Physical therapist jobs and occupational therapy careers are high paying and stable.
Now that more therapists are approaching retirement age and unemployment in the profession is practically zero, occupational therapist jobs and physical therapy jobs are hot. So hot, only one in 250 physical therapists looking for work is jobless, according to Forbes.*
"We're seeing sharp gains in therapy jobs postings by hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, ambulatory care and home health over last year," said Vice President of Recruitment for American Traveler Allied Mary Kay Hull. "It's getting to the point that we not only need more therapists, we need more therapist job recruiters too."
Hull said thanks to the physical therapy agency's national footprint, recruiters at her firm have access to physical therapy and occupational therapist jobs postings all over the country. This allows candidates an array of PT and occupational therapy career choices and lifestyle options.
"If you've always wanted to visit rugged Alaska, we have therapy jobs there. The same can be said for sunny California and Texas, wherever a therapist wants to go and in whichever type of facility he or she wants to work," said Hull. "Our agency has that type of reach."
The demand for therapy services in the U.S. far exceeds the number of practicing therapists and with more Americans gaining access to healthcare the shortage of therapists is bound to grow.
To the benefits of patients, therapists typically enjoy their work because they like helping others. So they're friendly and eager to send patients home feeling better than when they came. But at the end of the day, Hull said, therapists want to be well paid. One reason why her therapy jobs agency is seeing more applicants this year.
"Qualified therapists at American Traveler Allied can earn $70,000 to $100,000 annually depending on credentials and assignment, housing is free and so is health insurance. High pay, quality living, great benefits...what more could a therapist ask for?" she said.
*Demand for Therapy Jobs Critically High in 2012, Jessica Bosari, Forbes, Jan 27, 2012.
