Physical Therapy Salary in USA

The average salary a physical therapy professional practicing in the United States can expect to receive, according to a recent survey by Salary.com, is $69,946.
By: Nitin Chhoda
 
July 19, 2009 - PRLog -- The average salary a physical therapy professional practicing in the United States can expect to receive, according to a recent survey by Salary.com, is $69,946. This generous basic compensation along with attractive benefits contributes to the increasing popularity of this profession among people today, aside from the fact that the current lifestyle and population trends warrant an increase in physical therapy services.

The average salary for an entry-level physical therapist position was found to be $54,632, according to PayScale.com. This is quite a respectable amount given the level of education needed before you can practice. Other factors can affect this annual amount though, like where you practice, the facility you are employed by, your level of experience, as well as the credentials you bring to the establishment. So overall, there is quite a bit of room to grow in.

The increased demand for physical therapy services may have given rise to the better compensation packages on offer, which can keep getting better. In addition to better compensation, steps were also taken to fill these positions by opening them up to foreign-trained physical therapists. This means there are truly numerous opportunities out there that are not being locally met yet and are open to those who are interested.

Along with the enticing basic salary, employers put together an attractive benefits package, which can include dental, medical, optical, disability and life insurance; paid vacations; 401(k); stock purchase plan for employees; etc. Physical therapists trained abroad can receive coverage or assistance in airfare costs, board and lodgings, work visas, immigration and moving costs, etc.

Given these enticements, it is still important for you to discern where you will finally choose to practice as different states compensate differently. For instance, while New York and Houston offers the highest average salary by city, California offers the highest salary per state (PayScale research). Also consider the costs of living per area - these three locations are known to have high costs of living so most of your high pay here will still go towards living expenses in the end.

In addition, various types of employers compensate differently. For example, self-employed therapists' average salary come out to be $46 per hour while therapists employed by universities only get $30 per hour. Other facilities, like government and non-profit organizations, private clinics, and hospitals compensate between $30-$40 per hour.

Consider, too, the level of qualification and amount of work experience you bring to your prospective employer. Therapists who have trained longer and get their certificates of specialties will definitely get paid more than those with just a basic level of physical therapy training and education. Also, therapists who have logged in more work experience over the years and have seen and treated more types of patients will definitely be compensated better for the expertise that they bring to their employer's facility.

For instance, a therapist who specialized in Wound Care with 1-4 years of experience is paid around $36.61 per hour while an entry level therapist with less than a year's experience is paid $26.81 per hour. Therefore, you should consider this factor for determining wages carefully during the early stages of your career so you can prepare accordingly and decide on a specialty, if that is what you want to do.

Now, armed with the basic information regarding physical therapy salary, it is up to you to plot out your career chart and take these factors into consideration so you can achieve your career goals.

Nitin Chhoda has a blog on physical therapy marketing . Get a free physical therapy marketing system with a DVD, book on physical therapy marketing and over 8 hours of audio on marketing physical therapy and forever change the way you market your clinic.

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Nitin Chhoda has a blog on personal trainer marketing and physical therapy marketing at http://www.nitin360.com and his physical therapy private practice marketing system is available with a money-back guarantee at http://www.therapynewsletter.com
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Source:Nitin Chhoda
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Tags:Health And Fitness, Physical Therapy, Marketing
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