The Salary of a Traveling Physical Therapist
While most physical therapists work close to their home in a stable, long-term position, traveling physical therapists work short-term contracts, usually found through placement agencies, in areas far from their "home base." Most traveling physical therapists serve short-term contracts in areas that lack the health care professionals to meet their local demand, and often receive premium pay for their assignments.
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Average Salary
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The average annual salary for a traveling physical therapist is $112,000 as of January 2011, according to Indeed.com. Because work periods aren't that long, and many therapists take time off between assignments, many therapists don't earn salaries that approach these levels. A traveling physical therapist's salary varies widely by the position taken, the company placing him and the location of the job, so earnings may vary greatly.
Salaries Around the Country
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Average annual earnings for traveling physical therapists around the country don't stack up to the earnings projected by Indeed.com, although many earn in excess of $70,000. Traveling physical therapists who are based out of Orlando, Florida, earn the highest average annual salary of $75,442, according to Salary Expert.com, as of January 2011. Travel therapists who work out of Houston, New York and Dallas also all earn more than $71,733 each year. Indianapolis' travel physical therapists earn the smallest salaries in the survey at $57,797.
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Comparison to Non-Traveling Salaries
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The median annual salary for physical therapists is $72,790 as of May 2008, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), with half of all in the profession earning between $60,300 and $85,540. Therapists who work in home health care services earn the highest average salary in the field, $77,630, while those in nursing homes, hospitals and doctors' offices also earn above the median.
Job Outlook
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The demand for physical therapists is expected to skyrocket in the near future. The BLS estimates a 30 percent rise in the number of licensed therapists on duty as the industry adds 56,200 jobs between 2008 and 2018. Because of the growing demand for physical therapists in general, the number of travel therapists is likely to swell alongside the industry's growth.
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References
- Photo Credit massage therapy at the spa image by MAXFX from Fotolia.com
