Introduction
At one point during your life, you or someone you know must have experienced severe or minor accidents that may have instilled severe pain in the injured part of the body. Most of the time doctors advise undergoing physical therapy sessions to overcome such situations, here is where the role of the physical therapist comes into play. If you plan to pursue this career, you must wonder how much they earn per session. Let us know about the salaries for a physical therapist and the educational requirements of a Physical Therapist in this article.
The salaries of a physical therapist depends
There are many factors like education, experience, work location, working hours, and work environment, on which the salary of a physical therapist depends. They mostly charge on the basis of the therapy sessions. The Per session charges may vary depending on the factors stated above. A physical therapist’s salary is furthermore computed by characteristics like specialization, sector, and employer, in addition to location and Education.
Starting Salary of a Physical Therapist
The beginning pay for physical therapists is significantly lower, as with any profession. According to PayScale, Inc. data, an entry-level physical therapist may anticipate making an annual salary of $66,935 on average.
Physical Therapist starting salary determinant factors
Location
Incomes vary based on where you live in the countryside or an urban location. Physical therapists’ beginning salaries are lower in metro locations due to the high concentration of Physical Therapists there and the widespread desire to live in the city, in addition to the reality that the cost of living is typically greater in these places.
Travel-Readiness and Flexibility
Your adaptability will have the most impact on the amount of money you start with each year. Opportunities for increased pay will become available if you’re willing to work in a new environment, such as home health care or a skilled nursing facility. Although the number of years of experience you have to give is out of your control as a recent graduate, You could hunt for jobs that pay really well regardless of experience.
Environment
The environment in which you practice will affect your first payment. Physical therapists prefer to work in hospitals, nursing homes, and outpatient clinics more compared to hospitals. Although pay at various kinds of clinics varies greatly, a private outpatient clinic often offers the lowest wages. By engaging in nursing care work, you may easily earn an additional 18% of your Annual wage.
Hourly salary of a Physical Therapist
The estimated percentile hourly wages for Physical Therapists, according to reports by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics previous year, are as follows:
| Percentile | Hourly Wage |
| 10% | $ 29.77 |
| 25% | $ 37.38 |
| 50% | $ 45.97 |
| 75% | $ 49.00 |
| 90% | $ 61.11 |
Salary of a Physical Therapist based on industry
The industry is an extremely significant component that determines the salary of a Physical Therapist. In addition, salaries of a physical therapist vary greatly by industry. The table below provides information on the Annual mean wage for physical therapists across a few different sectors, as reported by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics:
| Sectors | Mean Wage (Hourly) | Mean Wage (Annual) |
| Child Day Care Services | $ 49.06 | $ 102,050 |
| Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals | $ 48.70 | $ 101,290 |
| Nursing Care Facilities | $ 48.44 | $ 100,760 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | $ 53.56 | $ 111,410 |
| Home Health Care Services | $ 50.72 | $ 105,510 |
Salaries of a Physical Therapist based on location
As discussed above, a significant fact that influences the salary of a Physical therapist is the work location. The states and regions with the greatest documented physical therapist location quotients and salaries, as listed by the US Bureau of Labor are as follows:
| State | Mean Wage (Hourly) | Mean Wage (Annual) |
| Newyork | $ 44.18 | $ 91,890 |
| Texas | $ 47.28 | $ 98,340 |
| Florida | $ 43.57 | $ 90,630 |
| Pennsylvania | $ 45.39 | $ 94,400 |
| California | $ 49.77 | $ 103,510 |
| New Jersey | $ 47.85 | $ 99,530 |
| Delaware | $ 48.31 | $ 100,490 |
| Connecticut | $ 48.64 | $ 101,180 |
| Nevada | $ 50.10 | $ 104,210 |
Several reports tell that Physical therapists who manage their clinics make more money than the average, but they have more possibilities and responsibilities.
How to become a Physical Therapist?
Now that you have a fair idea about the salary factor and this must have given you an idea of how much you will be able to make if you take this career path. However, this won’t be enough to help you gain knowledge about how to pursue the path so further let’s look at how you can become a Physical Therapist.
Before beginning their careers, prospective physical therapists must complete an authorized Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) school and get a state license. A graduate degree with rigorous preparatory courses in biology, chemistry, physics, anatomy, physiology, psychology, and statistics is required for admission to a DPT program.It takes effort and commitment to become a physical therapist, but doing so may open the door to a career of helping people and changing the world. Fulfilling the educational requirements for physical therapists will help you become one.
Educational requirements of a Physical Therapist
A Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree is difficult to get and takes several years to finish. During their time in a DPT program, students spend several hours in class, honing their practical skills, and learning from clinical instructors in a variety of clinical settings.
In contrast, some higher-level degrees are attained by people. It is primarily intended for researchers and those who wish to improve their body of knowledge in such a career. The science of physical therapy and the development of this occupation depends on these degrees, even though they do not train graduates to become licensed physical therapists.
Conclusion
The greatest course of action after earning your license as a physical therapist is to open your clinic; it may be challenging at first, but it will pay off as your career progresses. However, if you are facing financial challenges, it could not be possible; in that case, it would be preferable to find employment, taking the sector/industry and location as crucial factors. With the knowledge and skills you’ll gain from the work, you can go on to open your clinics to provide healthcare for others.
