How Much Does a Physical Therapist Make?

Physical therapists are responsible for assisting patients with injuries or chronic medical conditions, rehabilitating their physical movement, and treat their pain.

Physical therapists provide individual care to patients of all ages who have arthritis, sprains, back injuries, fractures, birth injuries, amputations, and many other conditions. Physical therapists diagnose the patients, set up a treatment plan, use therapy to increase their ability, and evaluate patient progress.

Salary
How much do physical therapists make? According to May 2012 records from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual physical therapist salary is $81,110. In other words, the 191,460 physical therapists employed nationwide received a mean hourly wage of $38.99. The lowest ten percent of the field earned an annual salary of $55,620, while the top ten percent of physical therapists earned a sizeable annual salary of $112,020.

However, the salary of a physical therapist varies greatly depending on experience level, location, industry, and specialty. The highest paying industries for physical therapists are in home health care services at $90,440, as well as scientific consulting services at $87,170 annually. Physical therapists specialized in pediatrics can earn up to $77,737 each year, while those trained in neurology can make up to $116,350. Newly licensed physical therapists with less than one year of experience may only earn around $69,858, but those with 20 plus years of experience tend to gross up to $98,281.

Furthermore, the top-paying states within the physical therapy occupation are Nevada at $110,670, Alaska at $89,950, and New Jersey at $89,830. On the flip side, the states with the lowest annual salary for physical therapists are Hawaii at $67,000, Louisiana at $71,000, and Nebraska at $74,000. While all states compensate physical therapists quite well, physical therapists can earn a very lucrative six-figure salary within certain industries and states.

Work Environment
Physical therapists typically find employment in private health offices or clinics, hospitals, home health care services, and residential nursing home facilities. In addition, around 7 percent of all physical therapists are self-employed within their own practice or partnership. The work day for a physical therapist can be quite demanding, requiring the individual to spend most of the time on their feet and active. The vast majority of physical therapists work full-time schedules, although an estimated 29 percent work part-time. With advances in medical technology and an aging population, it is expected that the work environment for physical therapists will continue to prosper at a faster than average rate of 39 percent from 2010 to 2020.

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