Physical Therapist Assistant Jobs
Training and Education Jobs and Salaries
Physical therapist assistants and aides hold about 110,000 jobs. Physical therapist assistants hold about 60,000 jobs while physical therapist aides hold approximately 50,000. Both work with physical therapists in a variety of settings. About 70 percent of jobs are in offices of physical therapists or in hospitals. Other physical therapist assistants and aides work primarily in nursing care facilities, offices of physicians, home health care services, and outpatient care centers.
Employment is expected to grow much faster than average because of increasing consumer demand for physical therapy services. Job prospects for physical therapist assistants are expected to be very good while aides should experience keen competition for jobs. Employment of physical therapist assistants and aides is expected to grow by 29 percent over the 2006 - 2016 decade, much faster than the average for all occupations. The impact of Federal limits on Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement for therapy services may adversely affect the short-term job outlook for physical therapist assistants and aides however, long-term demand for physical therapist assistants and aides will continue to rise, as the number of individuals with disabilities or limited function grows.
The increasing number of people who need therapy reflects, in part, the increasing elderly population. The elderly population is particularly vulnerable to chronic and debilitating conditions that require therapeutic services. These patients often need additional assistance in their treatment, making the roles of assistants and aides vital. In addition, the large baby-boom generation is entering the prime age for heart attacks and strokes, further increasing the demand for cardiac and physical rehabilitation. Moreover, future medical developments should permit an increased percentage of trauma victims to survive, creating added demand for therapy services.
Physical therapists are expected to increasingly use assistants to reduce the cost of physical therapy services. Once a patient is evaluated and a treatment plan is designed by the physical therapist, the physical therapist assistant can provide many parts of the treatment, as approved by the therapist. Opportunities for individuals interested in becoming physical therapist assistants are expected to be very good. Physical therapist aides may face keen competition from the large pool of qualified individuals.
In addition to employment growth, job openings will result from the need to replace workers who leave the occupation permanently. Physical therapist assistants and aides with prior experience working in a physical therapy office or other health care setting will have the best job opportunities. Median annual earnings of physical therapist assistants are around $41,500. The middle fifty percent earn between $34,000 and $49,000. The lowest ten percent earn less than $26,500, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $57,000.
Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of physical therapist assistants are as follows: home health care services pay about $46,500, nursing care facilities pay around $44,500, offices of physical, occupational and speech therapists, and audiologists pay about $41,000, general medical and surgical hospitals offer around $40,500 and jobs in offices of physicians pay around $39,500.
Median annual earnings of physical therapist aides are around $22,000. The middle fifty percent earn between $18,500 and $27,000. The lowest ten percent earn less than $16,000, and the highest ten percent earn more than $32,500. Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of physical therapist aides are as follows: nursing care facilities pay around $24,000, offices of physicians offer around $22,500, general medical and surgical hospitals pay about $23,000 and jobs in offices of physical, occupational and speech therapists, and audiologists pay around $21,230. Physical therapist assistants and aides work under the supervision of physical therapists. Other workers in the health care field who work under similar supervision include dental assistants; medical assistants; occupational therapist assistants and aides; pharmacy aides; pharmacy technicians; nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides; personal and home care aides; and social and human service assistants.