Physical Therapist Salary

Some people mistakenly believe that a physical therapist assistant salary is the same all for everyone all over the country. However, the U.S. Department of Labor employment statistics report that there are several issues that play a part in the amount of wages for this occupation. A physical therapy assistant salary can vary depending on area, experience and skills which include assisting physical therapists in developing and providing treatment plans, documenting patient progress and other duties.

 

Industries in Which Physical Therapist Assistants Work

 

The industries with the highest levels of employment for physical therapist assistant salary wage earners include health practitioners, medical and surgical hospitals and nursing care facilities. Approximately 25,030 physical therapists work in the offices of health practitioners, while 16,000 work in hospitals and 6,800 in nursing care facilities. Home health care and physicians offices are other industries that have the highest number of physical therapists.

 

Physical Therapist Assistant Salary Based on Industry

 

The industry that pays the average highest physical therapy assistant salary is home health care services. The average hourly wage in this industry is $29.99. The annual mean wage is $60,000. Physical therapy assistant salary in the employment services industry is $26.00 an hour; $55,000 yearly. Nursing care facilities pay $25.00 an hour which is a little over $52,000 each year. Earnings for physical therapists working in care facilities for the elderly are $25.00 per hour, which averages $51,000 a year.

 

Highest Physical Therapist Assistant Salary Earnings by State

 

Texas, California and Nevada pay the highest salaries to physical therapists. In Texas, a physical therapist assistant salary can be $29.67 an hour or more, averaging $61,710 each year. California physical therapists earn $27.32 hourly or $56,820 annually. State of Nevada wages for this occupation is $26.98 hourly and $56,120 per year.

 

Metropolitan Areas that Pay Top Salaries

 

The McAllen-Edinburg-Mission area of Texas pays the highest mean wage for physical therapists assistants at $36.00 an hour or close to $75,000 a year. Annual earnings for physical therapist assistants in Corpus Christi, Texas are $73,000 annually. In California, physical therapist assistant salary average in the Oxnard-Thousand Oaks, Ventura metropolitan area is $35.00 an hour or a little over $73,000 a year. The Leominster-Fitchburg-Gardner metropolitan area in Massachusetts comes in fourth place; paying an average physical therapist assistant salary of almost $48,000 a year.

 

Future Physical Therapist Assistant Salary Opportunities

 

The job outlook for physical therapist assistants is expected to be very good with more job openings available than job seekers. The predictions are that this occupation should grow at a much faster rate than the national average. There were about 63,000 physical therapist assistants employed in the U.S. in 2008. It is projected that by the year 2018 this number will grow to 85,000, a 33 percent increase. This is due to an increasing demand for treatments involving physical therapy because of workers leaving their jobs, changes in insurance regulation and new medical technology that extends the life span of people with injuries or disease. There will also be more competition to find a good physical therapist assistant salary as more people become qualified for jobs.