Many physical therapist assistants are drawn to Florida because of plentiful job opportunities and salaries that are higher than the national average. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2014 report, the statewide average salary for Florida’s PTAs is $60,290.
Job Growth and Salary Expectations for Physical Therapist Assistants in Florida
The Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation reports show that as of 2012 there were 4,540 physical therapist assistants working in Florida. This number is expected to rise to 6,160 by the end of 2022. This 36 percent increase is equivalent to approximately 230 job openings per year, which includes both normal job turnovers (retirement, quitting) and newly created positions.
According to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, the average salaries for physical therapist assistants are significantly higher than national averages. Though salaries vary based on experience, salaries for Florida’s physical therapist assistants are higher than the U.S. averages across each experience level:
National
- Experienced (U.S.): $75,500
- Mid-Career (U.S.): $54,400
- Entry-Level (U.S.): $31,800
Florida
- Experienced (FL): $78,220
- Mid-Career (FL): $59,290
- Entry-Level (FL): $42,270
Salaries for Physical Therapist Assistants in Florida’s Major Metro and Non-Metro Areas
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that in 2014, approximately 1,260 physical therapist assistants worked in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach area – the highest number of any area in the state. Other areas with a high number of physical therapist assistants include Tampa-St. Petersburg with 590 and the Orlando-Kissimmee area with 570.
The Lakeland-Winter Haven boasts the highest annual salary, where physical therapist assistants earn an average of $80,160. The second highest salary (averaging $68,470) can be found in the Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach area.
For more information about physical therapist assistant salaries in Florida, see the table below provided by the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics (2014):
[table_data table_data=’Area name,Employment,Hourly mean wage,Annual mean wage,Hourly median wage,Hourly 75th percentile wage,Hourly 90th percentile wage,Annual median wage,Annual 75th percentile wage,Annual 90th percentile wage
Cape Coral-Fort Myers FL,150,28.91,60130,29.54,33.97,36.44,61440,70660,75800
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin FL,40,27.85,57930,27.14,29.67,35.72,56450,61710,74300
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach FL,140,32.92,68470,30.02,36.04,48.27,62440,74970,100390
Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach-Deerfield Beach FL Metropol,520,28.85,60000,29.63,33.70,36.10,61630,70100,75090
Gainesville FL,100,26.09,54270,25.63,30.86,35.03,53310,64190,72870
Jacksonville FL,370,32.16,66900,32.71,38.56,43.79,68040,80190,91080
Lakeland-Winter Haven FL,90,38.54,80160,36.03,51.60,64.31,74930,107330,133760
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach FL,1260,27.91,58050,27.97,33.16,36.39,58170,68980,75700
Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall FL