Physiotherapist Salary and Benefits

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the average amount of money a physiotherapist earned in 2005 was $3,434 per month which equals to just under $51,000 annually. A physiotherapist who has been working at the profession for many years can earn up to $80,000 so the job is definitely a well-paid one. Granted, these numbers were gathered in 2005 so they may be slightly different today. As it is with most professions, the longer you work as a physiotherapist the higher the salary you can command.

physiotherapist salary

Earnings Based on Location

Like with most other professions, physiotherapist salaries vary depending upon where one works. Physiotherapists working in the US earn significantly more than those working in other parts of the world. For example, an entry level physiotherapist working in Australia earns $2,700 per month and an entry level physiotherapist working in Singapore earns just $1,459 each month. Physiotherapists working in the USA earn by far, the most income in the profession.

Benefits

While it is well known that physiotherapists earn nice salaries, many people do not realize that there are other benefits associated with being a physiotherapist. Besides their regular salaries, physiotherapists also typically receive paid vacations and good health care coverage. They also usually enjoy 401K retirement plans where their employer will match retirement contributions up to a certain point. It can be very rewarding to work with people. A typical physiotherapist meets many new people regularly so this too is a clear benefit associated with this profession.

Where Physiotherapists Work

Many physiotherapists work inside hospitals. These professionals are needed in basically every hospital department ranging. They can provide after-care treatment in regular hospital wards as well as work in intensive care units where around-the-clock physiotherapy can be vital to keeping unconscious patients alive.

It is also common for physiotherapists to work in doctor’s offices, nursing homes and hospices. Physiotherapists can also work for sports franchises, in schools and in other places where people are at risk of injury such as for large industrial corporations.

Physiotherapist Job Description

A physiotherapist treats patients who have physical difficulties resulting from illness, injury, disability or aging. They treat people of all ages and are trained to assist in the rehabilitation of patients by developing treatment programs to restore full or partial functioning of the respiratory, cardiovascular, neuromuscular and musculoskeletal systems. The treatment a physiotherapist provides encourages exercise and movement through the use of manual and mechanical techniques such as exercise therapy, massage, manipulation, electrotherapy and or hydrotherapy.