As of 2014, physical therapist assistants in South Dakota earned an average annual salary of $35,552 according to the state’s Department of Labor and Regulation. Physical therapist assistants with salaries that fell within the top ten percent (typically those with the most experience) earned an average of $44,474, while PTAs with salaries in the bottom ten percent (typically those new to the field) earned an average of $28,043.
The field of physical therapy is highly promising in South Dakota, with the number of PTA jobs in the state expected to increase at a rate nearly four times faster than the state’s overall job growth rate for the projection period between 2012 and 2022. The South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation expects a job growth rate of 27.1% for PTAs statewide during this ten-year period, while the Sioux Falls metropolitan area is expected to see a 33.3% increase.
Factors Contributing to Job Growth for Physical Therapist Assistants in South Dakota
The healthcare industry in South Dakota is robust, and is expected to continue its strong rate of growth for many years to come according to a 2015 analysis conducted by the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation.
The fastest growing healthcare sector in South Dakota includes ambulatory care, which is the primary employment sector for physical therapists and their assistants. The South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation expects the number of employees in the ambulatory health care services sector to increase by 17.6% between 2012 and 2022. This rate of increase should create more than 2,600 new jobs over this ten-year period.
Hospitals represent another significant employment sector for physical therapist assistants. The number of hospital jobs in South Dakota is expected to increase by 12.4%, providing employment for another 3,110 people during this time frame. The number of employees in nursing and residential care facilities should also increase significantly (12.1%) over this ten-year period.
Physical Therapist Assistant Salaries Throughout South Dakota
Data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated that the average salary for physical therapist assistants was fairly similar throughout South Dakota as of 2014. Physical therapist assistants in Rapid City earned a slightly higher average salary than their colleagues in Sioux Falls and the nonmetropolitan region of South Dakota: