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Physical Therapy Assistant Outcomes & Career Options

Outcomes & Career Options

The physical therapist assistant (PTA) is a licensed or certified healthcare professional who works under the supervision of a physical therapist to help implement treatment plans that improve patient mobility, relieve pain, and promote overall physical function. PTAs assist with therapeutic exercises, functional training, and other interventions, while also monitoring patient progress and reporting to the supervising therapist. The extent of their responsibilities may vary depending on state regulations, the policies of the healthcare facility, and the needs of individual patients. PTAs work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, rehabilitation centers, outpatient clinics, and nursing homes.

Educational Qualifications

One year at La Sierra University to complete the pre-requisites and one additional year in a Physical Therapy Assistant program. When professional training is completed the candidate is eligible to take the licensing exam.

Job Outlook

 


19% Job Market Growth

$33,520 Median Salary

 

The median annual wage for physical therapist aides was $33,520 in May 2023. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $23,070, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $43,980.

The median annual wage for physical therapist assistants was $64,080 in May 2023. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $42,110, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $88,830.

In May 2023, the median annual wages for physical therapist aides in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:

  • Nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities) $42,180
  • Hospitals; state, local, and private $36,970
  • Offices of physicians $36,210
  • Government $31,700
  • Offices of physical, occupational and speech therapists, and audiologists $31,200

Partial information in this page was retrieved from Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Physical Therapist Assistants and Aides, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physical-therapist-assistants-and-aides.htm (visited April 17, 2024).

Contact Us

prehealth@lasierra.edu
951-785-2661
Gladwyn Hall, 2nd Floor

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