Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2017

31-2021 Physical Therapist Assistants

Assist physical therapists in providing physical therapy treatments and procedures. May, in accordance with State laws, assist in the development of treatment plans, carry out routine functions, document the progress of treatment, and modify specific treatments in accordance with patient status and within the scope of treatment plans established by a physical therapist. Generally requires formal training.

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National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1)	Employment RSE (3)	Mean hourly wage	Mean annual wage (2)	Wage RSE (3)
90,170	1.4 %	$27.70	$57,620	0.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile	10%	25%	50% (Median)	75%	90%
Hourly Wage	$17.27	$22.49	$27.61	$32.58	$38.17
Annual Wage (2)	$35,930	$46,780	$57,430	$67,770	$79,380

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Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Offices of Other Health Practitioners	41,780	4.77	$26.72	$55,570
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	17,200	0.31	$26.48	$55,070
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities)	9,990	0.62	$31.54	$65,600
Home Health Care Services	7,870	0.56	$31.56	$65,640
Offices of Physicians	4,220	0.17	$25.59	$53,220

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Offices of Other Health Practitioners	41,780	4.77	$26.72	$55,570
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals	2,540	0.98	$27.64	$57,490
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities)	9,990	0.62	$31.54	$65,600
Home Health Care Services	7,870	0.56	$31.56	$65,640
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	17,200	0.31	$26.48	$55,070

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Home Health Care Services	7,870	0.56	$31.56	$65,640
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities)	9,990	0.62	$31.54	$65,600
Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly	1,000	0.11	$30.57	$63,580
Educational Support Services	70	0.04	$30.50	$63,440
Management of Companies and Enterprises	360	0.02	$30.01	$62,420

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Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Texas	7,240	0.61	0.96	$33.87	$70,450
Ohio	5,900	1.10	1.74	$28.04	$58,330
Florida	5,880	0.70	1.10	$30.15	$62,710
Pennsylvania	5,180	0.90	1.42	$25.05	$52,100
California	5,120	0.31	0.48	$29.22	$60,780

States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Ohio	5,900	1.10	1.74	$28.04	$58,330
West Virginia	740	1.07	1.69	$23.81	$49,520
Alabama	1,890	0.98	1.55	$26.45	$55,020
Tennessee	2,820	0.97	1.53	$28.02	$58,280
Indiana	2,840	0.94	1.49	$26.83	$55,800

Top paying States for this occupation:

State	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Texas	7,240	0.61	0.96	$33.87	$70,450
New Jersey	1,430	0.36	0.56	$32.69	$67,990
Nevada	630	0.48	0.76	$30.40	$63,230
Florida	5,880	0.70	1.10	$30.15	$62,710
Massachusetts	2,720	0.77	1.22	$30.00	$62,400

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Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division	2,430	0.66	1.05	$29.55	$61,470
New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division	2,410	0.36	0.57	$29.45	$61,250
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division	1,740	0.70	1.10	$36.08	$75,040
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division	1,400	0.31	0.50	$29.00	$60,310
Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, MI Metropolitan Division	1,320	1.07	1.69	$29.00	$60,330
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	1,190	0.45	0.72	$25.44	$52,910
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX	1,180	0.40	0.64	$32.72	$68,050
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division	1,170	0.46	0.73	$25.33	$52,690
St. Louis, MO-IL	1,170	0.86	1.36	$24.67	$51,310
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA NECTA Division	1,120	0.61	0.96	$31.32	$65,150

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Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Victoria, TX	210	5.15	8.14	$36.88	$76,720
Homosassa Springs, FL	120	3.65	5.77	$27.45	$57,090
Cumberland, MD-WV	120	3.24	5.12	$31.82	$66,180
Gadsden, AL	110	3.14	4.96	$26.79	$55,720
Canton-Massillon, OH	430	2.58	4.07	$27.00	$56,160
The Villages, FL	70	2.53	4.00	$33.02	$68,670
Kokomo, IN	100	2.50	3.96	$27.14	$56,440
Jackson, TN	150	2.34	3.69	$28.37	$59,010
Bay City, MI	80	2.34	3.70	$22.46	$46,720
Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA	500	2.33	3.69	$25.62	$53,290