Physical therapists are valuable members of the healthcare industry. Not only do they manage their patients’ impairments, but are also tasked with preventing and treating them. This is why the job outlook for physical therapists is expected to grow by 21 percent from 2020 to 2030. This article will help you find the best companies for physical therapists.
On average, there will be 15,600 job openings for physical therapists within that decade, so if you’re interested in pursuing a career as a physical therapist, now is the time. Learn the steps for how to become a physical therapist, what the highest-paying physical therapy companies are, what employees are saying in company reviews.
What Is a Physical Therapist?
Physical therapists are health specialists that evaluate and treat disorders in the human body through rehabilitative care and patient care. These experts help patients manage sports injuries and illnesses to their brains, bones, muscles, skin, and lungs.
Referrals from doctors are typically the first step in seeking out a physical therapist, and patients are often subject to physical examinations to further understand the ailments before any treatment is prescribed. As part of the physical therapist job description, they may offer preventative services or advice on how to prevent certain problems from arising in the future.
How to Get a Physical Therapist Job
The process of becoming a physical therapist can be complicated, but it is ultimately a rewarding career. Not only does the job pay well, but you are able to help people in need. Below are the steps to follow to get a physical therapist job.
- Get a degree. Getting a bachelor’s degree in biology, chemistry, physiology, anatomy, or a related field will ensure you are appropriately educated on the human body. Employers often prefer candidates with a bachelor’s degree as the minimum level of education.
- Licensing. To be a physical therapist, it is essential to have a license to practice. Each state has its own licensing requirements so be sure to check them. It may also require passing a criminal background check and a law exam.
- Complete a residency. When you get your license, the next step is to apply for clinical residency. This will provide extra experience and training needed to find a job and it typically takes a year to complete.
- Obtain board certification. This field requires board certification from the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties to start full-time work. To qualify for this certification, you need 2,000 hours of clinical work.
- Apply for entry-level roles. When you’re done with your certification, you can prepare your resume and begin to apply for jobs. Be sure to include all your relevant experience and qualifications.
Top 10 Highest-Paying Physical Therapist Companies
| Company | Salary for {Professions} |
|---|---|
| Trilogy Health Services | $92,882 |
| Concentra | $92,803 |
| Encore Rehabilitation Services | $91,123 |
| Legacy Healthcare Services | $86,061 |
| Ivy Rehab | $77,542 |
| Life Care Centers of America | $77,498 |
| Select Physical Therapy | $76,823 |
| Encompass Health | $74,988 |
| Good Samaritan Society | $65,088 |
| California Therapy Services | $65,088 |
Trilogy Health Services
Trilogy Health Services is a company that offers residential care facilities for patients. It also hires other staff in different healthcare capacities with clinical expertise, such as rehab professionals and non-clinical physical therapy professionals.
What Does Trilogy Health Services Pay Its Physical Therapists?
Trilogy Health Services pays its physical therapist an average of $92,882 per year. Working at this company also comes with benefits like insurance, a health savings account, tuition reimbursement, health insurance, and loan repayment programs.
Trilogy Health Services Reviews
The reviews for this healthcare services company are mostly positive. The facilities at Trilogy Health are new and clean, and the staff is friendly. The pay is impressive and there is a fair work-life balance for employees.
Concentra
Concentra, Inc. is a national healthcare firm in Texas. However, this agency operates over 520 urgent care centers and can be found in 44 states. The company has over 1,000 physicians to support patients.
What Does Concentra Pay Its Physical Therapists?
The average annual pay for Concentra physical therapists is $92,803 per annum. Employees at Concentra have reported the pay range to be between $54,240 and $126,697 per year, though, so there is room for an increase in pay.
Concentra Reviews
The organization helps promote growth by supporting its employees. It provides training and the staff are kind and patient while teaching others. Employees can also choose to work remotely when they have completed their training. The job offers variety, and sometimes employees receive free lunches.
Encore Rehabilitation Services
Encore Rehabilitation Services offers therapy programs at skilled nursing facilities in different states across the country. Encore also hires other specialists like nurses and doctors. They provide quality orthopedic rehabilitation services, outpatient rehabilitation centers, and physical therapy assistants.
What Does Encore Rehabilitation Services Pay Its Physical Therapists?
This organization pays these healthcare professionals an average salary of $91,123 per year. This figure is 15 percent higher than the national average and often ranges between $64,891 to $120,738. The job comes with benefits like health insurance and paid time off.
Encore Rehabilitation Services Reviews
Encore Rehabilitation Services is a flexible employer and the coworkers are great. The pay is competitive and the management cares for staff. However, the physical therapy clinic is often disconnected from other physical therapists.
Legacy Healthcare Services
Legacy Healthcare Services is a provider of advanced therapies, occupational therapy, physical therapy, wellness services, and speech and language pathology. The organization is based in North Carolina but provides physical therapy clinics around the country.
What Does Legacy Healthcare Services Pay Its Physical Therapists?
Physical therapists in this organization earn an average salary of $86,061 per
year. The sum is 11 percent higher than the national average for physical therapist roles. Some benefits from this organization include health insurance and paid time off.
Legacy Healthcare Services Reviews
The organization provides mentorship to help employees. Employees also get to enjoy flexible schedules, an inclusive atmosphere, and healthy relationships with management. The staff size is smaller and more effective, which leads to a great employee experience.
Ivy Rehab
Ivy Rehab is a healthcare organization with more than 340 outpatients in physical, speech, and occupational therapy. Some other jobs available in this organization include patient coordinators and patient representatives.
What Does Ivy Rehab Pay Its Physical Therapists?
This occupational therapy provider pays its physical therapist an average salary of $77,542 per year. This figure is one percent higher than the national average for physical therapists. Also, the salary can range from $69,658 to $112,256. The organization offers health insurance to its employees.
Ivy Rehab Reviews
The work environment is positive and this makes it a good place for practical learning. The pay is also good considering the region it is situated in. Employees receive support from upper management and the organization is great for new graduates, as they can learn a lot.
Life Care Centers of America
The Life Care Centers of America is an elderly care organization with its headquarters in Cleveland, Tennessee. The company has facilities in 28 states and provides a high level of care for their elderly patients.
What Does Life Care Centers of America Pay Its Physical Therapists?
The average salary of physical therapists in this organization is $77,498. This salary is in line with the national average. However, it comes with vision insurance, health insurance, dental insurance, a retirement plan, and paid time off.
Life Care Centers of America Reviews
The leadership of the organization make employees feel welcome. The managers offer support to employees to enable them to reach the peak of their careers. The coworkers are also collaborative, which enhances employees’ experiences.
Select Physical Therapy
Select Physical Therapy provides outpatient physical therapy, women’s health, sports medicine, specialty therapies, and COVID recovery services. It helps those with athletic training injuries and promotes functional patient outcomes to ensure the best quality of rehabilitation.
What Does Select Physical Therapy Pay Its Physical Therapists?
The company pays its physical therapists an average of $76,823 per year. This figure is slightly lower than the average salary for this job. The salary range falls between $27,967 and $114,640 per year, depending on your level within the company.
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Select Physical Therapy Reviews
Select Physical Therapy gives employees an opportunity to learn what they need for their certification exams and is known to show special care for its patients and employees. The atmosphere is friendly and the benefits like paid time off can be carried over to the next year.
Encompass Health
Encompass Health, previously known as HealthSouth Corporation, is based in Alabama. They offer post-acute care services, home-based, and facility-based post-acute services. Its reach covers 36 states, as well as Puerto Rico. The company works with hospice agencies, inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, and home health agencies.
What Does Encompass Health Pay Its Physical Therapists?
The company pays its physical therapists an average salary of $74,988. This figure is roughly nine percent below the average for physical therapist jobs in the United States. However, it comes with lots of benefits and perks and some of them include health insurance coverage, vision insurance, dental insurance, paid time off, retirement planning, and 401k matching.
Encompass Health Reviews
The company offers great equipment for the treatment of patients. The salary could be better considering the long hours employees have to work. The call days are stressful and sometimes employees aren’t properly compensated for the extra time.
Good Samaritan Society
The Good Samaritan Society is a non-profit organization that offers housing and other services to people in need. The organization is a Sanford Health affiliate and faith-based organization. Despite being a religious organization, they are non-discriminatory and accept everyone regardless of race, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability, and other protected statuses under the law.
What Does Good Samaritan Society Pay Its Physical Therapists?
The Good Samaritan Society pays its physical therapists an average salary of $73,465 per annum, which is 10 percent lower than the national average for physical therapists. However, it offers some perks and benefits such as health insurance, vision insurance, dental insurance, paid time off, and retirement plans.
Good Samaritan Society Reviews
The organization is a nice place to work in, with nurses, HR, and even nurse aides offering support. The organization cares about its staff and the patients. There is room for growth in the company and everyone plays their part to support residents.
California Therapy Services
California Therapy Services offers home health therapy. The organization provides physical therapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, and physical therapy assistants that visit patients at home. It uses the latest innovative technologies to provide an exceptional patient care experience for outpatients. The company offers facility-based and home-based patient care.
What Does California Therapy Services Pay Its Physical Therapists?
California Therapy Services pays its physical therapists an average salary of $65,088 per year. The salary is 17 percent lower than the average salary for physical therapists in the United States. The salary range also falls within $27,120 to $65,088 per annum.
California Therapy Services Reviews
California Therapy Services is ideal for people who want to get experience in the physical therapy field. The pay is not as high as others in the same field, but it can help propel your dream career. The staff is friendly, but there isn’t much room for growth.
Why You Should Become a Physical Therapist in 2023
You should become a physical therapist in 2023 if you want to touch the lives of people struggling with physical ailments. Physical therapists often form relationships with their patients as they help them to recover, establish trust, and enjoy a fun environment. Physical therapists can be a part of their patient’s life-changing journey.
Aside from the relief that physical therapy brings to patients, it is also very rewarding financially. Some physical therapists can find themselves earning six figures as they grow within their company. There are also ample opportunities and you can easily switch careers to fit your preference if you are not thriving at a specific workplace.
Best Companies for Physical Therapists FAQ
The best place to work as a physical therapist is a rehabilitation center. There may be openings in hospitals, but rehabilitation centers offer more opportunities to learn and grow in your field. The specialized hospitals often offer fitness services, corrective exercises, functional capacity evaluations, outpatient clinical centers, speech therapy, and postoperative rehabilitation.
The current demand for these clinical professionals is very high. Employment in the field is expected to grow 21 percent from 2020 to 2030, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is likely due to the aging population and the COVID-19 pandemic and its side effects.
Yes, physical therapists can earn six figures, depending on their skills and career level. Generally, physical therapists make an average yearly salary of $76,707, in the United States. Other factors such as location will determine how much the physical therapist makes.
Being a physical therapist can be somewhat stressful in some cases. These experts may need to drive long distances, implement difficult rehabilitation plans, satisfy family members of deteriorating patients, and other high-stress tasks. They may also need to work long shifts to meet the high demand in their facilities.
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