The physical therapist salary is one of the top things that comes to mind when people consider entering this profession. A commonly held belief among many is that only athlete’s require the service of physical therapists. Sure, athletes use physical therapists extensively, but everyone else in the world has certain injuries that require physical therapy as well, such as the elderly, accident victims and even children. Specific therapeutic plans are required in order to get appropriate treatment for the affected areas and to restore the functionality of our injured body parts, to prevent disability and to decrease pain. A lot of the healthcare professions pay decent salaries, but the physical therapist salaries are very nice in comparison!
PT Salary Ranges by Expertise
Even though there are many individuals who are interested in entering this profession, they have no clear idea on how much they are likely to earn every year or per hour. To give you an idea of what a physical therapist salary might be across several disciplines here are some examples:
- Most of the employed physical therapists of United States receive Around $75,000 dollars per year which translates to around $36.05 per hour.
- The mean annual salary of physical therapists in United States is, therefore, more than $76,000 dollars making it around$36.53 dollars per hour.
- The lowest 10 percent of the physical therapists get at least $52,000 dollars per year T
- The highest annual physical therapist salary is more than $100,000 dollars per year.
Physical therapists of assisted living facilities (or ALF) currently earn the highest salaries. To provide some additional contrast, physical therapists working in correctional facilities earn around $60,000 dollars per year, whereas PT’s working in assisted living facilities typically earn an annual salary of $99,000. The salary index of physical therapists of United States is growing every year. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the need for physical therapists will grow by thirty percent in the coming years because of the increasing number of senior citizens retiring from the work force. There are five well known industries that pay the highest salary for physical therapists. They are: the scientific and technical industry, the home and health care service provider industry, the industry of family services, the industry of administrative services and the industry of nursing care facilities.
You Get More Than a Great Salary
The physical therapy profession is certainly a rewarding one as one receives a really nice salary and also can bask in the satisfaction of being able to help people who have had injuries through various accidents. Helping them to recover can help bring peace to one’s mind. Also, the ever growing need of physical therapists cannot be looked down up on. It is because physical therapy is a less omnipresent treatment used to cure injuries and illness. Regardless of the physical hard work that comes with being a physical therapist, this job is a worthwhile one. Helping people to get back to their normal lives can provide high levels of self satisfaction.
About 20 percent of the physical therapists of United States work part time where as the rest work 40 hours in a week. Also, the physical therapists salary varies a bit as different physical therapists specialize in different areas such as in geriatrics, pediatrics, orthopedics, etc. Surveys show that those physical therapists who are working as a part time employee are still continuing with their studies in order to maintain their PT license. In order to become a full fledged physical therapist, an interested individual needs to earn a PT license from the state after the completion of master’s degree in the related field. Therefore, individuals who are interested in this profession should start working on their education and certification (licensing) requirements immediately. Currently you must hold a masters degree, but because of the profession’s growning popularity, certification and licensing organizations are considering upgrading the education requirements to doctorate degrees.