Physical Therapist Assistant salary

The median pay for a physical therapist assistant nationally is $30.00 an hour — about $62,400 a year full time. That is based on 16 job postings on LocalWork from the last 12 months that stated pay, so it reflects what employers are advertising rather than verified earnings. Half of the roles pay more than this and half pay less, so treat it as the middle of the market rather than a target.

Most physical therapist assistants nationally earn between $30.00 an hour and $35.00 an hour — that is the 10th to the 90th percentile. The spread usually reflects experience, shift, certifications and employer size more than anything else.

Pay at the bottom of the range — roughly what someone starting out can expect — is around $30.00 an hour. A quarter of physical therapist assistants earn below $30.00 an hour, so the first year or two typically sits in that band.

The top 10% of physical therapist assistants nationally earn about $35.00 an hour or more, roughly 1.2× the median. Getting there usually means experience plus something specific — advanced certification, supervisory responsibility, or specialising in higher-paying work.

Physical therapist assistants deliver treatment plans designed by physical therapists — helping people recover movement after injury, surgery or illness. Day to day, that means deliver prescribed exercise and treatment programmes, apply modalities such as heat, ice and ultrasound, assist patients with mobility and gait training and record patient progress.

The usual route is: (1) complete an accredited PTA programme, (2) pass the national PTA examination, (3) obtain your state licence, (4) specialise — orthopaedic, geriatric or paediatric. Employers typically look for associate degree from a CAPTE-accredited PTA programme (2 years), national Physical Therapy Exam for PTAs and state licence in nearly every state.

Yes. Working as a physical therapist assistant requires formal certification or licensing — specifically state licence in nearly every state and CPR certification. Requirements are set at state level in most cases, so check your own state's rules before committing to a programme.

There are currently 17 open physical therapist assistants listed on LocalWork. An ageing population and a shift toward outpatient rehabilitation keep demand strong across most regions.