How Much Do Physical Therapists Make?
If you’re wondering how much physical therapists make, you’ve come to the right place. This article takes an in-depth look at job growth and salaries of physical therapists across the country over the next decade.
If you’re considering a job in healthcare, now is a great time to pursue a career in physical or occupational therapy. The demand for these high-level positions is projected to remain high for the foreseeable future, meaning rising salaries and benefits for skilled professionals.
How Much Do Physical Therapists Make?
How much a physical therapist can make via salary can vary dramatically depending on several factors, including location, age, experience, education, skill-level, type of position and several others.
As represented in the graph below, physical therapists can expect to earn a median hourly wage of $39.61, or $82,390 per year, but this is largely dependent upon the individuals skill level and location.
If you’re looking to earn more, however, you can directly influence this figure to increase your income further by specializing in a particular area, doing consulting work, travelling, or by running your own practice.
Return on Investment for Physical Therapists
In order to become a physical therapist, students must pursue a bachelor’s degree, generally taking 4 years of your time. This must be followed by the completion of either a master's or doctoral program, and students may complete a residency if they so desire. You must then acquire the required state license. In total, physical therapists are looking at a minimum of 6 years of higher education and the costs that come along with it.
The return on investment for PTs will ultimately vary based on the individual, their circumstances, the school of choice, the location in which they work, whether they choose to work in corporate, government, or private practices, and other factors. Higher level positions generally require that students go further into debt in order to complete their education, so being sure about what you want before pursuing a career as a physical therapist is paramount.
Regardless of which path you choose, with a projected 105,000 new physical therapists being employed between 2016 and 2030, you can be confident that you’ll have a position waiting on you if you choose to pursue this career path.
