Professionals employed in the rapidly growing field of physical therapist assistance in Montana earned an average salary of $43,330 as of 2014 according to the state’s Department of Labor and Industry. The average hourly wage was $20.83 that year, while the median salary among physical therapist assistants in Montana was $44,590 or $20.96 an hour.
The Montana Department of Labor and Industry expects a growth rate of 27.3% in the number of jobs for physical therapist assistants between 2015 and 2024. This level of increase should result in an average of eight jobs a year becoming available for PTAs in Montana during this time frame.
Factors Driving Job Growth in Montana’s Healthcare Industry
Part of the reason for the rapid growth rate in the field of physical therapist assistance in Montana is the aging of the state’s population. In addition, the overall population of Montana should continue to grow during the next ten years.
Predictions from the Montana Department of Labor and Industry suggest that the health care industry in the state will demand more new workers than any other industry in the state. In fact, healthcare was the only industry in the state that experienced job gains through the recession and throughout the economic recovery. Without a pool of trained workers waiting to fill jobs in the healthcare industry, new graduates will be needed to fill positions in such high-demand fields as physical therapy.
The August 2015 report Montana Economy at a Glance reported that employment growth in Montana’s healthcare industry averaged 1.9% a year between 2010 and 2013. The Montana Department of Labor and Industry predicts a shortage of workers in the state over the coming years. This means job prospects are extremely good for PTAs and similar healthcare support professionals seeking employment in Montana over the course of the coming years.
Eleven companies advertised for PTA positions as of October 18, 2015:
- Absaroka Pain and Rehab – Bozeman
- Advanced Care Hospital of Montana – Billings
- Aureus Medical Group – Havre
- Aya Healthcare – Miles City
- Genesis HealthCare – Deer Lodge
- Genesis Rehabilitation Services – Libby
- Innovative Rehabilitation – Missoula
- MTX Therapy Services – Plains
- RehabCare Group – Kalispell
- Peter’s Hospital – Helena
- 1 Legacy – Bigfork
Physical Therapist Assistant Salaries in the Rural Region of Southwestern Montana
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics provides a detailed analysis of the salaries for physical therapist assistants employed in the nonmetropolitan part of Southwestern Montana as of 2014: