Job Market Information for Therapists
Physical Therapists
Occupational Therapists
Speech Language Pathologists
Job Market Information for Physical Therapists
According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, Physical Therapists held about 185,500 jobs in 2008. Six out of ten physical therapists worked at hospitals or in offices of physical therapists. Other employers included the home health care services industry, nursing care facilities, outpatient care centers, and doctors’ offices.
Job Outlook
The U.S. Department of Labor expects the job market for physical therapists to grow by 30% between 2008 and 2018. This growth rate is much faster than the average for all other jobs. The most physical therapy job opportunities will likely be found in acute hospital, rehabilitation, and orthopedic settings.
Demand for these positions will be spurred by increasing numbers of individuals with disabilities or limited function, particularly in the elderly. Additionally, because the baby boom generation is entering the prime age for heart attacks and strokes, demand for therapeutic services is expected to increase in that sector of the population. Increasing numbers of children will need physical therapy due to technological advances designed to save the lives of newborns with birth defects. Also, advances in medical care are allowing higher percentages of trauma victims to survive, increasing the need for rehabilitative services among this population as well.
Earnings
The U.S. Department of Labor reports the following median annual earnings for these specialization areas:
Home health care services: $77,630
Nursing care facilities: $76,680
General medical and surgical hospitals: $73,270
Offices of physicians: $72,790
Offices of other health practitioners: $71,400
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-2011 Edition, Physical Therapists, on the Internet at http://www.bis.gov/oco/ocos080.htm.
Job Market Information for Occupational Therapists
According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Therapists held about 104,500 jobs in 2008. That number is projected to grow by 26% between 2008 and 2018. The largest number of jobs held was in hospitals. Other major employers included health care clinics, nursing care facilities, educational facilities, doctors’ offices, individual and family services, government agencies, and community care facilities for the elderly.
Job Outlook
The U.S. Department of Labor expects the employment of occupational therapists to increase by 26% before 2018, which is a much faster rate of growth than the average for all occupations. Driving growth in this sector is the number of aging baby boomers. Additionally, growth in the population of people aged 75 or older will also increase demand for therapeutic services. Finally, medical advances are enabling patients with critical problems to survive longer, further driving the demand for therapeutic services.
Therapists who have specialized knowledge in particular treatment areas will have better job prospects. Emerging practice areas for occupational therapy include driver rehabilitation and fall-prevention training for the elderly.
Earnings
The U.S. Department of Labor reports the following median annual earnings for these specialization areas:
Home health care services : $74,510
Nursing care facilities: $72,790
Offices of other health care practitioners: $69,360
General medical and surgical hospitals: $68,100
Elementary and secondary schools: $60,020
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-2009 Edition, Occupational Therapists, on the Internet at http://www.bis.gov/oco/ocos078.htm.
Job Market Information for Speech Language Pathologists
According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Statistics, speech language pathologists held about 119,300 jobs in 2008. About half of those workers were employed in preschools, elementary, and secondary schools. Others were employed in hospitals and offices of other health practitioners.
Job Outlook
The U.S. Department of Labor expects the job market for speech language pathologists to grow by 19% from 2008-2018, which is faster than the average growth rate for all occupations.
Prospective patients will come from a variety of populations. The baby boomers are reaching an age where the possibility of neurological disorders and associated speech, language, and swallowing impairments will increase. Advances in medical technology are also improving the survival rate of premature infants, trauma, and stroke victims who will need speech therapeutic services.
The growth in schools will also feed a need for more speech language pathologists in the educational sector, particularly since the federal government guarantees special education and related services to all eligible children with disabilities.
Earnings
The U.S. Department of Labor reports the following median annual earnings for these specialization areas:
Nursing care facilities: $79,120
Offices of other health practitioners: $77,030
General medical and surgical hospitals: $68,430
Elementary and secondary schools: $58,140
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-2009 Edition, Speech-Language Pathologists, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos099.htm.