Education

• Physical therapy requires at least a master's degree and license to practice, but some pursue a doctoral degree. Education often influences salary and career opportunities for this occupation.
  
  

Starting Salary

• In July 2008, PayScale included physical therapists in the feature "Top 10 List of High Paying Careers and Best Average Starting Salaries." PayScale cites the national average starting salary as $52,573. In May 2009, The University of Evansville cites the average starting salary for students who graduate with a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree as $61,000.
  
  

Employers

• Salary varies depending on the employer. Physical therapists work in a variety of settings such as hospitals, private medical practices, nursing homes and outpatient physical therapy facilities. As of May 2009, the Bureau of Labor Statistics states that management, scientific and technical consulting services pay the highest median wages at $88,260 per year.
  
  

Geography

• The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the highest median wage is paid in Alaska; there, physical therapists average a salary of $87,410 per year.
  
  

Best Jobs in America

• CNN Money lists a physical therapist in the seventh slot of the 2009 "Best Jobs in America" rankings, with a 27 percent job growth projected through 2016. According to CNN Money, physical therapists earn an average salary of $74,300 per year; the top pay is $98,100 per year.