A recent study revealed that Alaska has the highest pay for Physical Therapists in the past years. In 2009, there are about 110 physical therapists working in Alaska. This is a small workforce as compared to the huge population, which is about more than 600,000 residents. The Alaska Arthritis Program also revealed than more than 100,000 residents are suffering from arthritis. There is an elevation of 9% in the prevalence of arthritis from 2001 to 2007. The elderly population in Alaska also continuously increases which increases the incidence of arthritis and the need for physical therapists. Due to this, physical therapists are highly in demand in Alaska which significantly increased its salary offer.
Average Income
The average annual salary of physical therapists in Alaska is about $92,700. The mean hourly rate is about $44.5. Physical therapists work on an average of 40 hours a week or up to 2,080 hours a year, excluding overtime. The average income rose suddenly from $42,600 in 2009 to the present figures of $92,700.
Median Income
The median salary of physical therapists in Alaska is about $42 an hour or $87,000 annually. The median salary represents the income of more than half of the physical therapists in the state.
Income Range
The salary range of Alaska physical therapist is from $24 to $64 per hour or $51,180 to $134,220 per year. A new physical therapy graduate may earn $20 per hour as a therapy assistant.
State Ranking
Alaska is the number one highest paying state for physical therapists in the most recent statistics. The national average salary of physical therapists is $36 per hour or $76,000 per year. This means that Physical Therapists in Alaska have 20% higher salaries than the national average.
The following table summarizes the average salary of Physical Therapists per category.
|
Facility or Category |
Average Annual Salary |
| Clinical Manager Physical Therapists | $80,000 |
| Occupational Health Physical Therapists | $75,000 |
| Travel Physical Therapists | $69,000 |
| Physical Therapist Permanent | $79,000 |
| Physical Therapists in Acute Care | $80,000 |
| Physical Therapists in Out-patient Units | $71,000 |
| Pediatric Physical Therapists | $55,000 |
| Rehabilitation Therapists | $40,000 |
Alaska has one of the least numbers of migrant workers. Physical therapists often prefer other areas such as New York, Texas and California. Physical therapist should consider working in Alaska because it pays physical therapist the highest in the entire country plus it has lower cost of living than the other cities.