Physical Therapist Guides

A Physical Therapist is a highly trained health care professional with a very large scope of practise in respect to identifying, diagnosing and treating various kinds of physical disabilities, illnesses, injuries and disorders which limit the individual’s ability to function at a normal or preferred level.

What you can expect as a physical therapist salary can be a very attractive initiative when deciding on a career such as this. The salary of a physical therapist may vary from state to state, or province to province. It may also vary depending on which type of work environment they work in, the level of education they have attained, work shops or continued education courses they have participated in, or the length of time they have been practicing. But overall, the average salary of a physical therapist provides a decent and stable income.

As our population ages and health care declines, physical therapist jobs will continue to be in demand, and so too the salary for physical therapist jobs may continue to grow. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2008 the median annual physical therapy salary was $72,790. In 2010, the mean annual wage was $77,990 or $37.50 hourly, which is a difference of $5,200 difference from 2008. This is an almost 8% jump in income in just 2 years which is well above the cost of living factor for most jobs in USA and Canada today. In 2010 Physical Therapist’s salaries had a wide range in the middle 50% of between $64,230 and  $90,350 most likely due to any one or all of the reasons stated above. The lowest 10% earned $53,620 which is still a reasonable wage in this economy, and the highest 10% annual wage was $107,920. As stated before, a physical therapist salary is very dependent on many variables explaining the wide ranges given here.

In 2010 there were 180,280 physical therapists employed in the United States. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics states the highest physical therapist salary employment field was in Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services with an annual mean wage of $91,220. Next highest paying jobs were in Home Health Care Services, Employment Services, Management of Companies and Enterprises, and in Individual and Family Services with wages ranging from $86,590 down to $81,970 respectively.

States in the US with the highest Physical Therapist Salary level are Alaska, New Jersey, Texas, Delaware and Maryland with salaries ranging respectively from $92,720 mean annual wage down to $84,960.

Metropolitan areas with the highest Physical Therapist Salary levels are McAllen/Edinburg/Mission TX, Madera CA, Fairbanks AK, Midland TX, Sherman/Denison TX, El Paso TX, Beaumont/Port Arthur TX, Trenton/Ewing NJ, Anchorage AK, Cape Coral/Fort Myers FL.

These are not to say that the Physical Therapist salaries are not good elsewhere but these are the top-paying employers and areas for reference. If this is a field of work you have been considering, it’s importnat to remember these facts when determining how much does a physical therapist make since it can influence where you would like to work, or what to expect in the area you are looking for employment.