Salary in MA

I am contemplating PTA and wondering what the avg. salary is in my area (Western MA) No specific info on this area. salary.com is all over the place and I feel is not accurate. Any help would be appreciated.BTW not just going into it for the $ but need to know as I am 40 yrs old with three kids!

I'm a PTA in Central MA & have a friend in Western MA (Springfield area.) Based on what she says, you can expect $20-25/hr full time c benefits, as much as $30/hr per diem. It's enough to live on, but you won't be rich.

Thanks for responding! If u dont mind me asking- how do you like your job? Would u do it over. I have an exercise physiology background, so at this point PTA seems like a natural choice, but the practical side of me says to go with Echocardiography where I think there is more money. ???

I LOVE my job, but it's partly because I have found the right setting for me. I'm one of those rare people that totally loves older people, so long term care is really my preferred setting. I happened to luck into a position that also has a very active short term rehab floor, which keeps things from getting too monotonous (I don't care WHAT your job is, same-old-same-old gets old, fast.) BTW, the salaries I mentioned are specific to long term care facilities. I really don't know what outpatient pays now, since I haven't worked that since I was a new grad (and HATED it...felt like I was on an assembly line, but again, that may have just been that particular facility.)

You need to ask yourself how much you want to move around, physically, at work. PTA's are usually up and down, never in one position too long (which I like, don't get cramped up.) I would imagine echo-related jobs might be more sedentary (?) You don't need to be a super athlete, either, just so you know. There's actually an amazing number of us rehab-types who are packing a few extra pounds, but most are still fit (certainly NOT couch potatoes.)

If I were to do it over again, I would probably have gone for the full PT option, but I was younger then, and it was a BS (which went to MS afterwards, now going to Phd.) You would need to decide if you can justify the added costs of more advanced education in becoming an "R" as opposed to an "A" since you aren't a youngster (no offense intended...I'm 45, myself.) It is very cool to be a PTA, though, since I really think we get to spend more time with the patients than the "R's" do, since they have a lot more paperwork to do (although the "A's" in my place do a LOT of paperwork. I don't, since I'm per diem.)

Thanks so much. This helped alot. Echo IS more sedentary and that really bothered me. I have also worked with elders and really enjoyed it. I just pulled my echo app. and applied for the PTA program- think PT school would have been ok if I were a bit younger...thanks again and I feel llike I am making the right decision....

I am considering going to school to become a PTA. I currently have one year of college coures out of the way and I'm 25 years old. I would like to know the good, the bad, and the ugly of this field! Please give me all the gritty details as well as the perks. I'd love to work with kids with disabilities. Are jobs like that hard to come by in this field? Is the physicality of the job overwhelming at times? Does it require heavy lifting and moving of patients? I have scoliosis so I'm not sure I could handle that...I just want ALL the details.

Is getting into a program really hard? I know it's a selective program at most schools.

Thanks in advance!!!

Are there jobs available for echocardiographers?

Hi I'm making a big career change also and was wondering if anyone knew the average salary someone would make in the Greenfield, Northampton Ma. area..and if there are actually any jobs out there?

Anyone know the average salary in Las Vegas. on indeed it says something like 80 thousand on the graph. That can't be average is it?