APTA’s New Workforce and Income Reports Show Growing Demand for Physical Therapy — and Pockets of Shortage

APTA publishes large new surveys — why this matters now

The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) has released new workforce and income reports based on responses from more than 4,000 physical therapy professionals. The data give the clearest recent picture of who is working in the field, where jobs are growing, and how pay is changing. For clinics, schools and patients, the reports matter because they highlight areas where staffing is already tight and where compensation is shifting — information that affects access to care and hiring decisions across the country.

Top findings: size, growth, and headline income shifts

APTA’s surveys paint a profession that is expanding but unevenly distributed.

• Workforce size and growth: The reports show steady growth in the number of practicing physical therapists and assistants overall, driven in part by demand from aging patients and longer-term care needs.
• Pay picture: Median incomes rose for some clinician groups but were flat for others. Higher earnings are most common in private practice and specialty roles; pay gains are smaller in hospital and outpatient settings that face tighter budgets.
• Experience gap: Early-career clinicians report more modest wage gains compared with mid-career peers, while very experienced practitioners continue to command higher pay.
• Regional differences: Urban and high-cost regions show stronger pay growth, while rural areas lag — creating access issues where demand is rising fastest among older populations.
• Job openings and hiring: A significant share of employers report vacancies and trouble filling roles, especially for physical therapist assistants and for clinicians willing to work in under-served areas.

Where pay is rising — by setting, specialty and region

Income moves are not uniform. Private clinics and specialty practices report the most upward pressure on pay, in part because they can adjust fees and target higher-value services. Hospital-employed therapists saw smaller increases, reflecting tight hospital budgets and staffing models.

Specialties that involve advanced certifications or hands-on techniques tended to pay better. Geographic gaps are notable: coastal and large metropolitan areas show stronger wage growth, while rural and economically depressed regions lag behind. That split mirrors where clinics can charge more and where competition for experienced staff is fiercer.

Demand vs. supply: where hiring is hardest and why

The surveys flag clear hiring hotspots. Many employers reported open positions that remained unfilled for months. Physical therapist assistants and entry-level therapists were the hardest to hire, and facilities in rural or lower-paying markets struggled the most.

Drivers of demand include an aging population needing long-term musculoskeletal care, expanded outpatient services, and greater public awareness of conservative care options. On the supply side, training capacity and the pipeline of new graduates have grown but not evenly enough to close gaps in certain regions or specialties.

Retirement and attrition add pressure: a notable share of mid-career and senior therapists signalled plans to reduce hours or retire in coming years, which will raise replacement needs for clinics already short-staffed.

What the reports mean for clinics, educators and policymakers

For clinics, the data suggest that competition for therapists will remain firm, especially for assistants and for roles in underserved areas. Employers that can offer clearer career paths, flexible schedules, or targeted pay premiums may be better placed to attract staff.

Training programs and schools should note where regional shortages are growing. Expanding slots, partnerships with local clinics, and more clinical placements in under-served areas could help rebalance supply. Policymakers will see the reports as a roadmap for workforce planning — from licensing and loan support to incentives aimed at rural hiring.

For patients, the implication is simple: in some places, access to timely physical therapy could become harder unless hiring keeps up with demand. That may affect wait times and care options, particularly for older adults and people in rural communities.

How the data were gathered, and what to keep in mind

The findings come from two APTA surveys that collected responses from over 4,000 clinicians across settings and regions. The reports combine self-reported income and employment details with questions about vacancies, hiring experience and future plans. APTA noted that the sample is large enough to show national patterns but said some subgroups and small regions have fewer responses, which makes local estimates less precise.

APTA commented that the reports are intended to give stakeholders a practical view of workforce trends and to inform planning. APTA leaders emphasized the need for coordinated action among employers, educators and policymakers to address short-term hiring pressure and longer-term supply gaps.

Readers should treat the reports as a snapshot — useful for spotting trends, but not a complete census of every local market.

Photo: 高橋 ✨ / Pexels

Sources

• prnewswire.com