When it comes to physiotherapy and therapists, the average pay is £17,000 a year. There is no other discipline in healthcare with such big salary deviations, despite the fact that all physiotherapists contribute equally much. Let’s see why this happens & what can you do about it.
INTRODUCTION
Few of you would trust physical therapists or a chiropractor choosing to treat themselves. You want to make sure it’s someone who has experience and is professional. Most of you wouldn’t be self-diagnosing and then creating a plan of attack for yourself anyway. Why? Because, if you did that, you could end up causing more harm than good; sometimes permanently. And while I agree with most people that physical therapy is something that should be sought out through a licensed professional (most physical therapists have no interest in getting sued), I also think this is something every human should know about.
Here’s How Much Money Physical Therapist Assistants Make In Every State
Physical therapists have become a very important part of American medical services. As their numbers have grown, so has the need for physical therapist assistants. As a result, the popularity of a career in physical therapy assistance has grown as well. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) Occupational Outlook Handbook, the employment of physical therapist assistants is forecasted to increase by 29% — much faster than average — over the period 2019 to 2029. That means adding 43,000 new physical therapist assistant jobs over the next decade.
Using occupational data from the BLS, we’ve analyzed and compiled a breakdown of the average physical therapist assistant salary by state in the U.S. Read on for a full look at where physical therapist assistants make the most money and where they’re making the least.
10 States Where Physical Therapist Assistants Earn the Most Money
The national average annual wage of a physical therapist assistant is $58,520, according to the latest data from the BLS. This is around $5,000 more than current average annual salary for all occupations, $53,490. As with most occupations, the average physical therapist assistant salary can vary significantly depending on the state where you’re employed. In the best-paying state for physical therapist assistants, their average annual wage is $69,480, a solid $13,000 more than the average for all occupations nationally.
PROMOTED
Below is a list of the top-10 highest-paying states for physical therapist assistants:
- New Jersey average physical therapist assistant salary: $69,480
- Texas average physical therapist assistant salary: $68,680
- California average physical therapist assistant salary: $66,150
- Connecticut average physical therapist assistant salary: $65,510
- Rhode Island average physical therapist assistant salary: $65,480
- Massachusetts average physical therapist assistant salary: $64,310
- Alaska average physical therapist assistant salary: $63,440
- Florida average physical therapist assistant salary: $63,410
- Nevada average physical therapist assistant salary: $62,100
- Delaware average physical therapist assistant salary: $61,610
Looking at the highest-paying states for physical therapist assistants, New England stands out for its growth rates in wages. For example, No. 5 top-paying state Rhode Island has seen its average physical therapist assistant salary rise by 31.2% over the last five years, from $49,920 in 2014 to $65,480 in 2019. Connecticut, which came in as the No. 4 best-paying state for physical therapist assistants, experienced wage growth of 25.1% since 2014.
What Is the Average PTA Salary by State
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| State | Annual Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $79,131 | $6,594 | $1,522 | $38.04 |
| New York | $74,163 | $6,180 | $1,426 | $35.66 |
| California | $71,447 | $5,954 | $1,374 | $34.35 |
| Idaho | $71,282 | $5,940 | $1,371 | $34.27 |
| New Hampshire | $69,972 | $5,831 | $1,346 | $33.64 |
| Vermont | $69,066 | $5,756 | $1,328 | $33.21 |
| Massachusetts | $67,152 | $5,596 | $1,291 | $32.28 |
| Maine | $66,875 | $5,573 | $1,286 | $32.15 |
| Montana | $66,343 | $5,529 | $1,276 | $31.90 |
| New Jersey | $66,090 | $5,508 | $1,271 | $31.77 |
| Hawaii | $66,020 | $5,502 | $1,270 | $31.74 |
| Nevada | $65,909 | $5,492 | $1,267 | $31.69 |
| Arizona | $65,752 | $5,479 | $1,264 | $31.61 |
| Wyoming | $64,937 | $5,411 | $1,249 | $31.22 |
| Tennessee | $64,574 | $5,381 | $1,242 | $31.05 |
| Connecticut | $64,228 | $5,352 | $1,235 | $30.88 |
| Rhode Island | $63,504 | $5,292 | $1,221 | $30.53 |
| Texas | $63,230 | $5,269 | $1,216 | $30.40 |
| Indiana | $63,193 | $5,266 | $1,215 | $30.38 |
| Alaska | $63,178 | $5,265 | $1,215 | $30.37 |
| West Virginia | $62,767 | $5,231 | $1,207 | $30.18 |
| Minnesota | $62,558 | $5,213 | $1,203 | $30.08 |
| Oregon | $62,360 | $5,197 | $1,199 | $29.98 |
| Maryland | $62,072 | $5,173 | $1,194 | $29.84 |
| North Dakota | $61,989 | $5,166 | $1,192 | $29.80 |
| Pennsylvania | $61,376 | $5,115 | $1,180 | $29.51 |
| Virginia | $60,568 | $5,047 | $1,165 | $29.12 |
| Wisconsin | $59,795 | $4,983 | $1,150 | $28.75 |
| Ohio | $59,474 | $4,956 | $1,144 | $28.59 |
| Nebraska | $59,136 | $4,928 | $1,137 | $28.43 |
| Iowa | $59,091 | $4,924 | $1,136 | $28.41 |
| Delaware | $59,034 | $4,920 | $1,135 | $28.38 |
| South Dakota | $58,759 | $4,897 | $1,130 | $28.25 |
| Utah | $58,487 | $4,874 | $1,125 | $28.12 |
| Colorado | $57,873 | $4,823 | $1,113 | $27.82 |
| South Carolina | $57,698 | $4,808 | $1,110 | $27.74 |
| Alabama | $57,534 | $4,794 | $1,106 | $27.66 |
| New Mexico | $57,193 | $4,766 | $1,100 | $27.50 |
| Arkansas | $56,637 | $4,720 | $1,089 | $27.23 |
| Kansas | $56,077 | $4,673 | $1,078 | $26.96 |
| Florida | $55,912 | $4,659 | $1,075 | $26.88 |
| Oklahoma | $55,863 | $4,655 | $1,074 | $26.86 |
| Michigan | $55,625 | $4,635 | $1,070 | $26.74 |
| Mississippi | $55,310 | $4,609 | $1,064 | $26.59 |
| Kentucky | $54,793 | $4,566 | $1,054 | $26.34 |
| Illinois | $54,023 | $4,502 | $1,039 | $25.97 |
| Georgia | $53,483 | $4,457 | $1,029 | $25.71 |
| Missouri | $53,097 | $4,425 | $1,021 | $25.53 |
| Louisiana | $50,525 | $4,210 | $972 | $24.29 |
| North Carolina | $48,464 | $4,039 | $932 | $23.30 |
Top 50 Highest Paying States for PTA Jobs in the U.S.
We’ve identified six states where the typical salary for a PTA job is above the national average. Topping the list is Washington, with New York and California close behind in second and third. California beats the national average by 4.2%, and Washington furthers that trend with another $10,579 (15.4%) above the $68,552.
10 States Where Physical Therapist Assistants Earn the Least Money
Physical therapist assistant salaries are not so great in many states of the South, Midwest and the Rocky Mountains. In the worst-paying state for physical therapist assistants, South Dakota, the average salary is $43,180. That’s about $15,000 less than the national average salary for physical therapist assistants, $58,520. For many other jobs, the lowest-paying state is way more off the national average than South Dakota is for physical assistant therapist salaries, which is good news. The variance in state average salaries compared to the national average is not too big.
Below is a list of the top-10 lowest-paying states for physical therapist assistants:
- South Dakota average physical therapist assistant salary: $43,180
- Arizona average physical therapist assistant salary: $43,500
- North Dakota average physical therapist assistant salary: $46,830
- Mississippi average physical therapist assistant salary: $48,290
- Nebraska average physical therapist assistant salary: $49,480
- Idaho average physical therapist assistant salary: $51,170
- New Mexico average physical therapist assistant salary: $51,190
- Iowa average physical therapist assistant salary: $51,670
- Missouri average physical therapist assistant salary: $52,700
- Kentucky average physical therapist assistant salary: $53,080
Crypto Minsky MomentNow HappeningHow Much Do Physical Therapist Assistants Make in Each StateBelow you’ll find the average physical therapist assistant salary for all 50 states, from 2014 to 2019, which is the most recent year data is available for.
CONCLUSION
The hourly rate of a physical therapist varies depending on location, employer type, educational attainment, and other factors. Unsurprisingly, the highest hourly rates were found in metropolitan areas, such as New York or Philadelphia. In these locations, physical therapists working in private practices greatly increased their income potential. In Manhattan and Queens, for example, physical therapists earned an average hourly salary of $59. What’s more, the highest paid hourly rates in the country were found in Massachusetts and parts of New Jersey and Louisiana.
