Research Summary. Here are some key facts to know if you're looking to hire a staff physical therapy assistants in the United States:
Recruiting staff physical therapy assistants involves both the one-time costs of hiring and the ongoing costs of adding a new employee to your team. Your spending during the hiring process will mostly be on things like promoting the job on job boards, reviewing and interviewing candidates, and onboarding the new hire. Ongoing costs will obviously involve the employee's salary, but also may include things like benefits.
You can expect to pay around $51,881 per year for a staff physical therapy assistant, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for staff physical therapy assistants in the US typically range between $17 and $34 an hour.
To hire a staff physical therapy assistant, you need to identify the specific skills and experience you want in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and advertise the job opening to attract potential candidates. To hire a staff physical therapy assistant, you should follow these steps:
Before you post your staff physical therapy assistant job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business need. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a staff physical therapy assistant for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.
A staff physical therapy assistant's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, staff physical therapy assistants from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.
This list provides information on the salaries of different staff physical therapy assistant roles.
Type Of Staff Physical Therapy Assistant | Description | Hourly Rate |
---|---|---|
Staff Physical Therapy Assistant | Physical therapist assistants, sometimes called PTAs, and physical therapist aides work under the direction and supervision of physical therapists. They help patients who are recovering from injuries and illnesses regain movement and manage pain. | $17-34 |
Rehabilitation Aide | A rehabilitation aide is responsible for assisting patients with injuries, mental disorders, and illnesses in their treatment plans and medications. Rehabilitation aides monitor the patients' progress and update attending physicians regarding their conditions... Show More | $10-16 |
Rehab Technician | A rehab technician's role is to assist physical therapists and patients in a hospital or similar facility. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around gathering a patient's personal information and medical history, escorting them to corresponding rooms, and conducting initial tests and assessments... Show More | $10-17 |
Before you draft a staff physical therapy assistant job description, imagine the ideal employee for the role and begin creating a profile. What are they proficient in and what sort of background do they have?
Staff physical therapy assistants typically have the following skills:
Here are the most common staff physical therapy assistant responsibilities:
Cultural fit is also an essential factor that you shouldn't overlook. Consider how your perfect staff physical therapy assistant will contribute to the team dynamic and help grow the team's culture in a positive way. If you can include a clear vision of this in your staff physical therapy assistant job description, it'll help attract candidates who are better suited for the position.
Rank # | State | # Of Jobs | % of Population | Avg. Salary |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Massachusetts | 2,122 | 31% | $59,057 |
2 | Illinois | 1,913 | 15% | $49,904 |
3 | Washington | 1,006 | 14% | $58,571 |
4 | Maryland | 973 | 16% | $54,850 |
5 | Indiana | 973 | 15% | $48,546 |
Including a salary range in the job description is a good way to get more applicants. A staff physical therapy assistant salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, their level of experience, education and certifications, and the prestige of the employer. For example, the average salary for a staff physical therapy assistant in South Dakota may be lower than in Alaska, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level staff physical therapy assistant. Additionally, a staff physical therapy assistant with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.
Rank | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Count |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | California | $60,482 | $29 | 5 |
2 | Massachusetts | $59,321 | $29 | 5 |
3 | Washington | $59,200 | $28 | 2 |
4 | Utah | $57,309 | $28 | |
5 | Delaware | $57,030 | $27 | 3 |
Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | University of California-Berkeley | $81,556 | $39.21 | |
2 | Massachusetts General Hospital | $69,253 | $33.29 | 31 |
3 | University of Maryland Medical System | $67,746 | $32.57 | 20 |
4 | Nantucket Cottage Hospital | $67,498 | $32.45 | 2 |
5 | Hawaii Pacific Health | $67,464 | $32.43 | 2 |
6 | UMass Memorial Health | $67,277 | $32.34 | 13 |
7 | Heartland Home Health Inc. | $67,095 | $32.26 | 4 |
8 | Baystate Health | $66,380 | $31.91 | 19 |
9 | Visiting Nurse Health System | $65,705 | $31.59 | 2 |
10 | Androscoggin Home Healthcare + Hospice | $65,646 | $31.56 | |
11 | Methodist Hospital Of Henderson, Kentucky | $65,579 | $31.53 | 14 |
12 | Liberty HomeCare and Hospice | $65,299 | $31.39 | 46 |
13 | St. Luke's Hospital | $64,508 | $31.01 | 13 |
14 | Encompass Health | $64,306 | $30.92 | 1,869 |
15 | VNA of Albany | $64,271 | $30.90 | 9 |
16 | Grand View Health | $63,959 | $30.75 | 2 |
17 | Catholic Health Care System | $63,927 | $30.73 | |
18 | Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare | $63,897 | $30.72 | 4 |
19 | Riverview Health | $63,843 | $30.69 | 6 |
20 | Signature Healthcare | $63,721 | $30.64 | 48 |
A staff physical therapy assistant job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a staff physical therapy assistant job description:
There are various strategies that you can use to find the right staff physical therapy assistant for your business:
Post your job online:
To successfully recruit staff physical therapy assistants, your first interview needs to be all about engaging with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.
Don't forget to include a few questions that give a candidate chance to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their special skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, candidates who are good enough can move on to the technical interview.
The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.
Once you've decided on a perfect staff physical therapy assistant candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should also include details such as benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.
It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.
To prepare for the new staff physical therapy assistant first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources needs to make sure that a new employee file is created for internal recordkeeping.