If you are interested in becoming a physical therapist you will first need to find out what the requirements are and then get a degree in physical therapy. You do not have to have a large medical background before going into physical therapy. Many people who are looking for a career in physical therapy do have medical backgrounds but have simply opted for physical therapy training over nursing or medical school. There are some folks however that do not have any medical background but have had athletic injuries at some point in their lives and as a result have become interested in helping others with the same issues through a career in physical therapy.
A physical therapist must have a post-graduate degree before they can earn a physical therapy license and open their own practice. If you are just interested in working as a physical therapist in a hospital setting you can do this with just a two year associate’s degree in physical therapy.
Basically you can choose from the following degrees if you are interested in becoming a physical therapist: Associates, Bachelors or Masters. Deciding on exactly where you want your physical therapy career to take you will be the best way to decide which type of degree you will need. Of course if your ultimate goal is to have your own practice then you will need to choose the master’s program and learn as much as you possible can.
There are many different specialties that can be found in the world of physical therapy. A few of these are: Cardiovascular and Pulmonary, Clinical Electrophysiology, Geriatric, Neurology, Orthopedic, Pediatric, and Sports. As you can see if you choose a career in physical therapy you have a wide range of options that will be available to you. It’s best to choose which specialty you will be most interested in before you begin your degree so that you can have a goal to work towards.
Once you become a physical therapist you can enjoy a pretty large salary ranging from $60,000 all the way up to $80,000. The average salary of a physical therapist is $72,790. As you can see this career is quite lucrative and is a good career choice if you have any interest in physical therapy at all.
Demand for physical therapist is going up and is expected to continue to rise until around 2018. This is great news for those of you who have an interest in this career because not only can you do something you love for a living but you will be well compensated for it as well. In today’s economy this is wonderful news! The job outlook for physical therapist is currently at 39% which is much faster than the average job outlook of today.
