Despite recessionary woes, demand and pay for physical therapists is up. Results from a recent salary survey indicate that, in the last year, salaries for physical therapists have increased by as much as 12.9 percent. Add 20 percent more for PT travel jobs and earnings, benefits and bonuses inch their way toward the six-figure mark.
Whether it's at home, in skilled nursing facilities, hospitals and inpatient and outpatient settings, say healthcare analysts. The need for physical therapists continues to expand, creating a bull market for PTs specializing in chronic and disabling conditions.
“ The physical therapy profession currently is experiencing significant demand for services due to a number of occurrences within the health care environment, including the increased prevalence of chronic conditions, such as diabetes and obesity, and we expect that as our nation ages the demand will continue to grow,” said President of the American Physical Therapy Association, R. Scott Ward, PT, PhD, in a press release.
In addition to high pay, free private housing, free health insurance, free continuing education and travel and licensure reimbursements, travel therapy jobs allow PTs to enhance their skill set, work with diverse populations and travel to exciting places, says healthcare staffing CEO Robert L. Bok.
Typically in the past at least one year clinical experience was needed to become a travel therapist. “Not anymore,” said Bok. With the current high level of demand, even PT graduates qualify for high salaries and are being recruited by the nation’s leading allied healthcare staffing agencies such as American Traveler Allied.
The national average salary for entry level physical therapists is about $53,000, but salaries increase with each year of experience and are even more lucrative for PTs who travel.