The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry rated the physical therapist assistant profession as a “high priority occupation” as of 2015. This designation indicates:
- A strong demand (high projected job growth)
- Earnings that would sustain a family
- The need for higher skilled workers than many other occupations
Physical therapist assistants in Pennsylvania earned an average salary of $45,320 as of 2014. Experienced physical therapist assistants in the state earned an average of $52,770 that year, while PTAs just entering the workforce earned an average of $30,420.
Job Growth in Key Employment Industries for PTAs in Pennsylvania
Philadelphia was home to the fourth highest number of licensed PTAs of any urban area in the country in 2014, while Altoona had the seventh highest concentration of physical therapist assistants that year. The nonmetropolitan area of East Central Pennsylvania was home to the fourth highest number of physical therapist assistants of any rural area in the country.
The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry indicates that there will be a large increase in the number of physical therapist assistants in the state between 2012 and 2022. The number of PTAs in Pennsylvania is expected to increase by 25% during this ten-year period, a rate that is more than three times faster than the state’s average job growth rate.
More than half of Pennsylvania’s physical therapist assistants worked in specialty physical therapy clinics in 2012:
- Physical therapy, orthopedic and sports medicine clinics: 1%
- General Medical and Surgical Hospitals: 5%
- Nursing Care Facilities: 9%
- Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals: 8%
- Offices of Physicians:5%
- Home Health Care Services:1%
How Location Influences PTA Salaries in Pennsylvania
Location plays a major role in the salaries of physical therapist assistants in Pennsylvania according to the state’s Department of Labor and Industry. The average salary for a PTA varied by more than $15,000 among the most populated counties of Pennsylvania as of 2014:
- Westmoreland County – $64,130
- Adams County – $63,660
- Fayette County – $63,360
- Columbia County – $54,820
- McKean County – $53,280
- Allegheny County – $52,500
- Chester County – $51,630
- Berks County – $50,650
- Lancaster County – $49,280
- Lackawanna County – $49,040
For comparison, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics provides a detailed analysis of the salaries for physical therapist assistants in Pennsylvania’s major rural and urban areas as of 2014. PTAs in Pittsburgh earned the highest average salary statewide: