Physical Therapist: The Top Trending Job In The Hudson Valley

CHAPPAQUA, NY — According to the state Department of Labor’s recently announced list of the Hudson Valley's Top Five Trending Jobs for 2017, physical therapy is the region’s top growth industry of the year.

With an above-average wage of $91,630, physical therapy is poised to continue growing at a high rate locally through the end of 2017. Labor experts determine the Hudson Valley’s top trending jobs based on survey data as well as the area’s projected needs.

According to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), a physical therapist is a licensed healthcare professional “who can help patients reduce pain and improve or restore mobility – in many cases without expensive surgery and often reducing the need for long-term use of prescription medications and their side effects.” Physical therapists can work in a range of settings and industries, including medical offices, schools, nursing homes and rehabilitation facilities.

Find and post local jobs on the Jobs Board on Mid Hudson Valley Patch.

The APTA says all physical therapists are required to hold a graduate degree – “either a master’s or a clinical doctorate” – from an accredited program before they can become nationally licensed and begin practicing. According to the APTA, more and more higher education institutions across the U.S. are offering accredited physical therapy education programs, with most of them featuring the Doctor of Physical Therapy program.

Here are a few local job openings for physical therapists in the Hudson Valley:

Physical therapist at a nursing facility in White Plains

Pediatric physical therapist at a school district in Westchester County

Physical therapist for home health agency in Highland (Ulster County)

Outpatient physical therapist in Harrison

Physical therapist for house calls in Somers

Image via Getty Images/Editorial/BSIP.