Here is all the information you need to find out if a career in physical therapy is right for you. If you like to learn about anatomy, pathology and how the body functions, have a desire to help people, and find the idea of working in the medical field exciting then a career in physical therapy might be right for you. Let’s look at the types of jobs available, the education needed for each and where the profession can take you.
What are the different types of jobs in physical therapy?
There are three primary job titles for people that work in physical therapy, a physical therapist (PT), a physical therapist assistant (PTA), and a physical therapy technician. The PT and the PTA are both licensed health care providers that require graduation from an accredited college program and passing of a licensure exam. The physical therapy technician does not have a license and does not have specific educational requirements. Each of these jobs are very different.
The job title with the greatest responsibility (and therefore the longest education) is the physical therapist. Physical therapists are professionals that are licensed by the state in which they work. They are the first person to interact with a patient when they are referred to physical therapy. They are responsible for evaluating the patient, arriving at a diagnosis, and developing a plan of care for treatment. The physical therapist will then treat directly or choose to utilize the physical therapist assistant to provide treatment to the patient.
The physical therapist assistant is also a licensed health care provider. They work under the direction and supervision of the physical therapist and assist the PT in the treatment of the patient. A physical therapist assistant reviews the plan of care established by the PT and then provides a variety of treatments to help the patient get better and reach their physical therapy goals.
A physical therapy technician is a support person that works under the supervision of the physical therapist and assists the PT and/or PTA as they provide treatment. While there are some certificate programs that teach you the basics of how to be a PT technician, most of the time PT techs are trained on the job. PT technicians are also used to perform many other functions related to maintaining the physical therapy department and equipment. Generally, those that work as PT techs take the position to gain experience in the field before applying to a PT or PTA education program.
How much school will I need?
It requires 7 years (4 years undergraduate and 3 years of graduate) of college to become a physical therapist and 2 to 2 ½ years of college to become a physical therapist assistant. Working as a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant require graduation from an accredited program. Accreditation means an educational program has met and continues to meet the official formal requirements outlined by the accrediting organization. For both PTs and PTAs, graduation from an accredited program is necessary to sit for the licensure exam. So, if you chose to attend a non-accredited program you would not be eligible to get your license or work as a PT or PTA.
Physical therapist programs are graduate level programs which require a Bachelor’s degree before you can apply. Once accepted, a PT program usually lasts 3 years. Therefore, the total amount of college required is seven years. Graduates of a physical therapy program earn an entry-level doctorate degree in physical therapy. Physical therapist assistant programs require two or two and a half years and graduates earn an Associate’s level degree. Most, but not all PTA programs are housed in two-year colleges. Working as a physical therapy technician does not require any additional education.
How much does school cost?
Physical Therapist School
The average total cost of tuition and fees (living expenses and books not included) to earn a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree is $102,874. To estimate the costs of PT school it is necessary to include the cost of an undergraduate degree with the cost of the physical therapy program. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average tuition cost for a Bachelor’s degree at a public 4-year institution is about $36,800 (2018-19). The cost of tuition in 2019-20 to earn a Physical Therapy degree from a public institution is $66,074 as reported by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).
Physical Therapist Assistant School
The average cost of tuition and fees (not including living expenses or books) to earn an Associates in Physical Therapist Assistant is $16,459. PTA programs are about two and a half years long on average and a majority are in 2-year colleges so the cost of tuition tends to be lower. In the most common program format students must take pre-requisite courses for a semester before applying to the program. The average cost for a semester at a public 2-year college is $3,700. CAPTE reports as of 2019-20 the average cost for the PTA program is $12,759. For more information about the cost of PT/PTA school you can follow this link to CAPTE’s website, http://www.capteonline.org/AggregateProgramData
An important factor to consider for both degrees is the current number of states that offer free tuition for community college or in some cases two years’ worth of tuition at a 4-year college. According to U.S. News there are at least 24 states that offer free community college for low to middle income families. Many other states offer some break on tuition for Associate degrees. These programs make it possible to reduce the cost of a physical therapy degree or even possibly allow you to get your physical therapist assistant degree for free!
What will I learn in school for physical therapy?
At the core of both PT and PTA curricula are classes that teach you about human anatomy and function, pathology, about data collection techniques, intervention (treatment) techniques, and working on the healthcare team. To better understand what is taught it is helpful to look at the 5 components of physical therapy.
A PT must be able to perform all 5 components, but the PTA is only responsible for one, intervention. The biggest difference is that physical therapists need to be able to examine, evaluate and diagnose a patient. The PT’s responsibility requires much more in-depth education about the medical diagnosis and management of people. PTs spend a great deal of time learning about testing techniques to evaluate all the body systems and how to use that information to arrive at a diagnosis and treatment plan. The PTA education focuses primarily on intervention techniques because that is their role in the PT-PTA team. In simpler terms, PTs learn how to diagnose a problem, create a treatment plan for that problem, and then fix the problem. PTAs learn how to fix the problem.
Can I find a job in physical therapy?
If you are worried about being able to find a job after getting your PT or PTA degree, you don’t need to. CAPTE collects outcome date for all PT and PTA programs and reports that in 2019-20, 99% of PT program graduates and 98% of PTA program graduates were employed in the year following graduation. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the need for physical therapists will grow by 18% and the need for physical therapist assistants and PT techs to increase by 29% between 2019 and 2029. The good news is that once you graduate, you can find a job and the demand for physical therapists and physical therapist assistants will remain high for at least the next decade. This is due in part to the growing number of older people. The number of Americans over age 65 is expected to double over the next 40 years. In addition, people are much more active in their later years and want to be able to stay active. They will actively seek out physical therapy services to make sure that they continue to function at the highest level possible, and that is what we do.
How much can I make working in physical therapy?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that as of 2019 the average annual salary for physical therapists is $89,440, for physical therapist assistants $58,790, and for physical therapy technicians $26,240. There are many factors that go into determining your potential annual income such as the healthcare setting, amount of experience, and any specialized training or advanced certifications. PTs and PTAs working in Nursing and residential care facilities generally make more money than those working in a hospital or outpatient physical therapy office. In addition, pay will vary significantly based on geographical location and the supply and demand in that area. As with many jobs the more experience you have, the more money you are likely to make. You can compare the annual salaries listed above with the starting salaries for new graduates. PayScale reports the average salary at entry-level (no experience) is $66,740 for a physical therapist and $44,689 for a physical therapist assistant. One way to earn some extra money is to pursue additional certifications while you are working. There are many opportunities to become certified in a specialty area of physical therapy such as orthopedics, geriatrics, or neurology. Having advanced training can also give you an edge when negotiating salary or applying for a new job.
For more information on salaries and job outlook, you can explore the Bureau of Labor Statistics website here: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/
Where can I work in physical therapy?
One of the really great things about a career in physical therapy is that you can choose to work in a large variety of settings including in-patient facilities, out-patient facilities, schools, patient’s homes, or businesses. One of the goals of a PT or PTA education is to make sure you have clinical experiences in a variety of settings. Here are examples of the kinds of places physical therapy services are provided:
Out-patient private practices employ the most PTs and PTAs with acute care hospitals second. Another option is to work as a traveling PT or PTA. A traveler works on temporary assignments that typically last a few months in locations all over the country. This can be a wonderful way to explore new places and work settings while working in physical therapy. If you wanted to work as a traveling PT provider, you would arrange your assignments through an agency.
As previously mentioned, you can choose to work in any of these environments OR if you get burned out in one type of setting you can decide to go in a completely different direction. This mobility gives you an opportunity to re-invent your career if things start getting stale.
So, if you are trying to decide if a career in physical therapy might be right for you, ask yourself these questions:
- Do you like learning about how the human body works?
- Does the idea of working in the medical field excite you?
- Do you want to help people?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, then physical therapy might be the right choice for you.
Reading this was the highlight of my day, so informative and well-written.
Travis,
Thanks for the reading and for the kind words.