Salary differences by setting?

[Shelby029]

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I was curious if there was a salary difference between physical therapy settings? I know in OT ped's makes far less than SNF. Do settings in PT pay about the same? I realize that it varies by experience, region, ect. But if two people were working with the same amount of experience, in the same location, but in two different settings would it be about the same?

Thanks! 🙂

 

[jbizzle]

I know home health PT salary is usually more, regardless of location. But i think you already knew that. According to the BLS website the breakdown is like this: (This is national average, and self-reporting PTs with experience btw)

Home health care services $77,630
Nursing care facilities $76,680
General medical and surgical hospitals $73,270
Offices of physicians $72,790
Offices of other health practitioners $71,400

 

[Lizarde]

A friend of a friend that just graduated from PT school in May had the following to add in regards to pay in different settings.

I know private outpatient facilities are currently paying 46 - 52K for new grads in the Raleigh NC area. Travel and Home Health pay more, I've heard of them getting 75K depending on the location. The more rural and "in need" places outside of Raleigh (I know a classmate is in a small hospital in Ahoskie NC that started at 77K) will pay much more for all types of PT. Peds in the school setting is usually the lowest paying.
My understanding is this is the salaries from lowest to highest:
Pediatrics (especially in schools, outpatient peds is closer to outpatient ortho)
Outpatient Orthopedics
Acute Care
Rehab
Skilled Nursing Facilities
Home Health (Varies depending on location and patient population)
Travel PT.

Some PT places were paying slightly less this year b/c of the uncertainty of the new healthcare system. Medicare/Medicaid are cutting how much they pay PTs for services, so I am not sure how this will affect you when you are finished with school in 3 years. But, its a good profession and I enjoy it.

 

[MuscleHead]

46-52k???? i cannot get over the inconsistency in these suggested salaries. that is a terrible, terrible salary for someone with a 3 yr post-bacc degree. if that figure is true i would move in a heartbeat

 

[trichic]

I just shadowed a PT today with one year experience working at a hospital near Raleigh, NC. Her pay is $26.50 per hour. She said classmates of hers working outpatient ortho in the Pittsburgh area are making less than her and that when she interviewed in Raleigh the pay was less than where she is now. Here is what I find interesting: About 5 years ago I looked into a local PTA program and they stated that the average salary for their PTA graduates was mid 40's. I went to a DPT open house at a university 3 years ago and they said their graduates were making high 60's starting out. When I go on bls.gov and look up the average salary for my state, the pay is @$77k. You can also look up the average salary for your state by setting. For my state, all settings listed were in the $70's. This is not the same information that I have been hearing lately, so I am not sure how accurate the bls info is.

 

[seminolefish]

I shadowed in Tallahassee FL and at an Ortho OP clinic I was told the range which was in the low 60's-mid 70's. Then I shadowed at two SNFs and one of the therapists definitely gave me a hint when she told me to go a private school. I told her going to a private school would be way too much to even think about paying back;she then said she made in the 70-80's range... def better than ortho and I asked her about the disparity and she confirmed. It's so wishy-washy with employers sometimes. The power to negotiate is very important as there are plenty of jobs to seek out as well.

 

[trichic]

Seminolefish, did the PT give you a reason why you should go to a private school and why there is such the disparity in pay? Today,I spoke to the clinic manager of another place I'm volunteering and she also said low$50's for PT pay. She said part of the reason for lower pay is due to what is going on with medicare reimbursements.

 

[jbizzle]

Seminolefish, im here in Tallahassee now, I want to know which setting this was in. I probably volunteerd there. I can only think of some people actually who went to University of St. Augustine that would have said that. And another one that went to NOVA.

 

[rlw237]

In Pittsburgh upmc has outpt PT at 23.50 hr, in pat 24.50, travel 25. And a dollar an hour if the job is located downtown. Got wind that facility directors (in charge of 1 clinic) are making about 75-85k. While pod leaders are making around 95-115 (in charge of 4-8 clinics depending on size) Would love to know what the guy/girl who own all or CRS is making. Woof. Facility director and pod director salaries were heresay.

 

[jbizzle]

In Pittsburgh upmc has outpt PT at 23.50 hr, in pat 24.50, travel 25. And a dollar an hour if the job is located downtown. Got wind that facility directors (in charge of 1 clinic) are making about 75-85k. While pod leaders are making around 95-115 (in charge of 4-8 clinics depending on size) Would love to know what the guy/girl who own all or CRS is making. Woof. Facility director and pod director salaries were heresay.

Dang, my sister is an RN and makes more than that. Granted its not in Pittsburgh. She makes around 32/hr in Tallahassee, FL, with 3-4 yrs after graduating I think.

 

[jbizzle]

46-52k???? i cannot get over the inconsistency in these suggested salaries. that is a terrible, terrible salary for someone with a 3 yr post-bacc degree. if that figure is true i would move in a heartbeat

I definitely agree. The only way I would take 46 to 52 is if the hospital or clinic pays for my loans. And once the contract is up i would move. But like I said before, im not trying to get into PT school for the money anyway, but even I know this is low for 3 year post bacc.

 

[rlw237]

Speaking of people picking up loans, anyone consider the national healt service, army, navy, airforce haven't looked into it to much but my soon to be father in law is a colonel in the airforce and said they'll take care of me loan wise if I did commit. Granted his recommendation would keep me on the homeland but I'm undecided. There is always that risk

 

[jbizzle]

Speaking of people picking up loans, anyone consider the national healt service, army, navy, airforce haven't looked into it to much but my soon to be father in law is a colonel in the airforce and said they'll take care of me loan wise if I did commit. Granted his recommendation would keep me on the homeland but I'm undecided. There is always that risk

There is a post on here about National Guard, and on the post they said the people that decided to do National Guard to pay off loans are in Iraq or Afgan now. This is probably not the same thing youre talking about.

So....IDK how much influence your soon to be father in law has on the military (which actually angers me that there are people who joined the military to payoff school are in iraq now, and you wont be because you know someone high up. I guess its true about the noble getting preferential treatment over commoners even if they sign up for the same thing: see Plaxico Buress vs. Dick Cheney) but there is always that chance. Just like someone else posted, only joined if you actually wont mind serving. (you'll never know what can happen)

 

[Hopein2010]

.

 

[GAgrl]

I didnt get any offers over $26 an hour as a PT new grad 3 years ago. I now make $30 an hour 3 years later(I work in inpatient rehab).

 

[psu17]

this site is interesting you can type in any job and any city and it will tell you the average salary - it also has information on how salaries differ for different settings for PT

http://www.indeed.com/salary?q1=physical+therapist&l1=


I live in a very small town and I'm pretty sure the number they gave was almost dead on for my hometown - I'm wondering if the other cities are as accurate

 

[GAgrl]

This site is waaaaay off for the city I am in (and I know the salary of many of my friends in PT this is 10-20 K high)

 

[seminolefish]

Seminolefish, im here in Tallahassee now, I want to know which setting this was in. I probably volunteerd there. I can only think of some people actually who went to University of St. Augustine that would have said that. And another one that went to NOVA.

It was Centre Point and the link to the salary site at the last post seems accurate from what I've heard in Tallahassee... She didn't go to USA but highly recommended it because of the pay she was receiving. (70K-80K range) I'm considering travel therapy for a few years but we will see.

 

[seminolefish]

what city are you from GAgirl?

 

[seminolefish]

..

 

[leon24]

Yeah that link above is not very accurate. (too high) From the investigating I've done; the average PT salary considering new graduates and PTs with 20+ years experience is about $77,000. Not $90,000 like that site claims, although it would be nice 🙂

 

[psu17]

damn haha..i live in a very small town..low salaries for everything here..maybe thats why it was accurate oh well

 

[Chevy Chase Fan]

Damn, these salaries suck for the amount of work and debt a PT education requires. It seems like unless you couldn't possibly be happy doing something else, going into PT is a generally bad investment. I've heard that nurses graduating with 2 year degrees make 25-30 bucks an hour starting (correct me if I'm wrong). They have no debt and are in the workforce as 20 year olds, while PT grads spend a minimum of 6 years in school, probably more, and incur similar debt to pharmacy, optometry, and dentistry grads while making a fraction of their salary.

Still not ruling it out, but this is the main thing holding me back from pursuing PT.

 

[ksiem]

Same problem for me chevychase. I'm just banking on the fact that the DPT salary will catch up with the new autonomy that the DPT will bring (which I hope it does). In my case, I graduated in May with my bachelors. If I try to head to med school, I won't be in for at least two years (I'm lacking orgo 1 and 2). Then, residency and I'll be 31. I would rather be done w/PT school at age 25 and make less money at this point. However, medical school still sounds pretty good.

 

[Chevy Chase Fan]

I've noticed quite a few former PTs on this forum who left the field to go to medical school. Might be worth looking up their posts. If PT is what you're really interested in it shouldn't matter, but I know for me, after volunteering for a few months now, I know that this isn't the right career for me. Good luck to everyone.

 

[ksiem]

What didn't you like about your shadowing? What profession are you going to seek?