Rehabilitation Head
Last updated · Confirm dates, fees and eligibility on the official website before you apply.
Leads a rehabilitation department - physiotherapy, occupational therapy and allied staff - in a hospital or specialist centre. A senior post reached after years of clinical practice and a master's qualification.
- Route in
- Earliest entry: Postgraduate. Direct entry. 2 courses lead here
- Entry pay
- ₹30,000 – ₹60,000 / monthly Any experience
- Where you work
- Multi-specialty hospitals, Rehabilitation centres, Special schools and early intervention centres, Occupational therapy colleges
How people get in
Getting in
Earliest entry point. Postgraduate level.
Licence or registration. Registration with the State Allied and Healthcare Council under NCAHP, where the state council has been constituted.
Where people work
Outlook
Multi-specialty hospitals, Rehabilitation centres, Special schools and early intervention centres, Occupational therapy colleges.
Indicative starting salary
Understand the role
30,000 - 60,000 per month at entry level.
This is an indicative range, not a quote. Actual pay varies with employer, city, sector and the specific role.
The route in, step by step
6 steps from where you are now.
BPT or BOT Required
Physiotherapy or occupational therapy, four and a half years including internship. This is a departmental leadership post, so it starts from a full clinical qualification.
Register with your state council Required
Statutory registration where the state council exists, and association membership in the meantime.
Practise clinically Required
Five to eight years across neuro, ortho and cardiopulmonary rehabilitation. A head of department who has only ever done one of them struggles to supervise the others.
MPT or MOT Required
Two years of specialisation. Expected for senior posts, and it is where evidence appraisal and outcome measurement are taught.
Take a senior or in-charge role Required
Running a unit - rostering therapists, setting protocols, managing referrals from surgeons and physicians, and defending your outcomes.
Add management training Optional
Hospital administration or healthcare quality. At department-head level you are negotiating budgets and accreditation as much as treating patients.
Courses that lead here
2 mapped routes into this career.
What it pays
Indicative bands.
| Stage | Pay band | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Any experience | ₹30,000 – ₹60,000 / monthly | Varies by employer |
These are ranges, not offers. Pay varies by city, employer size, sector and your own skill more than by job title. Treat the band as the shape of the market, not as a number you can hold anyone to.
Common questions
The ones people actually ask about this work.
What qualification do you need to become a Rehabilitation Head?
The earliest entry point is postgraduate level.
Where does a Rehabilitation Head usually work?
Multi-specialty hospitals, Rehabilitation centres, Special schools and early intervention centres, Occupational therapy colleges.
What does a Rehabilitation Head earn to start?
30,000 - 60,000 per month is a typical entry-level range. Pay varies with employer, city and sector.
Does a Rehabilitation Head need a licence or registration?
Registration with the State Allied and Healthcare Council under NCAHP, where the state council has been constituted.
Test this against your own priorities
Pay, hours and entry route matter differently to different people. Compare this against the alternative you are actually weighing, rather than against the average.