The 1,260 physical therapist assistants employed in Wisconsin as of 2014 earned an average salary of $49,423 according to the state’s Department of Workforce Development. Physical therapist assistants with the most experience (salaries within the top 10%) earned an average of $54,738 that year, while entry-level physical therapist assistants (salaries within the bottom 10%) earned an average of $38,791.
The field of physical therapy is growing rapidly in Wisconsin, with the state’s Department of Workforce Development expecting an increase of 16.7% in the number of jobs for PTAs statewide between 2012 and 2022. This level of growth should generate an average of 54 new jobs each year on average for physical therapist assistants in Wisconsin.
How Wisconsin’s Healthcare Industry Provides Opportunities for PTAs
The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development expects the demand for physical therapist assistants to be highest in these regions during the ten-year period between 2012 and 2022:
- Southeast: 24,51%
- Fox Valley: 38%
- North Central: 08%
- Bay Area: 29%
- Washington, Ozaukee, and Waukesha Counties: 0%
Healthcare is expected to be one of the fastest growing industries in Wisconsin based on job growth according to the 2015 Health Care Workforce Analysis conducted by the state’s Department of Workforce Development.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics describes the five health care industries that employed the most physical therapist assistants as of 2014, and the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development expects a high level of growth between 2012 and 2022 for four of these industries:
- Home Health Care Services: 70%
- Offices of Physicians: 08%
- Offices of Specialty Practitioners: 39%
- General Medical and Surgical Hospitals: 38%
Physical Therapist Assistant Salaries in Wisconsin Vary by Location
The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development provides the salaries for physical therapist assistants throughout Wisconsin as of 2014. The average salary varied by more than $17,000 depending on the location of the PTA. Physical therapist assistants new to the workforce in Sheboygan and Oshkosh-Neenah earned significantly higher salaries than their colleagues in other major metropolitan parts of Wisconsin:
For comparison, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics provides the salaries for physical therapist assistants in Wisconsin’s rural areas in addition to its major urban areas as of 2014. PTAs in the nonmetropolitan area of Eastern Wisconsin earned the highest average salary statewide: