Prospective Student

[GatorRX]

Hello everyone,

I just recently graduated out of my undergraduate and am looking into a Masters Program for Physical Therapy. I've done quite a bit of research on the Internet regarding what the profession is all about, pretty much everything short of shadowing an actual PT and/or volunteering with one. From what I know about the profession, I feel I may have finally found something I am interested and will be good at. Working with patients, making a huge difference in their lives by helping restore their mobility probably is immensely rewarding to say the least.

Anyhow, I went to speak with the school's career counselor and she says the job market is very very hot for it and graduates are getting offers before they even obtain licensure, for around $45-$55K/yr. On the other hand, I know a friend from chuch who is a LPN Nurse and works with PT's all the time in home health care settings mostly. She tells me that the PT field is getting tougher because of Medicare reimbursements (which I already knew about) and that entry-level PT's are getting jobs for around $28-35K starting. This is a huge difference between what she is saying compared to what I see on the Internet as well as from the career counselor I spoke with.

So.... who's right? I mean, yes, I want to do something that I truly enjoy and would love to spend my time at. On the other hand, having a Masters degree, $28K IMO is ridiculously low. Either way, I'm going to shadow a PT soon, but I am a little concerned now regarding financial matters. There are plenty of other fields I can go into, and still enjoy it, but make more than $28K! Any opinions/comments/remarks? I'd love to hear what is going on with current graduates. BTW -- I'm in Central Florida (Orlando area)

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[SashaDPT]

It all depends on the region of the US you are in. Mid to upper 40's is what you can expect in the outpatient environment, upper 30's at the acute envirnoment and mid 50's in the home health environemnt. Let me know if you have any other questions.

 

[GatorRX]

It all depends on the region of the US you are in. Mid to upper 40's is what you can expect in the outpatient environment, upper 30's at the acute envirnoment and mid 50's in the home health environemnt. Let me know if you have any other questions.

I'm in the Southeastern part of the US (FL). I'd like to go the outpatient track, since I'd like to open my own rehab facility one day. So.... am I right to say $28K is totally out of the picture? Sheesh!

 

[DOctorJay]

Gator,

I can't imagine anyone getting 28K to start. I graduated in the Northeast which is fairly saturated with PTs and I got 2 jobs prior to licensure and both without formal interviews (I worked as an aide at one place and was a student affiliate at another). If you're looking at outpatient I would say right now you could be making 45-55K right out of school.

Don't forget that home health PTs make substantially more as they normally work as contract therapists and can negotiate their own rate - I'm currently in Louisiana and looking to get a contract position on top of my full time 40 hour work week at a rate of $50-55/hour. Nursing homes are another place to look for contract work. Please remember it's not all about the money but it is important to realize that the potential is there.

I was working at an acute care hospital and was on par to make a little over 40K a year and this was before I was licensed, as soon as I got licensed I would have gotten a pay raise. Didn't stay because I got offered a 120% raise to go back to a place I rotated as a student.

28K totally out of the picture.

-J

 

[SashaDPT]

OP Rehab, you are looking at high 40's, low 50's. Don't accept a job until the facility tells you how heavy your load is expected to be, how many PTA's will be underyou, what kind of case load (ie., workmans comp, medicare, authletic) you will have and whether the company allows ancillary staff treat, like authletic trainers and techs.

 

[Laurie Clute]

Sarah,

General information on PT salaries can be accessed via the internet. Go to the web pages for your state government. Look for Dept of Labor and Statistics. Wages can be found for occupations and often also broken down into counties. The information is not usually broken down by type of setting. You can also access general information at our national web site www.apta.org. Look at buttons on left column... perhaps try "Practice".

 

[Skialta]

28,000 is pretty low, I have never heard of a salary that low. Salary is really variable depending on what you do and who you work for and whether you contract or are an employee. Around here in the west for home care you are looking at $32-$40 to subcontract for home health. If you do 35 to 40 visits a week that is in the $70,000 to $75,000 range. It really depends on what you want to do and what interests you.

 

[SashaDPT]

Right now is the best time to look for a job. The key is to understand your own worth and negotiate for an apropriate compensation. For an educated and experienced PT, 30K is an insult.

 

[bigdan]

OP-
I agree with the above posters. I am at the top of a small not-for-profit company that plays by the rules (no quadruple booking of patients) and has a heavy Medicare/Medicaid caseload, and there is no way you'd be offered less than 40K by us, with a Bachelors Degree. The more "assertive" private outpatient practices can be quite a bit more lucrative, as can home health. Even some of the larger hospitals by me are paying 44K for new grad PTs.
Looking at caseload/expectations is essential. You CAN find a new grad job in the SE for 65K, perhaps at a for-profit giant or long term care facility. But you may find your ethics and sanity put to the test.
PT is a great field, and things, IMHO, are looking good for the job market.
Enjoy, and good luck.

dc