Physical therapist assistants in New Mexico earned an average salary of $42,490 as of 2015 according to the state’s Department of Workforce Solutions (DWS). The overall salary range in New Mexico between the lowest earning physical therapist assistants (bottom ten-percent average, typically representing those new the profession) and top earners (top ten-percent average, typically representing those with several years of experience) was $28,470 – $49,490 as of 2015.
The DWS rates the profession of physical therapist assistants as having a bright outlook. The agency expects that the number of jobs for physical therapist assistants will increase by 28% between 2012 and 2022, a rate that is more than 2.5 times higher than the overall job growth rate in New Mexico.
A Bright Outlook for the PTA Profession in New Mexico
As part of the healthcare industry in New Mexico, physical therapist assistants are poised to benefit from the strong gains in healthcare employment in the state. A 2011-2012 report released by the LWD called The Pulse of the Healthcare Industry in New Mexico projects that employment in the healthcare industry will grow at a much faster rate than what is expected in all other industries in the state.
Of particular note to PTAs is that this report projects the largest level of growth will be in ambulatory healthcare services, which should see a 30% increase in the number of jobs between 2009 and 2019. This category includes several major employers of physical therapist assistants, including physician offices and home health care services.
The number of jobs is expected to also increase in several other industries that are major employers of physician assistants during this ten-year period:
- Nursing and residential care facilities – 21.7% growth, adding 2,750 new jobs
- Hospitals – 12.5% growth, adding 4,310 new jobs
How Location Affects the Salaries of New Mexico’s PTAs
The New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions reported that salaries for the state’s physical therapist assistants varied between the major cities in the state as of 2015:
Shown for comparison, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics provides an expanded level of detail on the salaries for physical therapist assistants in New Mexico as of 2014: