Any physical therapy assistants?

stacymills99

If you are a physical therapy assistant how much school or training do you have?  What are your hours like?  What is the pay like?  I have been a teacher for eight years and getting burned out.  I always considered physical therapy but decided on teaching instead.  Now I am wondering if I made the right choice.

etteyam

I'm not a PT assistant but I work closely with a bunch of them as an Occupational Therapist. I believe it takes 2 years to get an associates degree. To get an idea as to how much PTAs make, check salary.com as it varies greatly as to what area and job setting. Therapists may choose to work in hospitals, school system, skilled nursing, home health or out-patient clinics. I work in skilled nursing and here in FL, new grads make upwards of $25/hr. Home health pays the highest. As for hours, it also depends on your job setting. Skilled nursing and home health tend to be more flexible. Where I work, I can come in as early as 6am and leave after 8 hours, or I can come in late. GL'

stefsaut

I am not a PTA, but my sister is. The PTA program is two years (this is just the true PTA program, not any electives you need to be accepted prior to being accepted into the 2 yr program - although you would probably have most electives covered since you already have a 4 yr degree). Training is done through the 2 yr. program as clinicals/rotations are built into the schooling. She was a licensed PTA within a few months of graduation. She makes somewhere between $45-$50k right now - she has been in the field for 5 years now. She has worked at multiple facilities and never had to work overtime (than 1-2 hrs here or there). She has always worked in nursing homes/long-term care facilities, so I can only speak to those. Also, if you are in those settings you will have to be prepared to deal with some things you might not expect as a PTA - changing diapers, cleaning up patients if there is an accident while you are with them, etc. 

 If you are able to use your SO's benefits and would be interested in working PRN, you can make SIGNIFICANTLY more per hr. Working PRN allows for lots of flexibility in your schedule as a working mom. Overall, I think she really likes it and it is a great career!

 

ETA - she is in the NW Ohio are

clevebride07

Ditto what the PP said.  I'm not a PTA, but I am a PT.  PTA is a 2-year Associates degree, then you must pass a licensure exam.  Your hours will depend on the setting you are in.  I work in a SNF, and some of my coworkers start as early as 6, others don't come in until closer to 10.  Some settings/facilities have strict hours, some not so strict, but this will be about the norm for an 8 hour day in all settings.  $25-$30/hr (I believe) is pretty standard here in NE Ohio, but again, pay will depend on the type of setting you're in.  PM me if you have anymore questions. 

sarag0116

I am a physical therapist.  Salaries greatly depend on where you live.  PTA's here do NOT make 25 to 30/hr typically.  PTs make around 30/hr so PTAs make a good bit less.  Like others said, the setting you are in makes a difference.  Hours can be very flexible and PRN is the way to go to make a lot of money (but with no benefits).

stacymills99

Thanks for the responses.  I took this year off from the classroom and have baby number 2 coming in Nov.  So I hope to have a clearer idea if I want to return to teaching or look into going back to school.

slukd79

Just wanted to say good luck with whatever you decide.

I love being a PT. It is a variable profession in and of itself. You can change from peds to geriatrics to outpatient and feel like you have totally changed jobs without needing another degree! I do agree that the salaries vary greatly.