How much do physical therapist assistants make in San Diego?
The average salary for a physical therapist assistant is $34.46 per hour in San Diego, CA. 24 salaries reported, updated at July 8, 2022.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $110,865 and as low as $29,201, the majority of PTA salaries currently range between $52,957 (25th percentile) to $77,704 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $98,491 annually in California.
Average base salary
The average salary for a physical therapist assistant is $34.80 per hour in California.
How Much Does a Physical Therapist Assistant Make? Physical Therapist Assistants made a median salary of $59,770 in 2020. The best-paid 25 percent made $70,800 that year, while the lowest-paid 25 percent made $48,260.
- New Jersey average physical therapist assistant salary: $69,480.
- Texas average physical therapist assistant salary: $68,680.
- California average physical therapist assistant salary: $66,150.
- Connecticut average physical therapist assistant salary: $65,510.
- Step 1: Complete a Physical Therapy Education Program.
- Step 2: Submit an Application for Licensure to the California Physical Therapy Board.
- Step 3: Complete California Testing Requirements.
- Step 4: Renew Your License.
How much does a Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant make in Los Angeles, CA? The average Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant salary in Los Angeles, CA is $70,647 as of July 26, 2022, but the range typically falls between $64,297 and $77,389.
Being a physical therapist assistant is emotionally demanding sometimes. Many patients are in pain and facing uncertainty about their health. Some may even be short-tempered.
Under the direction and supervision of physical therapists, physical therapist assistants treat patients through exercise, massage, gait and balance training, and other therapeutic interventions. They record patients' progress and report the results of each treatment to the physical therapist.
To practice as a physical therapist in the U.S., you must earn a doctor of physical therapy degree from a Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education-accredited physical therapist education program and pass a state licensure exam. The length of professional DPT programs is typically three years.
Do PTA wear scrubs?
Depending on the requirements of the position, physical therapy aides wear some basic office attire such as slacks and shirts or blouses while others wear traditional medical scrubs. In some facilities, casual attire on fridays is allowed where clinicians and office workers can wear well-kept jeans.
PTs are mainly concerned with diagnosing patients and developing a rehabilitation program that is tailored to the patient's prognosis. PTAs on the other hand have more focus on preparing patients to be diagnosed and assisting in executing the rehabilitation plan.

Rank | State | Average Annual Salary for Physical Therapists |
---|---|---|
1 | Nevada | $104,210 |
2 | California | $103,510 |
3 | Connecticut | $101,180 |
4 | Delaware | $100,490 |
The following is the estimated cost of the program using the 2019-2020 tuition/fee schedule: Tuition costs per unit: $1,267; $16,471 for 13-18 units. Units required for the PTA program (not including general education courses*): 45. Application fee: $45.
The length of a PTA program is typically two years (five semesters). Primary content areas in the curriculum may include, but are not limited to, anatomy, physiology, exercise physiology, biomechanics, kinesiology, neuroscience, clinical pathology, behavioral sciences, communication, and ethics/values.
Physical Therapist Student Loans Are Not the Best Financial Investment. If you are interested in money, it's clear that it doesn't pay to take out six figures of student debt and delay your earnings three years after undergrad for a salary that is under six figures typically.
The most important thing I suggest is allowing plenty of time to get the license. The whole process can take 2-3 months. After paying the fees and submitting the paperwork, the Board will send you an email, letting you know when they begin to process of reviewing your application and how long the process should take.
How much does an LVN make in Los Angeles, CA? The average LVN salary in Los Angeles, CA is $57,883 as of , but the salary range typically falls between $52,598 and $64,430.
Like most medical programs, PTA courses often require intense study. Because individual skills vary so greatly, a class that one student finds quite easy may be a challenge for another student. However, some courses are well known for their difficulty.
One of the biggest advantages of being a physical therapist assistant is having an outstanding work-life balance. Having the ability to have a great work-life balance is unique for all jobs, but having it in your profession can be very unique.
Do PTAS do lots of paperwork?
It varies clinic to clinic. In outpatient, some PT's spend like 40-60 min with one patient and then they might have separate documenting time slots. In other clinics, you have to do your documentation as you go throughout the work day.
PTAs are not permitted to perform evaluations, assessment procedures, or certain complex procedures; nor do they design plans of care or develop treatment plans. Accordingly, PTAs do not possess an independent “scope of practice” as do PTs.
PTAs help patients regain muscle strength, range of motion, joint mobility and flexibility. OTAs help patients with therapy interventions, which includes activities of daily life (ADLs) or plans for patients to help them learn how to live a more independent life with confidence.
Brief description of the job:
The purpose of the role is to support Therapists in the provision and further development of high quality therapeutic work. The post holder will implement a range of therapy interventions under the guidance of the relevant Therapist. This will involve producing therapy resources.
Results: While most physical therapists practice within the profession's Code of Ethics, there are practitioners who date current and former patients, and condone patients' sexual banter in the clinic. Almost half (42%) of the participants acknowledged feeling sexually attracted to a patient.