6 answers
Kamari
Student
Rock Hill, South Carolina
1
Question
Updated
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Could you have a good lifestyle being a physical trainer or physical therapist
What do you have to do in order to get paid well as a physical trainer or physical therapist.
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6 answers
Monica Song
Physical Therapist Assistant
1
Answer
San Jose, California
Updated
Monica’s Answer
Hi,
I'm a licensed Physical Therapist Assistant....think MD is to Physician Assistant as Physical Therapist is to PT Assistant. Here in California, the average salary for a PTA is $64,603 and $77,803. For a PT it is $92,00 to $120,000. Yes, you can make a decent living doing something you really enjoy while helping people of all ages and abilities. It really depends on your interest and where you work. I love working with the elderly, but for some, that might seem dull. Physical Therapists and PTAs work in a wide variety of settings with a wide variety of people. You can specialize, or you can be a general practitioner in a home, hospital, clinic, school, or other community settings. You can also find work as a traveling therapist if you want to explore the US. Highly recommend volunteering in a rehab setting in different scenarios so you can get a feel for the profession. School is competitive. So if you plan on going for PT, start looking at schools, their requirements and pre-requisites, and do well in the sciences. Admissions people want to see that you can handle a heavy load with good grades. All the best, Monica
I'm a licensed Physical Therapist Assistant....think MD is to Physician Assistant as Physical Therapist is to PT Assistant. Here in California, the average salary for a PTA is $64,603 and $77,803. For a PT it is $92,00 to $120,000. Yes, you can make a decent living doing something you really enjoy while helping people of all ages and abilities. It really depends on your interest and where you work. I love working with the elderly, but for some, that might seem dull. Physical Therapists and PTAs work in a wide variety of settings with a wide variety of people. You can specialize, or you can be a general practitioner in a home, hospital, clinic, school, or other community settings. You can also find work as a traveling therapist if you want to explore the US. Highly recommend volunteering in a rehab setting in different scenarios so you can get a feel for the profession. School is competitive. So if you plan on going for PT, start looking at schools, their requirements and pre-requisites, and do well in the sciences. Admissions people want to see that you can handle a heavy load with good grades. All the best, Monica
Samantha Roman
Operations Manager & Company Owner
12
Answers
Fort Worth, Texas
Updated
Samantha’s Answer
Please, please understand one thing. If you get the right kind of help, you can set up multiple forms of income outside of physical therapy. Then, it doesn't matter how much you make being a physical therapist. You must create other sources of income - then you have the freedom to follow your dream career every single day without worrying if being a physical therapist pays enough. Do what you love. If you wake up each morning excited to be a physical therapist - that is what you should be.
Beth Burgess PT, MS, GCS
Physical Therapist
56
Answers
Dallas, Texas
Updated
Beth’s Answer
Hi Kamari!
Your question has two parts. The education requirements are very different between trainer and physical therapist. A person can be a trainer with minimal education outside high school. The basic certification can be as little as several months of certification classes, there are many levels of certification up to a master’s degree in exercise physiology or exercise science. The more training/education you have, the more you can charge per hour. It is possible to make a good living as a trainer in the right market.
A physical therapist has 6-7 years of college for a doctorate in physical therapy. School is very competitive and expensive. When you get out you will make a very livable wage depending on where you live and what setting you want to work in. APTA.org has information about salaries around the country. There are specialties within PT, a PT, ATC, or a specialization may earn you more salary also.
Trainers work with well people who have a goal. Physical therapists work with people who have injuries or illnesses, getting them back to function. Both are very rewarding, require people skills, the ability to motivate people. You can support a family, have a good work- life balance with both.
If you are looking for a career which will make you a millionaire by 30, healthcare and fitness is not it - look at finance, or business. No one should choose fitness or healthcare (even MD) to make money. Do it because you love fitness, or helping people or the miracle of how our bodies work. You will love what you do, and live comfortably.
APTA.org for career and salary, info
Shadow a trainer and a therapist for a day to see what they do.
Your question has two parts. The education requirements are very different between trainer and physical therapist. A person can be a trainer with minimal education outside high school. The basic certification can be as little as several months of certification classes, there are many levels of certification up to a master’s degree in exercise physiology or exercise science. The more training/education you have, the more you can charge per hour. It is possible to make a good living as a trainer in the right market.
A physical therapist has 6-7 years of college for a doctorate in physical therapy. School is very competitive and expensive. When you get out you will make a very livable wage depending on where you live and what setting you want to work in. APTA.org has information about salaries around the country. There are specialties within PT, a PT, ATC, or a specialization may earn you more salary also.
Trainers work with well people who have a goal. Physical therapists work with people who have injuries or illnesses, getting them back to function. Both are very rewarding, require people skills, the ability to motivate people. You can support a family, have a good work- life balance with both.
If you are looking for a career which will make you a millionaire by 30, healthcare and fitness is not it - look at finance, or business. No one should choose fitness or healthcare (even MD) to make money. Do it because you love fitness, or helping people or the miracle of how our bodies work. You will love what you do, and live comfortably.
Beth recommends the following next steps:
Nathaniel Swan
chiropractor
33
Answers
Kirkland, Washington
Updated
Nathaniel’s Answer
I've been a trainer and a chiropractor, so I have some experience. I was a trainer at a somewhat exclusive gym in LA and Irvine. I could make about $100 /hour if I wanted to work 8 hours a day, That is a good income. .BUTTTTTTT..It got really boring doing /teaching bicep curls all day. I can be just so energic and I am burnt out in about 5 hours max. The PT job can be equally dull as if you go with an ortho-clinic and the clinic decides to focus on knee replacements then you will be doing the same thing all day. Many insurance plans will only cover treatment that the PT does and what the doctor recommends and you might know more than the doctor... which can be problematic. I also am seeing companies buying outpatient facilities and hiring PT's to run them, however, you have to pay a big portion of your income back to pay for the space. It can be a 40%-60% cut and the PT gets the 40%. There are positions where you can go to clients' homes but you will have to fork out a lot of money for equipment.
Either position really requires you to be able to motivate the client and that can be exhausting to see someone 3 times a week for an extended time they might not be thrilled with the results they are seeing and you get the brunt of the frustration.
In California, one needed a degree in Exercise Physiology to get a job and PT programs are a 5-year commitment and are costly and the GPA required for entrance is close to 4.0...at least it was at UNC-Chapel Hill NC.
Either position really requires you to be able to motivate the client and that can be exhausting to see someone 3 times a week for an extended time they might not be thrilled with the results they are seeing and you get the brunt of the frustration.
In California, one needed a degree in Exercise Physiology to get a job and PT programs are a 5-year commitment and are costly and the GPA required for entrance is close to 4.0...at least it was at UNC-Chapel Hill NC.
Roberto Lima
Teacher
1
Answer
Sunny Isles Beach, Florida
Updated
Roberto’s Answer
Of course.
When you lead a life as a personal trainer, the best thing to do is to practice what you profess. So if you show others the way to a healthy life, it is very likely that the environment itself will lead you to be healthy too. Of course, that is if you want to be a good professional.
I can't imagine a personal trainer, talking to me about exercises and healthy diets and that he is chubby, sedentary eating chips in front of me or smoking a cigarette.
Of course it's not bad to be a personal trainer a little overweight, knowledge has nothing to do with physique. Sometimes endocrine problems occur that do not allow us to lose weight easily.
When you lead a life as a personal trainer, the best thing to do is to practice what you profess. So if you show others the way to a healthy life, it is very likely that the environment itself will lead you to be healthy too. Of course, that is if you want to be a good professional.
I can't imagine a personal trainer, talking to me about exercises and healthy diets and that he is chubby, sedentary eating chips in front of me or smoking a cigarette.
Of course it's not bad to be a personal trainer a little overweight, knowledge has nothing to do with physique. Sometimes endocrine problems occur that do not allow us to lose weight easily.
Deniece Dawkins
Reporting Data Science
2
Answers
Elgin, South Carolina
Updated
Deniece’s Answer
Good afternoon,
YES!!!!! You can certainly make a good living being a physical therapist or physical trainer. Like any other industry you must work at it but, if it is your passion you will never feel like you worked.
YES!!!!! You can certainly make a good living being a physical therapist or physical trainer. Like any other industry you must work at it but, if it is your passion you will never feel like you worked.