Physical therapy is one of the many facets of rehabilitation therapy. On a daily basis PTs help people with injuries or diseases improve and possibly restore complete mobility, according to the American Physical Therapy Association. PTs achieve this through targeted strength and flexibility exercises directed at the patient’s physical impairment. PT is often an effective solution to more expensive alternatives such as surgery.
Beyond helping people on a daily basis, PTs have strong outlooks, opportunities and satisfaction rates. Paired with the opportunity for tuition assistance, a career in PT is definitely worthwhile for those seeking a future in the rehabilitation and healthcare fields.
Job outlook
PT employment is projected to grow much faster than the average for all U.S. occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Between 2012 and 2022, jobs for PTs are expected to expand by 36 percent. The average job growth rate across all occupations is 11 percent.
This demand is attributed to aging baby boomers, growing rates of people with chronic conditions, changes to federal health insurance reform and the burgeoning popularity of outpatient surgery.
The average PT salary is also much greater than the median salary in the U.S. Specifically in 2012, the median salary for PTs was $79,860, or $38.39 per hour, whereas the median annual salary for all occupations was $34,750.
Job opportunity
The prospect for PT positions is particularly strong in rural acute-care hospitals, skilled-nursing facilities and orthopedic offices. Because the majority of PTs are based in metropolitan areas, traveling physical therapy is a booming division of healthcare staffing. Licensed PTs can start work as a traveling PT directly out of school. However, this is not the case for all healthcare professions. Typically, medical personnel like registered nurses require one to two years of experience prior to working as a traveling healthcare professional.
PTs usually get placed on 13- to 26-week job assignments throughout the country. Traveling healthcare staffing companies typically coordinate and cover travel and traveling expenses. Placement for traveling PT jobs depends on the individual’s interest and areas of need. Erik Malmos, team lead for the rehabilitation therapy division at Aureus Medical Group, said that weather is a key role in destination. For instance, it is common for PTs to want to work in Colorado in the winter so they have access to outdoor snow sports. Others prefer working in warm climates in the winter, making Florida or Arizona attractive options.
Beyond seeing the U.S., traveling PTs commonly make more money than PTs who do not travel. As of Oct. 2015, the average annual salary of a travel PT is $102,000, according to Indeed.com.
Job satisfaction
In the U.S., jobs with the highest satisfaction rates are centered on helping, teaching and protecting people, director of the General Social Survey at the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, Tom Smith, explained. Based on a 18 year study by the GSS, which is the most comprehensive survey of its kind, PTs have one of the top three most satisfying jobs. Specifically, the study reported that 78 percent of PTs were very satisfied with their jobs. This is significantly higher than the average rate across all occupations.
Tuition assistance
As of 2015, becoming a PT requires a doctor of physical therapy degree. For PTs who are already licensed, a DPT is not required. After completing a bachelor’s degree, DPT programs roughly last three years. As expected, the advanced degree comes with a price. The cost, however, is reduced with tuition reimbursement programs. Aureus Medical Group in particular offers nearly $12,000 in tuition reimbursement for students pursuing PT degrees, along with other advanced healthcare degrees.