Physical Therapist Aide Salary

Physical therapist aides (PTA) work under a physical therapist and aid them in all that they do. Sometimes referred to as physical therapy aides as well, this job requires that they be present on the job to make the sessions productive and fruitful. In the following article we shall look a little more closely at the physical therapist aide's salary. But before we understand the full potential and range of the salary for physical therapy aide, and the factors that determine the change, we need to have an understanding of their duties and the requirements of their job.

Duties

Here are some of the important duties that a physical therapist aide will undertake.

• Providing treatment such that patient mobility is improved, there is pain relief achieved and there is prevention of lessening of disabilities in patients.
• Aids patients in teaching them to use crutches and other equipment.
• Helps the physical therapist in preparing the therapy equipment.
• They work under the directions of the physician and aid in providing various mediums of treatment to the patients which include varied exercises and other therapeutic methods.
• They are also responsible for keeping a check on the progress of the patients and make a record of the same. This helps in determining the mode of treatment that is to be used in the future for maximum impact.

Pay Scale

The average PTA salary falls in the range of $20,000 - $26,000 (USD) per annum. This range is influenced by a number of other factors as well, like the education specialization, the city of employment, the area of hiring, the years of experience, the kind of duties and the education.

Years of Experience
It is quite evident that as the number of years increases, the PTA salary will also undergo a change for the better. It is recorded that if a physical therapist assistant or aide made about $10- $15 (On an hourly basis) then with the increasing number of years this number has risen to over $20- $25 (On an hourly basis) with an experience of 15 years or more. Thus bringing about an increase in the salary.

Industry of Hire
The physical therapist aide's salary is greatly determined and influenced by the industry that hires them. In such a manner, it has been seen that a private firm or company will pay a physical therapy aide more than any other industry. Even though the figures that the company pays them is decided upon by the individual and private policies of the company, it approximately falls in the range of $10 - $15 (USD) per annum.

The other areas that pay well would include hospitals and other private companies as opposed to self employed options, non profit organizations and other franchises.

Place of Hire
Physical therapist aides earn a maximum amount of wages in Washington ($10 - $12 USD per hour) closely followed Maryland and Texas.

It has also been studied and determined that gender also plays a major role in determining the kind of salary that may be earned. It is a general trend that female aides are paid more ($9.50 - $13 per hour) than male aides ($8.80 - $11.40 per hour).

Thus it is seen that the physical therapist aide salary range is determined by several factors. The career opportunities that are provided by this profession are also several and the industries of hire are varied as well. And now that you know what the PTA salary is like and what some of the functions of this technician are, and you will be able to carve for yourself the path that you need to take.