Physical therapists are health practitioners who deal with muscles and bone pain by applying innovative and non-invasive therapies. As an experienced physiotherapist says, there is no ceiling to the amount of money a competent physical therapist can earn in Australia. Today most physical therapists work together with physicians like Orthopedics and Rehabilitation Medicine Doctors to treat patients suffering injuries and having chronic muscle and joint pains.
It’s not easy to determine the minimum and maximum wage of physical therapists in Australia. Some work in hospitals with a fixed annual income, while others work as independent health practitioners. Therefore, it would be wise to take a deep dive into physiotherapists’ earnings to determine which one is the highest-paid health professional in the country.
What is The Wage Range For Physical Therapists in Australia?
The wage ranges for physical therapists in Australia are broad. The minimum salary starts from as low as 87,000 AUD and can reach 250,000 AUD for the most skilled and experienced physiotherapists. However, it’s useful to know that 75% of the registered physiotherapists earn around 107,000 AUD per year, which is well above the national standards for a healthcare worker or independent provider.
Working in a hospital (in the private or public sector) could also affect the annual salary you receive as a physiotherapist. Independent contractors earn more money but also face higher stress levels and many fluctuations in their annual income. Also, the cost of maintaining a physiotherapist’s practice, the equipment maintenance, and the adjacent personnel you need to hire could impact your annual income.
Typical Salary Progress Over The Years For Physical Therapists
Like in any other profession, becoming more experienced as a physical therapist would directly impact your annual salary. In Australia, physiotherapists with more than 20 years of experience earn at least 75% more than the newcomers. A recent study has shown that physiotherapists can reach the 235,000 AUD mark after a 20-year career.
On the other hand, the salary increase percentage stands at about 25% for the first five years. It slows down when you get to the 15 years mark and modestly increases by about 6% thereafter. It’s important to know that, on average, a person’s salary doubles by the time they cross the 10-year experience mark. The same applies to physical therapists, only that their growth curve is a little steeper towards the first year of gaining professional experience.
Educational Levels Achieved And Physical Therapists Earnings
There is a big correlation between the educational level and the annual income growth for physiotherapists. Physiotherapists holding a bachelor’s degree usually receive an initial salary of about 122,000 AUD. Some of them who have completed their graduate studies (Master’s Degree) could jump into the 163,000 AUD annual salary bracket. Physiotherapists who hold a doctorate (Ph.D.) could earn up to 233,000 AUD pursuing both an academic career and having their independent practice.
As a result, it’s more profitable for a physiotherapist to pursue further academic education. With only two additional years of attending graduate school, a physiotherapist could see an average 33% raise in his annual salary. In addition, an extra 42% of salary raise is offered to physiotherapists who get a doctorate and write a thesis on a relevant scientific field. Some physiotherapists also prefer to register for MBA courses. These studies help them to manage and expand their private practice and could give them a chance for an even better salary raise in the future.
Being a Freelancer Gives You More Chances to Earn A Higher Wage
Public and private hospitals always cap the annual salary raises they may offer to experienced physiotherapists. It can be a difficult career decision to work in a hospital, a rehabilitation center, or founding your physical therapy firm. However, it seems like physiotherapists working in hospitals have a better work/life balance and pay less for their continuing education costs since they receive hospital subsidies.
Working as independent providers, physiotherapists could raise or lower their service cost to patients according to the demography’s social and economic level. Accepting payments from insurance companies and even the public sector could impact the annual income of independent physiotherapists since these could be significantly lower than the market prices.
Being a physiotherapist in Australia places you among the highest-paid healthcare workers and gives you the chance to live a comfortable life. The highest-paid physiotherapist is the one that is skilled and constantly tries to improve relations with patients.
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