rehabilitation patients, Physical Therapist Assistants (O*NET 31-2021.00), Physical Therapist Aides (O*NET 31-2022.00)

  2. O*NET: Physical Therapist Assistants

    [2] O*NET 30.3 occupational data

    Supports: Physical Therapist Assistants (O*NET 31-2021.00)

  3. Bureau of Labor Statistics: physical therapist assistants and aides

    [3] How to Become One; retrieved 23 September 2026

    Supports: Physical Therapist Assistants (O*NET 31-2021.00), Physical Therapist Aides (O*NET 31-2022.00)

  4. FSBPT: NPTE Candidate Handbook eligibility requirements

    [4] What requirements must I meet to sit for the NPTE? and testing limits; rendered issuer page checked September 23, 2026

    Supports: Physical Therapist Assistants (O*NET 31-2021.00), National Physical Therapist Assistant Examination (NPTAE)

  5. O*NET: Physical Therapist Aides

    [5] O*NET 30.3 occupational data

    Supports: Physical Therapist Aides (O*NET 31-2022.00)

  6. COOL credential mapping: National Physical Therapist Assistant Examination (NPTAE)

    [6] 68F cached COOL credential feed

    Supports: National Physical Therapist Assistant Examination (NPTAE)

Defense contractor jobs for 68F

Descriptions may be summarized for clarity. Verify all information with your branch career counselor or official military documentation before making career decisions.

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