Offering great salary potential without the hassle of intensive schooling, the physical therapist assistant profession is an appealing choice for students and professionals enthusiastic about working in the healthcare field. In 2014, the United States Department of Labor reported that physical therapist assistants were among Arkansas’ top fifteen highest-paying occupations that only require an associate’s degree. At that time, physical therapist assistants working here earned an average annual salary of $50,400 and an average hourly wage of $24.23.
Additionally, the federal government found that Arkansas held the fourth highest concentration of physical therapist assistant jobs in the country.
Within the state, the city of Jonesboro was recognized as a frontrunner on a national scale in terms of employment. The prominent region housed the second highest concentration of physical therapist assistant jobs among all other metropolitan areas in the country. At that time physical therapist assistants in Jonesboro received an average annual salary of $42,950 and an average hourly wage of $20.65.
The Future of Employment for Physical Therapist Assistants in Arkansas
Occupational projections published by the United States Department of Labor show that physical therapist assistants will continue to benefit from accelerating growth in the healthcare sector. From 2012 through 2022, the number of physical therapist assistants working in Arizona is expected to increase by 27%. This positive employment trend will effectively create approximately 40 annual job openings during this projection timeline.
The following employers posted online job openings looking for capable physical therapist assistants in Arkansas using job aggregation sites in December 2015 (shown for illustrative purposes only):
- Arkansas Children’s Therapy Group
- Baxter Regional Medical Center
- Aegis Therapies
- Therapy Management Corporation
- Northeast Arkansas Homecare
- Harris Hospital
- Reliant Rehabilitation
- Genitva Health Services, Inc.
- Intrepid USA
- Washington Regional Medical Center
How Experience and Location Impact PTA Salaries in Arkansas
In 2014, the United States Department of Labor reported that physical therapist assistants assigned to entry-level positions in Arkansas earned an average annual salary of $23,900 and an average hourly wage of $11.48. Those with a moderate-level of experience received a noticeably greater average annual salary of $52,200 and an average hourly wage of $25.09. Meanwhile, the most highly experience physical therapist assistants earned an even more substantial average annual salary of $72,500 and an average hourly wage of $34.86.
Physical Therapist Assistant salaries are prone to change between geographic locales of employment throughout Arkansas. For instance, in 2014 the United States Department of Labor found that physical therapist assistants working in the Central Arkansas nonmetropolitan region were offered an average annual salary of $43,630, while those practicing in the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway metropolitan area earned an average annual salary of $55,950.
Average annual salary statistics for physical therapist assistants in other major localities in Arkansas are as follows:
- Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO: $50,900
- Fort Smith, AR-OK: $48,120
- East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area: $48,950
- South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area: $53,310
- West Arkansas nonmetropolitan area: $51,150
The following data table features a more comprehensive breakdown of salary and wage findings for physical therapist assistants in the abovementioned districts of Arkansas (US Department of Labor, 2014):