The physical therapy assistant (PTA) is a position that has grown in demand within the last two decades, and shows every probability of continuing to be a high growth field in the decades to come. The aging population of baby boomers coupled with the rise in the personal health and exercise arena have no doubt led to the current shortage of physical therapist assistants.
The current demand for the occupation is so great that specialization is beginning to become commonplace, with assistants focusing their skills on sports or exercise related injuries for the majority of their careers. Others that originally enter as just aids go on to becoming certified physical therapist and even start their own private practice.
Physical Therapy Assistant Salary
The advantage of a career as a PTA is twofold. First, is the fact that it takes only a high school diploma to qualify for entry into a school or training program. Second, is the fact that a physical therapy assistant salary can be as high as $40,000 a year right after graduation from an accredited physical therapy assistant school.
Top job sites list the average salary for a physical therapist assistant in California as $101,000 as of Sept. 2011. The average salaries for job postings in California are 6% higher than average salaries for job postings nationwide. This draws a lot of PTA's to this state to earn higher wages.
The Bureau of Labor indicates that as of May 2009, the national occupational employment and wages for physical therapy Aid is as high as $66,000. Industries with the highest published employment for this occupation are, offices of other health practitioners, general medical and surgical hospitals, nursing care facilities, and home healthcare services. These industries offer a mean wage of over $52,000.
Industries with the highest published wages for this occupation are, home healthcare services, employment services, nursing care facilities, community care facilities for the elderly, and individual and family services. These industries offer a mean wage of over $60,000.
Physical Therapy Assistant Schools
Physical therapy assistant schools and training programs usually take only a couple of years and each state carries their own requirements. Certain states may require the applicant to hold an associates degree, and most require some form of licensure.
States with the highest published employment concentrations and wages for this occupation are, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Oklahoma and Massachusetts. The top paying States for this occupation are, Texas, California, Nevada, Connecticut and Florida.
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of workers in this occupation are, New Bedford, MA, Gadsden, AL, and Bowling Green, KY. The top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation are, McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX , Corpus Cristy, TX, and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA.
Physical Therapy Assistant Vs. Physical Therapist
Although a PTA may not be as highly regarded as a Physical Therapist, it is important to remember that entry into this field can be much easier and quicker and require a much smaller financial investment to begin earning a decent salary. In today’s difficult economic times, it may prove wiser to gain entry into this expanding field as a physical therapy assistant and later move up to a full fledged Physical Therapist with a wealth of training and experience behind you.
Medical and scientific research is changing the way some therapy’s or treatments of injuries and ailments are conducted. An assistant conducts treatment under the supervision of the physical therapist and may treat a patient alone or in collaboration with the physical therapist or medical doctor.
Orthopedic surgeons have advanced the science of knee and hip replacement procedures to such a degree that thousands are performed each year requiring hours and hours of physical therapy to redevelop the mobility, strength and balance for each patient. The assistant may become proficient with the use of a variety of treatments such as exercise, massage, ultrasound, hot and cold therapy and electrical stimulation in order to rehabilitate the human body to as close to full recovery as possible.
Physical Therapy Assistant Jobs And Duties
Therapists use the services and skills of the assistants in a variety of ways including the documentation and reporting of patient responses to treatments and patient progress. One day you can be concentrating on clerical duties and the next you’re teaching patients how to use the myriad of different kinds of equipment and exercises necessary to continue treatment while at home. It can be said that no day is always the same as the last and the physical therapy assistant who enjoys working with people and the success of rehabilitating people on the mend, can enjoy a satisfying and lucrative career in healthcare.
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