How Much on Average Do Physical Therapists Make?
- Physical therapists work in clean settings that are comfortable for themselves and their clients. They must stand, kneel, bend, crouch and lift for long periods, and help patients move into positions. Most work a standard 40-hour week that includes evening and weekend schedules for the convenience of patients. Their median salary is $74,480 per year, with a range of $52,170 to $105,900, according to the BLS as of 2009. This breaks down to $35.81 per hour, with a range of $25.08 to $50.92.
- Experience increases salaries because physical therapists become exposed to more types of treatment options and learn to deal with a wider variety of patients. New therapists earn $51,134 to $61,000 per year, and those with one to four years of work get $54,318 to $66,041. At five to nine years of employment they make $59,896 to $74,342, and at 10 to 19 years they receive $62,673 to $78,984. Finally, after 20 years or more, they top out at $65,910 to $81,917, according to PayScale.com as of March 2011.
- The BLS states that the biggest employers of physical therapists are the offices of other health practitioners such as physical therapy groups. They comprise 35 percent of the total jobs and pay a mean salary of $36.42 per hour or $75,760 per year. With 27 percent of the jobs, general medical and surgical hospitals rank second, with slightly lower wages at a mean $36.07 per hour or $75,030 per year. The employers with the highest salaries are management, scientific and technical consulting services at a mean $42.43 per hour or $88,260 per year.
- The BLS predicts that jobs for physical therapists will increase by 30 percent until 2018, which is much faster than the national average growth for all jobs. The demand will come from the growth in the elderly population, who require physical therapy services. Medical development enable more patients to survive medical trauma and birth defects, providing more opportunities for therapists. Opportunities will be best in acute hospital, skilled nursing and orthopedic facilities, which is where the elderly most often go for treatment.
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