Rehab

APTA: Need for PTs will continue to grow

Rehab Regs, January 12, 2007

The demand for PTs and PT assistants will continue to rise fore at least the next five years, R. Scott Ward, PT, president of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) told the Beaver County (OR) Times.

In 2004, more than 155,000 people in the United States worked as PTs and another 100,000 worked as PT assistants and aides, according to the Times.

The increasing age of the population, as well as expanded PT settings and services, such as disease prevention and nutrition are behind the growing demand, according to Ward.

The increased demand has also led to higher salaries, said Ward, as the average PT now makes about $54,000 starting salary and $62,000 a year after five years of working in the field, according to an APTA member survey. PT assistants average $38,000 a year.

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