The Salary Per Hour for a Physical Therapist

Facts

In a 2009 wages survey, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) determined the hourly salary of the country's physical therapists to be $36.64. While this was the average, the BLS also identified several industries that paid their physical therapists significantly higher per-hour rates. Leading the country was consulting services, paying $42.43 per hour for physical therapists. The home health care services industry also paid above-average hourly rates of $40.14. Nursing homes, with an hourly mean wage of $37.97, were slightly higher than the median as well.

Physical therapists on either side of the country earned higher hourly wages than their mid-country colleagues in 2009. Alaska took the honors for highest physical therapist salaries, with hourly wages of $42.02. Maryland earned second place at $41.44, with Nevada close behind at $41.04. New Jersey placed fourth with hourly rates of $40.28, followed by California at $40.26 per hour.

The path to earning a salary as a physical therapist involves an extended period of postsecondary education. Most applicants pursue a bachelor's degree (such as pre-physical therapy) and enroll in one of the American Physical Therapy Association's Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education's master's degree programs across the country. The Commission accredits schools such as University of the Pacific, Franklin Pierce University, Regis University, Husson University, Grand Valley State University, College of St. Scholastica, University of Mary and Pacific University. Prospective physical therapists must take the National Physical Therapy Examination to receive their licenses.

The BLS expects a 30 percent growth in the physical therapy employment field, adding 56,200 jobs through 2018. The Bureau suggests candidates seek employment in rural areas of their states, which often lack qualified applicants. The BLS anticipates the increased demand of physical therapy services in part due to the baby boomer population's health issues and schools' increased use of physical therapists to assist disabled students.