According to a report published by the U.S. Department of Labor in May 2014, physical therapist assistants in Mississippi earned an average annual salary of $46,270. This worked out to approximately $22.25 per hour. The entry-level salary for recent graduates of PTA associate’s degree programs in the state was $27,920 that year, but by mid-career, that number rose dramatically to $49,330.
Physical therapist assistants who continued to work in their profession and obtained the status of “highly experienced,” enjoyed salaries of $69,720 on average. Salaries tended to be higher for PTAs employed in larger hospital systems and major clinics in Mississippi’s metro areas.
Medical Breakthroughs in Physical Therapy Extended Care to Cancer Patients in Mississippi and Provided Job Openings for PTAs Statewide
Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants at the University of Mississippi Medical Center have linked arms with local oncologists, sharing a commitment to providing total care for cancer patients who also require physical therapy. The collaboration between the two fields is helping to broaden the overall scope of physical therapy in Mississippi. They’re calling it “prehabilitation,” and it is revolutionizing the industry. Not only is this collaborative effort allowing patients the kind of comprehensive whole-person care they need, it is also creating new opportunities for physical therapist assistants to work in cancer centers.
How Salaries Vary for PTAs in Mississippi According to Location
A brief overview of data gathered in 2014 by the US Department of Labor and the Mississippi Department of Labor showed that salaries for physical therapist assistants varied across the state. This was often reflective of the demand and need for PT services in a given area, with more rural areas that have a history of being medically underserved often paying more. By way of example, PTAs in the capital city of Jackson earned an average of $42,170 annually, while the much smaller town of Pascagoula reported annual PTA salaries of $47,480. Still greater are the salaries in Northeast and Southeast Mississippi non-metropolitan regions, which offered yearly salaries of $51,600 and $53,830, respectively.
A detailed analysis including many other regions in Mississippi is provided below (U.S. Department of Labor, May 2014):