How to become a Rehabilitation Therapist

Official Chinese title (2022 occupational classification): 康复治疗师

Treats and trains people in rehabilitation through speech therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and other methods.

Main tasks

• Interviewing and examining patients and collecting and organising information
• Analysing results, making assessments and drawing up rehabilitation plans
• Running rehabilitation training
• Guiding patients to practise on their own and training their families or carers
• Assessing the overall progress of discharged patients and giving full rehabilitation advice
• Giving technical guidance and advice on regaining everyday and work skills
• Guiding community rehabilitation work

Ways in

• University: Allied Health degrees, Offered by 62 universities in China Related undergraduate subject classes in the Ministry of Education catalogue (2025): Medical Technology (1010); Sport Science (0402); majors such as Rehabilitation Therapy, Rehabilitation Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Occupational Therapy, Sports Rehabilitation, Audiology and Speech Rehabilitation, Physical Education. Matched to the occupation by Peernovo.
• Vocational majors: Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Speech and Hearing Rehabilitation Technology (520603). Vocational major 520603 Speech and Hearing Rehabilitation Technology (言语听觉康复技术), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Health Professional and Technical Qualification; Dementia Care for Older People; Elderly Fitness and Wellness Guidance; Medical and Elderly Care Case Management.; Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Traditional Chinese Medicine Rehabilitation Technology (520416). Vocational major 520416 Traditional Chinese Medicine Rehabilitation Technology (中医康复技术), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Traditional Chinese Medicine Constitution Assessment and Application; Home Health Massage.; Secondary vocational school (中职) major: Rehabilitation Technology (720601). Vocational major 720601 Rehabilitation Technology (康复技术), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Health Professional and Technical Qualification; Home Health Massage.; Secondary vocational school (中职) major: Traditional Chinese Medicine Rehabilitation Technology (720408). Vocational major 720408 Traditional Chinese Medicine Rehabilitation Technology (中医康复技术), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Traditional Chinese Medicine Constitution Assessment and Application; Dementia Care for Older People; Home Health Massage.; Vocational bachelor (职业本科) major: Rehabilitation Therapy (320601). Vocational major 320601 Rehabilitation Therapy (康复治疗), 4 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向).; Vocational bachelor (职业本科) major: Speech and Hearing Therapy Technology (320603). Vocational major 320603 Speech and Hearing Therapy Technology (言语听觉治疗技术), 4 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向).

Pay · AI and this job

• Median pay in China: CN¥50,000 a year (2025).
• Middle half: CN¥37,700 to CN¥67,700. One in ten earn less than CN¥30,000 and one in ten more than CN¥99,100.
• This is the figure for the mid group Health, Sports and Leisure Services Workers, not for this job alone.
• National figure: wage prices of enterprise employees from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS) enterprise pay survey. The public sector and the self-employed are not covered.
• Guangzhou only: median CN¥70,413 a year (2025), middle half CN¥46,668 to CN¥94,765.
• This is the figure for the mid group Health, Sports and Leisure Services Workers, not for this job alone.
• Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Who does this work

• The census group Health, Sports and Leisure Services Workers holds 0.07% of everyone employed in China; 66.5% of its workers are women (2020 Census).
• 45.1% are under 35, 46.5% are 35 to 54 and 8.5% are 55 or older. The middle age band is 35 to 39.
• Census figures for the whole mid group (2020 long-form sample), not for this job alone.

Related jobs

• Audiometrist (Hearing Aid Fitter)
• Dental Technician
• Optometrist
• Optical Dispenser
• Auditory Verbal Therapist
• Assistive Technology Consultant

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Rehabilitation Therapist?

Ways in include: Allied Health degrees; Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Speech and Hearing Rehabilitation Technology (520603); Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Traditional Chinese Medicine Rehabilitation Technology (520416).

How much does a Rehabilitation Therapist earn in China?

Across China, the median pay of enterprise employees is CN¥50,000 a year (Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS), 2025). The public sector and the self-employed are not covered. It is the figure for the mid group Health, Sports and Leisure Services Workers. In Guangzhou alone it is CN¥70,413 a year (2025).

Will AI change the work of a Rehabilitation Therapist?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

• Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS): 2025 enterprise pay survey information: wage prices of enterprise employees by occupation mid group, and digital occupations (P10 to P90 annual CNY) (2025 (published 2026-07-08)), retrieved 5 October 2026
• Guangzhou Human Resources and Social Security Bureau: Guangzhou 2025 labour market wage prices (P10 to P90 annual CNY by occupation) (2025 (enterprise pay survey)), retrieved 4 October 2026
• National Bureau of Statistics of China: China Population Census Yearbook 2020, long-form tables 4-6 and 4-7 (employed by occupation mid group, sex, age) (2020 Census long form (10% sample)), retrieved 4 October 2026
• International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026

Sources: Occupational Classification of the People's Republic of China (2022 edition, public consultation draft), Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, State Administration for Market Regulation and National Bureau of Statistics; Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, 2025 enterprise pay survey information; Guangzhou Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, 2025 labour market wage prices; National Bureau of Statistics of China (www.stats.gov.cn), 2020 Population Census yearbook; Ministry of Education, vocational education major profiles (2022 revision) and undergraduate major catalogue (2025); Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, national vocational qualifications catalogue (2021); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Figures processed by Peernovo. English text, translations and the matching of occupations to ISCO-08, majors, degree fields and qualifications by Peernovo.

Descriptions and tasks are Peernovo's own words, written from the facts in the Occupational Classification of the People's Republic of China (2022 edition). Job titles and work types are the classification's own.

Updated 5 October 2026