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Whether you’re already a physical therapist (PT) or will soon graduate from a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program, if you’re wondering how PTs can earn more money, Vivian has some tips for you. The paths toward increasing your physical therapist salary are pretty straightforward:
- Work in high-paying and in-demand regions
- Get specialist certifications
- Find sources of extra income
- Negotiate for better pay
Keep reading for tips on how to make your PT salary goals a reality.
How Much Do Physical Therapists Make?
Previously, we’ve written about the many reasons to become a PT. They include the impact you can have on patients’ lives, the ability to engage with new technology and the growing demand for physical therapists. Also among those reasons is the competitive salary range for the job.
The average salary for PT staff jobs was $52 an hour or about $108,000 annually for full-time employment, for jobs posted on Vivian as of September 23, 2024. However, staff PT jobs posted on Vivian during this period roughly paid between $85,000 and $146,000 annually. Let’s explore ways you can move toward the higher end of this pay range.
6 Tips for Increasing Your PT Salary
1. Try Geographic Strategies
One of the most significant influences on pay is geography, or where you choose to practice. For instance, the average PT staff salary in California was $67 an hour during the fourth week of September, while staff jobs in many other states averaged $40-$50 an hour. Of course, when choosing where to live and work, you must balance higher pay with the potential for a higher cost of living in certain states or major metropolitan areas.
Taking temporary travel PT assignments in the best-paying states is one way you can earn more. While travel PT salaries are often higher than staff salaries, they’re even higher in certain places. For instance, travel PT jobs in Alaska posted on Vivian offered an average of $2,724 per week, well above the $2,080 weekly average for staff jobs nationwide during the same period.
One aspect influencing pay from state to state and region to region is the overall demand for physical therapists to serve patients. While physical therapy is one of the fastest-growing allied health careers overall, certain states need more PTs due to projected job growth in those regions or a higher ratio of patients compared to the number of PTs available.
2. Pursue Telehealth Jobs
Another way to tap into the high demand for PTs in certain regions is by exploring remote physical therapy jobs where PTs practice via telemedicine. It’s easier to do remote work if your state participates in the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact, which means your license will be cross-honored in other participating states. This agreement allows you to provide telehealth from your home state to a patient in another Compact state.
Telehealth roles can provide a pathway to work for yourself without the overhead and expense of a therapy center or rehabilitation facility taking its cut. It can also mean spending less time commuting, allowing you to see more patients and billing for more work every day.
3. Seek Specializations
Earning a DPT provides deep knowledge of the entire human anatomy and the targeted exercises that help patients improve their overall mobility. However, many patients benefit from the heightened skills a PT gets from specializing in a particular area of medicine, patient population or part of the anatomy. Therefore, specialization can be a pathway to earning a higher PT salary.
Specialization typically means earning a certification approved by an accredited board for physical therapists. You must first document a certain threshold of hours in patient care or participate in an accredited clinical residency program. Then, you must pass a certification exam. Consider these specialized certification programs that can lead to higher pay.
Orthopedic Physical Therapy
- Certification: American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS) Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist (OCS)
- Focus: Treating musculoskeletal conditions, including injuries related to bones, muscles, ligaments and joints
- Why it’s lucrative: Orthopedic PTs often work with athletes, post-surgical patients and those recovering from fractures or chronic musculoskeletal issues. The high demand for post-injury rehabilitation and sports therapy makes this specialty one of the most financially rewarding.
- Settings: Private practices, sports clinics, hospitals and specialized orthopedic rehab centers
Neurologic Physical Therapy
- Certification: ABPTS Neurologic Clinical Specialist (NCS)
- Focus: Addressing conditions related to the nervous system, such as stroke, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis
- Why it’s lucrative: Neurologic PTs work with complex, long-term conditions, requiring extensive training and expertise. Rehabilitation is often intensive and lengthy, making this specialty highly valued.
- Settings: Hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation centers and specialized neurologic rehabilitation facilities
Cardiopulmonary Physical Therapy
- Certification: ABPTS Cardiovascular & Pulmonary Clinical Specialist (CCS)
- Focus: Treating patients with heart and lung conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), congestive heart failure and post-heart surgery rehabilitation
- Why it’s lucrative: With the aging population and rise in cardiovascular diseases, the demand for cardiopulmonary PTs continues to grow.
- Settings: Hospitals, cardiac rehabilitation centers and outpatient clinics
Pediatric Physical Therapy
- Certification: ABPTS Pediatric Clinical Specialist (PCS)
- Focus: Working with infants, children and adolescents with developmental delays, congenital disorders or injuries that affect movement and function
- Why it’s lucrative: Pediatric PTs often work in specialized clinics or hospitals and treat complex conditions such as cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy or developmental disabilities. The specialized nature of pediatric care and the emotional stakes involved contribute to higher salaries.
- Settings: Hospitals, early intervention programs, schools and private pediatric clinics
Geriatric Physical Therapy
- Certification: ABPTS Geriatric Clinical Specialist (GSC)
- Focus: Treating older adults with conditions related to aging, such as arthritis, osteoporosis, balance disorders or recovery from hip/knee replacements
- Why it’s lucrative: As the nation’s population ages, geriatrics PTs are in high demand. They play a crucial role in improving older adults’ quality of life and mobility, particularly in long-term care or home health settings, where they may earn higher compensation.
- Settings: Nursing homes, rehabilitation centers and home health care
4. Maximize Earnings with Extra Shifts
An obvious way to earn more income is to work more hours. You can do this through traditional overtime (OT) at a full-time job. Many healthcare facilities offer overtime, especially short-staffed hospitals or eldercare facilities. OT can be a great way to pick up additional shifts and pay.
You can also take per diem physical therapist jobs. For instance, if you work Monday-Friday at an outpatient therapy clinic, you can work per diem shifts on the weekend in another setting, like a hospital or eldercare facility.
PTs often earn more per hour in home health care roles, so keep this in mind if you’re planning to work OT often. Home health care can have its challenges, such as commuting from place to place and not having the immediate support of other healthcare workers present. Hence, rates are often higher.
5. Consider a PT Side Hustle
Physical Therapists gain valuable skills related to the human body that help people improve their physical conditions. These skills can be useful beyond a traditional healthcare setting, opening opportunities for various PT side hustles as additional sources of income.
Consider these popular PT side hustles:
- Fitness Coaching: Provide personalized fitness plans for clients, integrating injury prevention and rehabilitation techniques. You can often get into this field by partnering with local gyms or fitness centers.
- Corporate Wellness Consulting: Work with companies to develop corporate wellness programs, ergonomic assessments and injury prevention strategies for employees.
- Online Education: Develop educational content on injury prevention, rehab techniques or specific exercises, and sell it through platforms like Udemy, Teachable or even your own website.
- Content Creation: Start a blog or YouTube channel focused on physical health, mobility exercises, pain management or injury prevention. You can earn income from affiliate marketing, ad revenue or sponsorships.
- Freelance Writing: Write articles for health websites, fitness magazines or academic publications. You could also offer paid guest speaking for health and wellness seminars or conferences.
6. Negotiate to Increase Your PT Salary
No matter where you work or what specialization you pursue, negotiating for salary increases as a physical therapist can be challenging but financially rewarding when successful. Being well-prepared and understanding the value of your skills can help you negotiate a higher salary. Here are effective strategies to help you succeed:
- Research Salary Data: Start by researching what other PTs in your area and specialty are earning. Look at industry reports, salary surveys and online platforms such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) or salary comparison sites specifically for physical therapy. Vivian Health specializes in providing transparent salary information for all types of healthcare professionals, including PTs.
- Highlight Tangible Results: Emphasize how you’ve positively impacted patient outcomes, improved clinic efficiency or attracted new patients. Concrete results, such as patient retention rates or improved clinical outcomes, help build a stronger case.
- Choose the Right Moment: Timing can make a big difference. Annual reviews or after a significant achievement (e.g., completing a certification, securing a large referral or exceeding performance goals) are good moments to initiate salary discussions.
- Show Your Long-Term Value: Frame your salary increase request as an investment in the practice’s long-term success. Highlight how retaining an experienced PT like yourself improves patient satisfaction, reduces turnover and improves clinic stability.
- Start High, but Be Flexible: Start with a figure that allows room for negotiation, but be realistic. Be ready to compromise, especially if the employer can’t immediately meet your demand.
- Consider Profit Sharing or Performance Bonuses: For those in private practice, negotiate for a share of profits, performance-based bonuses or even the opportunity to buy into the practice in the future.
Find Your High-Paying PT Job through Vivian
Physical therapy is a rewarding career, no matter what salary you earn today or will earn following graduation. With your valuable skills and the guidance we’ve provided, you can pursue fulfilling work and a lucrative salary.
Whether you’re searching for your first or next PT role, start your search with Vivian Health. Our agency partners list jobs in physical therapy and other allied healthcare careers across all 50 states. Download the Vivian app for a convenient and mobile way to browse job listings and take your career to the next level.
