Are you a people person?
Do you enjoy helping or caring for people?
If so, a physical therapy career might be right for you! Like many others, you may have a good heart that just wants to do something meaningful. Physical therapists definitely perform meaningful work and get to experience the reward of helping those who need it. But that’s not all, there are many other benefits to being a physical therapist.
CAREER BENEFITS OF WORKING IN PHYSICAL THERAPY
High Demand
Due to a growing economy and a changing world, an increasing number of people are engaging in a more active lifestyle. Outdoor sports and adventures are on the rise. Here in the United States, we have a lot of freedoms and many of us are choosing to get out and play. Needless to say, this means there is also a growing number of injuries and accidents that occur. For the foreseeable future, a physical therapy career will be a sustainable one.
Aside from the growing number of “outdoorsy” people, human beings will always be required to engage in physical activity. Labor type jobs, family responsibilities, and just going through the day-to-day routine will inevitably result in some physical injury that calls for attention. Whether through the process of time or playing our favorite sport, accidents happen. You can’t prevent every injury or accident, but as a physical therapist, you can be prepared to treat them. The need for professional, physical help is high and growing.
Flexible Schedule and Location
We won’t deny the fact that it takes a lot of work to achieve the title of a physical therapist, but on average, once you’re there, you have some freedoms that other occupations do not. Because there is such a high demand for physical therapists, that means most of them to decide their own work schedules and locations. Physical therapy clinics are all over the country, which means you could work almost anywhere you like. Most careers don’t come with that kind of freedom. Weekends and holidays are usually free and being able to provide for loved ones while still spending a large amount of time with them is perhaps the best benefit of a physical therapy career.
When it comes to schooling, a doctorate in physiotherapy (DPT) is a requirement and there are a number of additional certifications that great to obtain. These can add to a more professional physical therapy clinic and build more trust with patients. It is a fair amount of work, but it is not medical school. All in all, physical therapists are required to receive roughly 7 years of education to qualify for licensing.
Pay
Life is full of expenses and as we get older, get married, and have families, those expenses increase. Knowing how much a physical therapist gets paid is an important factor to consider. The good news is they typically do very well financially. While it does vary from state to state, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), physical therapists in the United States make a median salary of $87,930 as of 2018. In some cases, physical therapists can make north of $100k per year. A physical therapy career often includes many insurance benefits as well. Many also start their own practice, making opportunities for growth abundant.
Make a Difference
The best part about becoming a physical therapist is experiencing the reward of helping those who can’t help themselves. Physical injuries can potentially bring life to a halt and leave lasting consequences, but physical therapists can change that. On the surface, physical therapy is obviously about healing damaged bodies, but it goes much deeper than that. There can be hidden emotional pain like hopelessness or isolation associated with injury as well. Physical therapy is about restoring life in all ways. We’re not just decreasing physical pain, we’re giving people their life back.