do physical therapists make more money than RNs?

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I was just curious...thanks!

Specializes in Acute Hemodialysis, Cardiac, ICU, OR.

Here's an even better one... My spouse is an EEG/Evoked Potential/Polysomnographic/Intraoperative Monitoring Tech (basically, all aspects of Neurological testing). He works three days a week and makes over $100,000 a year. He has no college degree -- was trained in the Navy.

Now, granted, my husband is very well-read, and VERY knowledgeable about his field, and I am very proud of him, but the truth is that 99% of people in this field have only on-the-job training.

Kind of makes me wonder why I'm in school working on my Masters in Nursing...

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not only do PT's make more than RN's but because of the "shortage" of PT's it is being looked at that restorative nsg make a comeback so that nurses can once again "do it all", all i can say is i guess the "powers to be" don't think there is a nursing shortage!!!

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There is a national movement to make all PT's doctorate level. Most programs only have a few master level credit hours difference between a masters and phd.

I'm sorry, but a lot of nursing duties don't bring comfort. We offer plenty of pain and discomfort to our patients as well ie foley, IV insertion, phlebotomy, dressing changes etc.

Both have their place, both are necessary to get "our" patients well enough to get them out the door so they don't require our help anymore, that is the goal even with discomfort.

Nurses undervalued, yes, but we honestly shouldn't be making as much as a profession that is in the medical field requiring a doctorate.

Well, yea, thinking back on it now that lady screamed pretty loud when I took off her wound vac dressing.

But I can assure you most doctorate level nurses don't make what a PT makes. So education has little to do with it.

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Is this a rhetorical question?

We ALL enter into nursing at the exact same place regardless of our education. NCLEX.

But yet you're ripping on nurses who do not have a BSN?

How is this their fault except for being so "self-important??"

Wow.

Yes, this poster does this at every opportunity, if you notice. I can tell who's posting before even reading who it is. ASN's are not worthy and devalue the whole nursing profession, blah blah blah...maybe we should offer poster a ladder tall enough to get off that horse.

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Having a higher education does NOT equal a higher salary in the rest of the world. It's not as if you earn a Masters and you're job offers you a raise. You usually need to apply for a higher position or prove why your extra education requires a higher wage at your current level.

Which leads into why women (and we're still often seen as a woman's profession) are often underpaid. We're not assertive as a whole. Most businesses see education as intangible. You can't easily measure it's worth to the bottom line. The significance of BSN nurses over ADN is more about what it means to the profession than at the actual bedside. That's why we fight over it so much. The differences at the bedside are not truly statistically significant. No one gets paid based on their worth to the profession. Until there is a large scale study that can prove it makes a difference to the bottom line, no one will readily accept the argument for higher pay. However, even that would be easily argued b/c there are so many variables to healthcare. I can't imagine any study showing a BSN improved outcomes would be supported on a national level. It's too expensive for the healthcare industry. They won't budget to pay more and if they don't go all BSN, it looks bad in the public eye that they have a higher % ADN or diploma.

What can be proven is that if RN required a BSN, 1/2 of today's nursing graduates wouldn't have been able to enter nursing school. So we'd be in even more of a shortage. And improving the educational funding or workplace conditions across the country is a lot more expensive and complicated than maintaining the current educational requirements.

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what about PTA's? Does anyone know what they make?

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Specializes in L&D.
I did this in my A&P for nursing school as well.

Me too.

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Specializes in L&D.

Wow! :idea: I have to agree 100%. And one reason I no longer work in a hospital.

Then why do nurses who earn BSNs not deserve more money than nurses who only have Associates Degrees and Diplomas? Why does nursing still have Associates Degree and Diplomas as an entry into practice? All other health care professionals have increased their entry into practice except nursing Nurses still fight for their God Given Right to remain under- educated.

In the REAL WORLD WITH A REAL JOB, individuals who have extended themselves to earn a higher degree, and higher work specialty qualifications,(ex. CCRN), are rewarded with higher pay, regardless what the entry into practice is.

Unfortunately, in the REAL WORLD OF NURSING, there are still too many nurses who do not value higher education, only want to do the minimum time in school, and are threatened by nurses who achieve above what "the average bear" achieves". The only way to validate their self worth and self importance, is to deny higher pay to nurses who earn the higher college degrees and the specialty certifications. Why do nurses remain with such a low entry into practice? It is because it is easier for the hospitals to control us, and continue to deskill, and de professionize nursing. And the more that nurses fight the change to increase the entry into a practice to a BSN, the harder it is to make it a reality. And the ANA is only to happy to accomodate them, and make the hospitals, the hospital associations, MDs and the AMA, happy. They pay the ANA more than nurses do anyway.

$$$, by the way, is the reason that nurses who earn BSNs don't stay in bedside nursing. Why should they? When they can go outside of the hospital

and earn more money and have better working conditions and more respect. That is why I left and went into Legal Nursing.

It is really a shame that nurses can agree, respect, and accept, that Physical Therapists earn more money than they do. "because they went to school longer than we do". I went to school with these people. They are not geniuses. They have the same pre- requisites for their program that nurses do, as well as PE Majors. I was told point blank by these people, that the reason that Physical Therapists decided to increase their entry into practice, was to keep their numbers low, keep themselves in demand. And maintain control of their profession. And of course, earn more money.

Nursing programs are difficult as well. They are nothing to be taken lightly, and have a high drop out rate. And lets not forget, who is at the patient's bedside 24 and 7? It is not the Physical Therapists. Here in low paying Spokane, Physical Therapist make over $80,000 a year in a hospital, as do Occupational Therapists. Nurses average about $45,000. Does anyone really believe that the work that a hospital nurse does is not worth at least what a Physical Therapist earns? If you really believe that, than I know why nursing is such a low paying profession. Our own peers think even think that we are not worth far more than we are paid, and should, by virtue of the low entry into practice, should remain underpaid. Unbelievable. JMHO.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington

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Specializes in Cardiac.

I can't imagine anyone agreeing with a post so vile.

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Wow! :idea: I have to agree 100%. And one reason I no longer work in a hospital.

well then, that's funny bc i also agree.

imagine for a minute every rn having a bachelor's degree. every single rn. no, really imagine it. imagine...... imagine rn's united in their education.

imagine wat pts would think. how they might see us. imagine physicians knowing that we all have college degrees.... bachelor's degrees in science....JUST LIKE THEY have! imagine our managers approaching us intelligently knowing we have the SAME degree as they do.

imagine..... educational unity among registered nurses. a basic bachelor's degree.

will we EVER get there? every one else is.

and i will say this on my death bed, there is NO shortage of nurses...check your state's licensing board for the numbers.

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Specializes in L&D.
well then, that's funny bc i also agree.

imagine for a minute every rn having a bachelor's degree. every single rn. no, really imagine it. imagine...... imagine rn's united in their education.

imagine wat pts would think. how they might see us. imagine physicians knowing that we all have college degrees.... bachelor's degrees in science....JUST LIKE THEY have! imagine our managers approaching us intelligently knowing we have the SAME degree as they do.

imagine..... educational unity among registered nurses. a basic bachelor's degree.

will we EVER get there? every one else is.

and i will say this on my death bed, there is NO shortage of nurses...check your state's licensing board for the numbers.

I'm glad there's another nurse here that is not afraid of standing up for what she/he believes in. The diploma/adn prepared rns will bash us until no end (well, until this thread is closed), but it won't change MY mind of how important higher education is.

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Specializes in Cardiac.

i can imagine capitalizing every first letter in a sentence. i can imagine capitalizing the proper pronoun "i" to signify its importance. i can imagine appearing intelligent in both my writing and thoughts.

i was working towards my degree in microbiology when i changed over to nursing. i already have more credits in math, biology, chemistry and physics than any nursing program. but, since your program studied florence nightingale and jean watson, i guess that makes you better...umm, i mean smarter. not.

imagine all nurses uniting together, some getting off their moral high ground and all being nurses-if only for a moment. imagine.....

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