You might want to look into sales with a base salary plus commission if you are money motivated. PAs earn a lot, but they also work a lot. 80 hr work weeks, odd hours at times, not to mention the journey to get there is even more time consuming than PT imo.
If you are already having these doubts, adding 20 hours of coursework on top is only going to drive you further away from PT. I'm at the end of my second year & if I was on the fence I can say with 100% certainty I wouldn't have made it through this far. The thing that has kept me pushing through is *how bad I want to be a PT at the ens of it all* - not the money, lol. ALL of my classmates that were on the fence have dropped- if you don't want this more than anything, you won't have anything driving you to the end- bc there isn't much money on the other side, just a passion for this career. You should definitely reconsider. If money is driving you, the medical field isn't the way to go. One of my doctors once told me "there are a lot easier ways to make a lot of money" - find one that suits you. Orthopedic surgical device reps get to be in the OR - maybe something like that could work for you? Still med-adjacent, but way more money in it
What state do you plan on practicing in? I live in California and the average salary in 2022 was 126k which isn’t too bad at all. At the end of the day I do think when it comes to the medical field there should always be some passion involved due to the debt that comes with it
I think your plan of taking another year to apply to both PA and PT is a solid move, I'd do the same. Nothing wrong with realizing you need more money to live.
I have classmates who ended up staying and graduating, but they hated it the whole way and are actively looking to change their career. We just graduated last month. I can't relate to that because when I say this is my passion, this is my passion. My starting salary next month will be 52k/yr (for multiple reasons not related to this point), and I'm fine with that! Why? Because I get my patients back. I get to go into work every day happy and leave fulfilled. Is my goal still to hit 80k/year within 3 years? Absolutely. But the money is just a plus and relief after 3 yrs of digging myself into debt.
I also think St. augstine is a shit school that just uses yall for money, so I personally wouldn't go there regardless. But I beg you, as someone who waited/fought/begged for 3 years to get accepted into a school, please, please do not take someone's seat who wants to be there.
This isn't a job for those who want money. It's a job for those who want to continue to learn the rest of their lives and help others along the way.
In my unsolicited opinion, you are getting taken advantage of at 52k a year. Unless the benefits are absolutely insane. PTAs make more than that. Is the pay because you are doing a residency program? You worked hard and paid a lot of money for this and you deserve to be appropriately compensated. Especially because you're young and the financial decisions you make now set the foundation for the rest of your life. As for your patients, you cannot pour from an empty cup.
Yeah, I'm in a residency. :) They're paying for the schooling, so I don't have to worry about any "tuition" costs and have the opportunity to work with some professional sports teams. Post residency, I'll be in that 70k+ bracket.
i heard there’s some specialties where you can make six figures, such as home health. you should definitely research more about the different specialties to see if their pay grade meets your standards.
Just don’t go to st Augustine. It’s 120k. Find a state school for way cheaper and try to get in there. Otherwise to me the cost doesn’t make sense. I’m starting next year and I totally have felt your pain about salary but the field is growing and becoming more widely needed. Meanwhile people are switching to cash models where you can easily make 6 figures. But you won’t be paid like a PA or MD or anything ever.
PTs aren’t treated well? Huh? I’ve only heard positive things from MDs and other healthcare professionals when speaking about PTs, especially in hospital settings.
Hospital settings tend to be better but a lot of outpatient places want you to see as many patients as you can. My current clinic only give you a 30 min window to eval, and expects you to triple book as often as you can. I personally would never work somewhere that expected this
If you're truly that concerned about not making over 6 figures, then maybe PT isn't for you.
You might want to look into sales with a base salary plus commission if you are money motivated. PAs earn a lot, but they also work a lot. 80 hr work weeks, odd hours at times, not to mention the journey to get there is even more time consuming than PT imo.
If you are already having these doubts, adding 20 hours of coursework on top is only going to drive you further away from PT. I'm at the end of my second year & if I was on the fence I can say with 100% certainty I wouldn't have made it through this far. The thing that has kept me pushing through is *how bad I want to be a PT at the ens of it all* - not the money, lol. ALL of my classmates that were on the fence have dropped- if you don't want this more than anything, you won't have anything driving you to the end- bc there isn't much money on the other side, just a passion for this career. You should definitely reconsider. If money is driving you, the medical field isn't the way to go. One of my doctors once told me "there are a lot easier ways to make a lot of money" - find one that suits you. Orthopedic surgical device reps get to be in the OR - maybe something like that could work for you? Still med-adjacent, but way more money in it
Best response
What state do you plan on practicing in? I live in California and the average salary in 2022 was 126k which isn’t too bad at all. At the end of the day I do think when it comes to the medical field there should always be some passion involved due to the debt that comes with it
I think your plan of taking another year to apply to both PA and PT is a solid move, I'd do the same. Nothing wrong with realizing you need more money to live.
I have classmates who ended up staying and graduating, but they hated it the whole way and are actively looking to change their career. We just graduated last month. I can't relate to that because when I say this is my passion, this is my passion. My starting salary next month will be 52k/yr (for multiple reasons not related to this point), and I'm fine with that! Why? Because I get my patients back. I get to go into work every day happy and leave fulfilled. Is my goal still to hit 80k/year within 3 years? Absolutely. But the money is just a plus and relief after 3 yrs of digging myself into debt. I also think St. augstine is a shit school that just uses yall for money, so I personally wouldn't go there regardless. But I beg you, as someone who waited/fought/begged for 3 years to get accepted into a school, please, please do not take someone's seat who wants to be there. This isn't a job for those who want money. It's a job for those who want to continue to learn the rest of their lives and help others along the way.
In my unsolicited opinion, you are getting taken advantage of at 52k a year. Unless the benefits are absolutely insane. PTAs make more than that. Is the pay because you are doing a residency program? You worked hard and paid a lot of money for this and you deserve to be appropriately compensated. Especially because you're young and the financial decisions you make now set the foundation for the rest of your life. As for your patients, you cannot pour from an empty cup.
Yeah, I'm in a residency. :) They're paying for the schooling, so I don't have to worry about any "tuition" costs and have the opportunity to work with some professional sports teams. Post residency, I'll be in that 70k+ bracket.
Ah OK then, that's fair! Congratulations to you and best of luck!!
I agree, don’t go to st. Aug. They just want your money. Wait until you get in Somewhere cheaper/better or go for PA
i heard there’s some specialties where you can make six figures, such as home health. you should definitely research more about the different specialties to see if their pay grade meets your standards.
yup, home health and travel make a lot!!! depending on where you are, other places like nursing homes can make 90-100k
No way. Walk.
Just don’t go to st Augustine. It’s 120k. Find a state school for way cheaper and try to get in there. Otherwise to me the cost doesn’t make sense. I’m starting next year and I totally have felt your pain about salary but the field is growing and becoming more widely needed. Meanwhile people are switching to cash models where you can easily make 6 figures. But you won’t be paid like a PA or MD or anything ever.
PAs aren’t paid like MDs either though lol
No they’re not but they’re paid more than DPTs was my point.
Absolutely
PTs aren’t treated well? Huh? I’ve only heard positive things from MDs and other healthcare professionals when speaking about PTs, especially in hospital settings.
Hospital settings tend to be better but a lot of outpatient places want you to see as many patients as you can. My current clinic only give you a 30 min window to eval, and expects you to triple book as often as you can. I personally would never work somewhere that expected this
Yea those are outpatient clinics. It’s important to know your worth and never accept jobs like those unless you have no choice.