Physical Therapy is One of the Most Popular Healthcare Jobs in America

Jobs in healthcare are some of the fastest growing in the country. With the population growing and the baby boomers nearing retirement, the industry has a great need for new workers. In many places there is such a great demand for workers and not enough individuals trained for the field that shortage of healthcare professionals is expected in the next few years.

According to Money Magazine’s “Best Jobs in America”, physical therapist have the 12th best job in the nation. This healthcare career also made it onto Parade’s “Hottest Jobs for College Graduates.” Other statistics show that physical therapist is one of the fastest growing jobs in the industry.

This career is considered one of the more satisfying jobs in the healthcare industry. While other professionals, such as nurses, often report feeling unhappy or even burnout at work, physical therapist report enjoying their jobs. High pay is another reason this career is considered a popular choice.

“The median salary for a staff physical therapy job is about $66,000,” said American Traveler recruitment VP. “But earnings for travel PT jobs can be as high as $100,000, and include free private housing and free first day health insurance.”

Many places faced with staff shortages for healthcare positions have turned to such recruitment agencies to help them locate short-term help. Individuals with travel jobs in healthcare have the chance to live all over the country, get paid more than others in their professional field and can take assignments that last anywhere from a month to a year.

According to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), physical therapy jobs are expected to grow by 27 percent over the next five years, which makes this career one of the fastest growing. Many hospitals and private practices will continue to rely traveling healthcare professionals until the nations schools are able to train enough individuals to fill the abundance of vacancies that the large number of retirees are creating.

“Aging Baby Boomers with the need for rehabilitation from heart attack and stroke will continue to fuel the need for physical therapy travel jobs as will advanced medical technologies aimed at improving the quality of life for newborns and the elderly,” said Deb Bacurin, RN, who is the Clinical Credentialing Manger of 50 States Staffing.

Other things making physical therapy jobs more popular include the fact that the Medicare therapy cap has been lifted and the fact that the PT occupation is now considered an “area of national need”, which means that physical therapists can now apply for student loan forgiveness.