Do physical therapists make good money?

Question

Do physical therapists make good money?

Answer 1

Depends.  Assuming you’re interested and just starting down the path towards a DPT. You'll have four (or more.. some colleges are making it almost impossible to finish in four if you follow their basic path) academic years of undergraduate study to obtain a BA or BS, and then three full (very little time off) years at a physiotherapy school.  During that time you’ll have a year’s worth of rotations and affiliations where you gain basic clinical experience in the different areas of physical therapy (orthopedic, neurological, integumentary, cardiopulmonary, pediatric, sports, acute/intensive, geriatric, etc).  Some programs have an additional year of residence.  Then once you pass your boards (NPTE) and state jurisprudence exams, you’re ready to start practicing.

At this time (and depending on area) as a starting, full-time, permanent therapist you can expect ~$60,000 with benefits with 80-90k at top end.  If you go with a staffing company and become a “traveling therapist” expect ~$80,000 starting with benefits, with ~120k at top end.  Most therapists I’ve worked with are on wage so there is an element of overtime pay involved that one can’t predict.  Managers or department directors range between 70-100+k.   Therapists who own their own private practice are potentially the biggest earners... with their earning reflecting the size and success of their office/clinic.

So as a new hire, after seven or eight years of school, with between 100k-250k in debt… $60,000 isn’t that much.  But as stated, it’s comfortable.  If you’re looking for a high paying job, there are legion which pay better and require a lot less work.  But despite what most people think you don’t go into health care for the money… there are a lot of other rewards in the field.

Hope that helped.

Answer 2

The "average" salary is listed by the bls at $66,000 a year.  The most recent APTA survey in 2005 found that about half of PTs were earning between $50-70,000, yet another 25% still earn more than $75,000.

It is a comfortable living, but not extravagant.

Answer 3

yes. It takes about 5 years of college. They make around $50,000./year and up.