PHYSICAL THERAPY
Is the field growing?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the field of physical therapy will see a 36-percent growth through 2022.
Who’s hiring?
Dr. Anderson says the largest local employers continue to be hospitals. This includes specialty hospitals such as Shepherd Center. Corporate practices, like Select Physical Therapy and BenchMark, are big employers, too.
Although Dr. Anderson prefers operating within her private practice, she reveals pay is often lower.
“We get reimbursed less for the same work,” she said. “The pay is going to be less, so you really need to be passionate about it in order to be drawn to the practice setting.”
SPEECH THERAPY
Is the field growing?
“I see people going into the field all of the time,” Ritger said. “I have students calling my practice frequently wanting to come observe, talk to me about graduate school and learn about what’s it like being a speech therapist.”
Who’s hiring?
Ritger sees an increase in demand for speech therapists in school systems, because of the amount of students dealing with autism and other speech-related issues.
“It seems like many therapists want to work at schools, because of the schedule,” she said. “Hospitals and other medical facilities all have speech therapists on staff. And then there’s a lot of private clinics all over the city that have them. Open jobs pop up all over the place.”
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
Is the field growing?
“Occupational therapy may be a profession that’s often overlooked [by the public], but it’s in high demand,” McCoy said.
Who’s hiring?
McCoy adds that she’s constantly seeing jobs available everywhere from acute rehabilitation facilities to traveling contract therapy scenarios.
“There’s also continuous high demand for OT in schools, because of the rise in learning disabilities and autism,” she said.
Where to look?
Start your search online. Websites including www.therapistsunlimited.com can point therapists in the right direction.
