According to a report published by the United States Department of Labor in 2014, physical therapist assistants in Idaho earned an average annual salary of $51,790, which worked out to an hourly wage of approximately $24.90. Of course, average salaries in the state varied depending upon the amount of experience PTAs possessed and whether or not they specialized in an area such as pediatrics, orthopedics, geriatrics or neurology.
While those who were recently licensed and just entering the workforce were offered entry-level salaries of between $26,570 and $42,180, salaries tended to grow consistently with experience. By mid-career, physical therapist assistants earned an average annual salary of $53,880, while highly experienced PTAs in specialty practice enjoyed salaries that ranged between $62,210 and $71,840.
Idaho Ranks Among the Top Ten Best Places for PTAs To Work
In the October 2015 issue of PT In Motion, a journal published by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), Idaho was named one of the Top 10 Best States to Practice Physical Therapy. According to the APTA, some of the factors that were considered when compiling the list included:
- Compensation and cost of living
- Health and financial disparities
- Employment and employment projections
- Healthcare technology and innovation
Idaho ranked high in all of these categories, and the expectation is that employment conditions for physical therapist assistants will only become more favorable as time goes on.
Salaries for Physical Therapist Assistants in Idaho’s Major Metropolitan and Non-Metropolitan Areas
In 2014, physical therapist assistants were concentrated in a few select regions, including Boise-Nampa, Southern Idaho, and Coeur d’Alene, which border Eastern Washington and Canada.
The average annual salary for physical therapist assistants in Boise-Nampa that year was $47,500, or $22.84 per hour. Physical therapist assistants in the northern city of Coeur d’Alene enjoyed salaries of $59,640, on average ($28.67/hr).
Below is a detailed analysis outlining salary data for these key regions in Idaho. All data was provided by the United States Department of Labor in May 2014: