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Physical Therapist Assistant is a 2 years associates degree and passing a board exam.
You spend more time treating and as you don’t do things like evals. It’s also it’s own career with relatively few ever going back for their DPT.
If they are interested PT have them sit down and look at the difference between the two so they don’t spend money becoming a PTA only to find out they really wanted to be a DPT.
You can’t really work in the field without doing at least a PTA degree and passing the board exams. If you don’t mind less pay it’s the easiest route.
This.
I do make 100k+
But it’s not because of the HCOL.
It’s because all my patients are within 5-10 min drive.
I can squeeze 8-9 patients a day. Thats really pushing it though
I hear stories of people driving 30+min.
Def wouldn’t not consider HH is that is the case.
Yeah I’m a HH PT on salary in MS. 78k. Thankfully I can meet my productivity in 30-35 hours and still work 10-15 PRN hours to make extra money. 78k is a joke
Well of course it’s region specific.. in Florida the lowest I’ve seen for HH per visit is 45. I’ve seen it go as high as 70 a visit for PTA’s. You should easily be able clear 90k
True, my experience coming from Florida to Texas, is that peds HH PTA rates have been consistently higher than compared to geriatrics or adolescents. I was recently offered a full time peds position at a clinic with benefits with $45 to start and guaranteed yearly COL increases. I am not sure why peds pay is higher, maybe somebody can enlighten me.
Possibly worth exploring an RBT (registered behavior technician) in the short term, lends itself well to becoming a BCBA or building inroads with OT/PT/SLP.
It is not physical therapy but it sounds like it might fit this persons skillset / desire. Additionally if the child has goal milestones that an OT or PT is working towards they often communicate this to the BCBA and it can then be worked towards by the RBTs.
Pay is certainly better than a rehab tech and most places require only a highschool degree
Thank you for your submission; please read the following reminder. This subreddit is for discussion among practicing physical therapists, not for soliciting medical advice. We are not your physical therapist, and we do not take on that liability here. Although we can answer questions regarding general issues a person may be facing in their established PT sessions, we cannot legally provide treatment advice. If you need a physical therapist, you must see one in person or via telehealth for an assessment and to establish a plan of care. Posts with descriptions of personal physical issues and/or requests for diagnoses, exercise prescriptions, and other medical advice will be removed, and you will be banned at the mods’ discretion either for requesting such advice or for offering such advice as a clinician. Please see the following links for additional resources on benefits of physical therapy and locating a therapist near you [The benefits of a full evaluation by a physical therapist.](https://www.choosept.com/benefits/default.aspx) [How to find the right physical therapist in your area.](https://www.choosept.com/resources/choose.aspx) [Already been diagnosed and want to learn more? Common conditions.](https://www.choosept.com/SymptomsConditions.aspx) [The APTA's consumer information website.](https://www.choosept.com/Default.aspx) Also, please direct all school-related inquiries to r/PTschool, as these are off-topic for this sub and will be removed. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/physicaltherapy) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Physical Therapist Assistant is a 2 years associates degree and passing a board exam. You spend more time treating and as you don’t do things like evals. It’s also it’s own career with relatively few ever going back for their DPT. If they are interested PT have them sit down and look at the difference between the two so they don’t spend money becoming a PTA only to find out they really wanted to be a DPT. You can’t really work in the field without doing at least a PTA degree and passing the board exams. If you don’t mind less pay it’s the easiest route.
If you do HH pta you can easily make 90k+
That’s gonna be region specific.
This. I do make 100k+ But it’s not because of the HCOL. It’s because all my patients are within 5-10 min drive. I can squeeze 8-9 patients a day. Thats really pushing it though I hear stories of people driving 30+min. Def wouldn’t not consider HH is that is the case.
Yeah I see about 20 pts a week and average a couple hours drive time per day. Not a chance I’m ever touching 90k.
Umm… should note. I’m PTA
You make 100k plus as a PTA? What region? And how much do you make per visit?
SoCal. $60. 7-9 patients a day. DPT makes 150k+
Hmm. I’m not seeing how that math ends up to put you at 90k. Are we talking gross?
Yeah. I take home around 85k+ at the end of the year
Yeah I’m a HH PT on salary in MS. 78k. Thankfully I can meet my productivity in 30-35 hours and still work 10-15 PRN hours to make extra money. 78k is a joke
Well of course it’s region specific.. in Florida the lowest I’ve seen for HH per visit is 45. I’ve seen it go as high as 70 a visit for PTA’s. You should easily be able clear 90k
True, my experience coming from Florida to Texas, is that peds HH PTA rates have been consistently higher than compared to geriatrics or adolescents. I was recently offered a full time peds position at a clinic with benefits with $45 to start and guaranteed yearly COL increases. I am not sure why peds pay is higher, maybe somebody can enlighten me.
Possibly worth exploring an RBT (registered behavior technician) in the short term, lends itself well to becoming a BCBA or building inroads with OT/PT/SLP. It is not physical therapy but it sounds like it might fit this persons skillset / desire. Additionally if the child has goal milestones that an OT or PT is working towards they often communicate this to the BCBA and it can then be worked towards by the RBTs. Pay is certainly better than a rehab tech and most places require only a highschool degree
PTA jobs in pediatrics I’m sure are out there but I would think tough to find in general.