Concerns About The Physical Therapist Assistant Salary

If you are planning a career in physical therapy and concerned about the physical therapist assistant salary, then don't be! For years, the medical profession has been the most looked upon and wanted career. With the emerging health concerns, the demand for health care professionals continues to increase. Those who want to pursue this career without getting involved in intricate procedures opt for the physical therapy field. There has been high demand of physical therapists and their assistants and ultimately, has resulted in continuous increase in their salaries.

As a physical therapist assistant, you have the possibility to work either full time or part time. Whichever you choose, it offers quite a competitive package. However, various factors affect what you can make per year. As per the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual wage in this field was $51,110 for May 2011 with $24.57 as the mean hourly wage. These average figures are only for guidance, as the actual physical therapist assistant salary you may draw at the yearend may be somewhat different.

Time spent on the job, performance, skills, qualification, the state you're practicing in and type of facility; all have a lot of influence on your compensation package.

• Like all occupations, amount paid at the entry level is lower, but then you work to move your scale up. Here, performance plays a major role on how quickly you can attract higher income figures after probation period.


• Type of facility, i.e. whether you're working for a hospital, with a sports team, at a private clinic, homecare services or nursing care facilities; affect the amount of salary. Nursing and homecare facilities are considered to be the highest paying. The annual mean wage was $60,090 for home health care facilities in May 2011. Surgical units and general medical care are also amongst other high paying institutions.


• A physical therapist assistant salary also varies state to state. Low income states, offer lower compensation as compared to high income. For instance, Texas is considered to be the highest paying, around $62,000 per annum as compared to South Dakota with $33,000 per year as the lowest.

What you're earning today, you will not be earning tomorrow. Because you'll be making higher than what you are today! This law generally applies to most of us. But, to get that, requires hard work and dedication. The job of a PTA is challenging as well as very demanding. It not only requires to have the basic education and training but in order to be at par with the new techniques and procedures, it is important to keep oneself updated. Also one way of increasing income is by acquiring additional certifications and trainings, such as, athletes training certification, life support certifications etc. This not only gives you better and more specialized skills but also makes you an imperative part of your team.

Hence, the physical therapist assistant salary has been growing at an above average rate, despite hard economic times. And it's positive employment outlook is expected to have an upbeat impact on the salaries too.