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Physical Therapy Aides Schools, Salaries, and Job Data

Physical Therapy Aides Job Overview

Physical therapy aides help physical therapists when they treat the patients. A physical therapy aide may help a patient exercise or train him/her to use crutches, while also ensuring therapy equipment is ready for use.

Physical Therapy Aides Schools and Degrees

Generally, a high school diploma is required to become a physical therapy aide. Vocational training from a community college or vocational school can also be beneficial.

Job Requirements

Training is an essential requisite for a physical therapy aide. They are typically trained on the job by physical therapists.

Usually no licensure is required for a physical therapy aide. However, if they wish to advance in this field they should earn a formal education and as much experience as possible.

Physical therapy aides need to have a genuine desire to help others. They should also be well organized and have an eye for detail. As they interact with patients and therapists, good communication skills are helpful.

Nature of Work

Physical therapy aides are accountable for keeping the area of treatment clean and organized. They are also supposed to make all the necessary preparations for each patient’s therapy. When required, they move patients from one treatment area to another. If the need arises, they may apply hot and cold packs and keep a record of the condition of the patient by noting and reporting signs like those of anguish and fatigue. Routine physical therapy treatments are usually performed by physical therapy aides.

Physical therapy aides generally work in a team comprised of doctors, physical therapists and nurses. They work in health care facilities, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, schools for the physically challenged and physical therapy offices. Physical therapy aides need to have sufficient physical strength in order to assist patients with their treatment. Their work hours depend on the health care facility where they work. .

Physical Therapy Aides Jobs and Outlook

According to research in 2006, physical therapy aides held about 46,000 jobs in the US. Employment is expected to grow by 24% over the next ten years and is highest in the following industries:< /p>

  • Genaral Medical and Surgical Hospitals
  • Nursing Care Facilities
  • Offices of Other Health Practitioners
  • Offices of Physicians
  • Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals

The mean hourly wage for physical therapy aides in the US is about $11.58, while the mean annual wages are around $24,080.

Job Numbers and Growth

There are an estimated 46,000 physical therapy aides nationally. Most recently, workers have experienced a very low level of joblessness. An estimated 2% of employees did not have employment in 2008.

Area Job Conditions

Employees -of-a-feather seem to flock to Provo (Utah), Lawton (Oklahoma), and Pascagoula (Mississippi). They are less likely to be found around Rochester (New York), Atlanta (Georgia), and Charlotte (North Carolina).

Compensation of physical therapy aides is best in Colorado Springs (Colorado), Salinas (California), and Denver (Colorado), and much worse in Laredo (Texas), Parkersburg (West Virginia), and Provo (Utah).

Training and Education

Workers often find employers are looking for short-term on-the-job training. Employees, in 23% of cases, have bachelor's degree or higher. After high school, 65% of physical therapy aides pursued some additional career education. Workers, in 12% of cases, had only a high school education. Recommended schools are shown in the column to the right; request information from them to help you decide which if any could help you with this career.

Part-Time Work and Self-Employment

Physical therapy aides employed part-time are 27% of the total.


Career Video for Physical Therapy Aides

Physical Therapy Aides by Metropolitan Area (city and its surroundings)

In the table below, a Job Density near 0% means the area has an average number of people in this occupation, for its population. A higher or lower Job Density (e.g., +22% or -45%) tells you there are that many more or fewer workers of that type there than in the average US metro area. So, the higher the number, the more common the occupation.

Alabama

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Birmingham$22,000180+23%
Mobile$21,00060+21%
Montgomery$19,00070+52%

Arizona

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Phoenix$25,000570+8%
Tucson$26,000200+95%

Arkansas

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Fayetteville$23,00070+31%
Little Rock$19,000180+91%

California

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Bakersfield$25,000140+92%
Chico$24,00080+357%
Fresno$28,000130+41%
Merced$22,00040+182%
Modesto$27,00060+36%
Oakland$32,000230-21%
Oxnard$27,000230+180%
Redding$25,00070+319%
Riverside$26,000510+42%
Sacramento$25,000240-4%
Salinas$34,00070+69%
San Diego$23,000390+3%
San Francisco$29,000180-36%
San Jose$32,000230-11%
San Luis Obispo$23,00080+209%
Santa Ana$26,000590+37%
Santa Barbara$25,00050+11%
Santa Rosa$31,00040-20%
Stockton$23,00060+3%
Vallejo$31,00030-7%
Visalia$23,00040+12%

Colorado

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Colorado Springs$35,00060-13%
Denver$33,000160-55%
Fort Collins$26,00040+26%

Connecticut

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Bridgeport$32,000200+64%
Hartford$31,000130-20%
New Haven$26,000100+30%
Waterbury$27,00030+74%

Delaware

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Wilmington$28,000140+54%

District of Columbia

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Washington$29,000340-48%

Florida

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Cape Coral$26,00050-12%
Fort Lauderdale$25,000190-8%
Jacksonville$28,000130-23%
Miami$23,0001,190+326%
Ocala$22,00050+104%
Orlando$23,000160-46%
Port St Lucie$25,00030-10%
Sebastian$24,00030+155%
Tallahassee$25,00040-8%
Tampa$25,000240-30%
West Palm Beach$26,0001500%

Georgia

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Albany$22,00030+98%
Atlanta$26,000270-60%
Augusta$25,00080+43%
Columbus$22,00040+40%
Gainesville$27,00040+126%

Hawaii

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Honolulu$31,00070-42%

Idaho

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Boise$25,000220+198%
Coeur Dalene$22,00070+417%

Illinois

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Chicago$27,0001,480+37%
Rockford$30,00050+23%

Indiana

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Fort Wayne$22,00040-31%
Gary$25,000100+30%
Indianapolis$21,000280+11%
Lafayette$22,00040+108%
South Bend$28,00050+38%

Iowa

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Des Moines$28,00060-34%

Kansas

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Topeka$22,00040+38%
Wichita$22,000110+30%

Kentucky

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Lexington$22,00080+21%

Louisiana

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Alexandria$22,00040+169%
Baton Rouge$20,000140+37%
Houma$21,00030+22%
Lafayette$19,000120+211%
Monroe$20,00050+150%
New Orleans$24,000240+68%
Shreveport$27,00080+69%

Maryland

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Baltimore$30,000680+85%
Bethesda$27,000310+93%
Salisbury$22,00040+210%

Massachusetts

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Barnstable Town$30,00030+15%
Boston$31,000360-26%
Brockton$30,00030+31%
Framingham$31,00050+15%
Haverhill$31,00040+104%
Lowell$26,00060+88%
Springfield$26,00050-40%
Worcester$35,00080+18%

Michigan

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Ann Arbor$28,00040-10%
Detroit$25,000220+10%
Warren$25,000380+17%

Minnesota

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Minneapolis$24,000240-53%

Mississippi

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Jackson$22,00080+15%
Pascagoula$22,00060+426%

Missouri

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Kansas City$26,000140-52%
St Louis$22,000350-8%

Nebraska

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Lincoln$19,000120+174%
Omaha$28,000120-7%

Nevada

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Las Vegas$26,000160-39%
Reno$26,000130+130%

New Jersey

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Atlantic City$25,00070+77%
Edison$23,000580+99%
Newark$26,000530+87%
Trenton$23,00070+20%

New Mexico

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Albuquerque$28,000160+48%

New York

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Albany$29,00090-26%
Buffalo$26,000160+6%
Nassau$29,000610+72%
New York$26,0001,740+20%
Poughkeepsie$25,00070+7%
Rochester$25,00060-57%
Syracuse$25,000130+52%
Utica$24,00080+137%

North Carolina

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Asheville$24,00060+25%
Charlotte$24,000100-60%
Durham$26,00060-20%
Fayetteville$22,00030-7%
Greensboro$26,000110+7%
Winston Salem$27,00070+19%

Ohio

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Akron$25,00050-46%
Canton$25,00050+7%
Cincinnati$24,000260-11%
Cleveland$26,000260-13%
Dayton$23,00070-36%
Toledo$26,000110+28%
Youngstown$26,000100+56%

Oklahoma

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Lawton$20,00050+473%
Oklahoma City$19,000240+52%
Tulsa$25,000160+32%

Oregon

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Bend$24,00050+190%
Eugene$22,00040+0%
Portland$26,000310+6%

Pennsylvania

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Allentown$25,000110+17%
Erie$25,00080+141%
Harrisburg$26,00060-31%
Lancaster$32,00050-22%
Philadelphia$25,000680+28%
Pittsburgh$25,000460+43%
Reading$26,00050+13%
Scranton$22,00080+13%

Rhode Island

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Providence$24,00090-43%

South Carolina

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Charleston$26,000110+37%
Greenville$29,00060-29%

Tennessee

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Jackson$21,00060+322%
Johnson City$18,00040+112%
Knoxville$21,000150+62%
Memphis$23,000210+20%
Nashville$28,000130-40%

Texas

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Abilene$23,00040+159%
Amarillo$22,00050+92%
Austin$22,000230+7%
Beaumont$21,00060+42%
Brownsville$22,000150+360%
College Station$19,00050+155%
Corpus Christi$20,000100+111%
Dallas$22,000660+11%
El Paso$22,000120+66%
Fort Worth$20,000390+61%
Houston$26,000410-44%
Laredo$18,00050+136%
Lubbock$21,000130+307%
Mcallen$21,000180+202%
Odessa$20,00030+116%
San Antonio$21,000390+65%
Wichita Falls$20,00060+321%

Utah

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Ogden$20,000130+140%
Provo$18,000260+485%
Salt Lake City$19,000330+88%
St George$20,00050+325%

Virginia

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Richmond$27,000200+19%
Virginia Beach$23,000130-39%

Washington

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Bremerton$26,00040+89%
Kennewick$24,00050+117%
Olympia$29,00030+24%
Seattle$27,000360-11%
Spokane$24,000160+182%
Tacoma$22,00060-19%
Yakima$23,00050+145%

West Virginia

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Parkersburg$20,00040+128%
Wheeling$23,00030+90%

Wisconsin

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Eau Claire$26,00060+208%
Green Bay$26,00030-33%
Milwaukee$25,000430+80%
Racine$21,00050+155%

Salary and employment data obtained from the United States Department of Labor. Individual salaries depend on location, education and career background. Thanks to CityTownInfo.com for this physical therapy aides schools and jobs info.

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Physical Therapy Aides Schools, Salaries, and Job DataSchools recommended for people interested in this career. Request info with quick online forms. These particular schools are noted for getting back to people fast.


Online Physical Therapy Aides Schools

(Study from home, on your own schedule.)



Campus Schools for Physical Therapy Aides

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Arizona

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Indiana

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Michigan

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