Your Career as an Indiana Physical Therapist Assistant
If you care about people suffering pain and want to help them regain mobility through physical therapy, a career as a physical therapist assistant (PTA) may be ideal for you. This field has a promising future, with a 29.2 percent employment growth rate predicted across the country between 2016 and 2026.
PTAs work directly under the supervision and instruction of physical therapists (PTs) to help people who suffer from pain and immobility due to injury or illness. As a PTA, you may provide physical therapy services involving exercise, stretching and physical therapy equipment to patients as instructed by a PT. Other tasks for physical therapist assistants include recording patient responses to treatment and consulting with the PT about patient recovery status.
Steps to Becoming a Physical Therapist Assistant
All PTAs are required to complete an Associate Degree in Applied Science (AAS) in physical therapy assisting. They must also hold licensure within the state where they practice. Before you can earn your AAS degree and gain your license, you need to graduate high school or earn your GED equivalent.
It’s also required that PTAs pass the national physical therapy exam (NPTE) before they can apply for an physical therapy assistant license. In the state of Indiana, PTAs must always have a supervising PT available for supervision and problem-solving. The supervising PT is completely responsible for the work and actions of physical therapy assistants as related to patient care.
Physical Therapy Assistant Educational Options
Your physical therapist assistant education program should be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) so that you qualify to take the NPTE and apply for state licensure. Accredited Indiana schools include:
- Ivy Tech Community College. On the Gary, Muncie and Sellersburg campuses, you can pursue a five-semester PTA program. The admission process for this physical therapist assistant program is selective and requires some previously completed college prep courses. Ivy Tech also offers four-year partnerships for transferring your PTA education to a pre-physical therapist degree.
- University of Evansville. Located in Evansville, this two-year physical therapist assistant program combines laboratory work and clinical and technical experiences to prepare students for the workforce. Prerequisites include a strong high school record, with two years of algebra, one year of geometry and two years of high school science. Students must also have a 2.75 minimum GPA.
License Requirements for Indiana PTAs
Once you’ve completed the required prerequisites, you can apply for a physical therapy assistant license through the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (PLA). Requirements necessary in the application process include (but are not limited to):
- Two passport-sized photos
- Official transcript from approved school
- Social Security Number (SSN)
- Criminal background check
- Application fees
A Strong Future for Indiana Physical Therapist Assistants
Indiana physical therapy assistants should expect a huge increase in job availability, as the Projections Managing Partnership (PMP) predicts an in-state increase of 32.1 percent in PTA employment between 2016 and 2026. The salary of physical therapy assistants in Indiana is also very strong, with a median income of $27.18 per hour (or $56,530 annually) reported in 2017 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Compared with the national median income rate of $22.56 per hour, Indiana PTAs are paid very well.
Where to Work
By far, the largest number of physical therapist assistants work in the Indianapolis area, with 1,030 PTAs employed in that area in 2017 as reported by the BLS. The highest paid PTAs in Indiana make more than $28 per hour and generally work in Indianapolis, the Central Indiana nonmetropolitan area and Terre Haute. As far as employment rates, Kokomo, Indiana, experienced the highest rate of PTA employment per 1,000 jobs in the state in 2017.
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FAQs
How much do physical therapist assistants earn in the state of Indiana?
According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, physical therapist assistants in the state of Indiana made an average of $57,330 per year in 2019. Entry-level physical therapist assistants earned around $41,720 and some experienced professionals earned salaries as high as $77,610.
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Physical therapist assistant salaries in Indiana
Indiana has 2,830 physical therapist assistants working across the state, according to BLS May 2025 OEWS data. That number tells you the job exists here in real volume, not just in a handful of cities. If you are thinking about this career, salary is probably one of your first questions. Here is what the data shows.
The median wage for physical therapist assistants in Indiana is $65,280 per year. Half of all PTAs in the state earn more than that, and half earn less. The mean (average) sits just slightly higher at $65,470, which means the pay distribution is fairly balanced with no extreme outliers pulling the average up.
Pay varies a lot depending on where you are in your career:
- Bottom 10%: $46,410
- Bottom 25%: $57,320
- Median (50th percentile): $65,280
- Top 25%: $76,280
- Top 10%: $80,060
If you are just starting out, you can expect to earn somewhere in the $46,000 to $57,000 range. With experience, moving above $76,000 is realistic. The top earners in Indiana reach $80,060.
How PTA pay compares to physical therapist aide pay
Before you commit to a PTA program, it helps to understand the full picture of wages across both roles in this field. Physical therapist aides, who assist under direct supervision and do not perform patient care tasks independently, earn considerably less.
Indiana has 860 physical therapist aides employed, with a median wage of $35,100 per year (BLS May 2025 OEWS data). The mean is $38,680. Here is the full range:
- Bottom 10%: $23,010
- Bottom 25%: $26,930
- Median: $35,100
- Top 25%: $44,900
- Top 10%: $73,430
The gap between the two roles is clear. The median PTA earns about $30,000 more per year than the median aide. That difference reflects the extra training a PTA completes, which typically includes an accredited two-year associate degree program. Working as an aide first can be a smart way to see if this field suits you, but the wage ceiling for aides is much lower than it is for PTAs.
Accredited PTA programs in Indiana
To work as a PTA, you need to graduate from a program accredited by CAPTE (the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, the national body that sets standards for PTA programs). Indiana has several accredited programs across the state. Below are the programs for which verified information is available.
Program listings
Ivy Tech Community College – Indianapolis
Ivy Tech is Indiana’s largest community college system. The PTA program is based in Indianapolis and leads to an Associate of Applied Science degree. As a community college, tuition tends to be lower than at four-year schools. [VERIFY: current credit hour rate and total program cost]
University of Indianapolis – Indianapolis
The University of Indianapolis runs a PTA program through its College of Health Sciences. Indianapolis is Indiana’s largest city, so clinical placement opportunities are plentiful. [VERIFY: program length, tuition, and current NPTE pass rate]
University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne – Fort Wayne
This program is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana’s second-largest city. It leads to an Associate of Applied Science in Physical Therapist Assistant. [VERIFY: program length, tuition, and current NPTE pass rate]
Vincennes University – Vincennes
Vincennes University is one of Indiana’s oldest public institutions. The PTA program leads to an Associate of Science degree. Vincennes sits in southwestern Indiana, making this a strong option if you are in that part of the state. [VERIFY: program length, tuition, and current NPTE pass rate]
University of Evansville – Evansville
The University of Evansville is a private university in southern Indiana. [VERIFY: PTA program details, tuition, program length, and NPTE pass rate]
What to look for when comparing programs
All accredited programs must meet CAPTE standards, but they are not identical. Here are the things worth checking for each program you consider.
NPTE pass rate
After you graduate, you must pass the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) to get your license. Your program’s first-time pass rate tells you how well graduates perform on that exam. Programs are required to report this data. Ask each school directly for its most recent pass rate before you apply.
Clinical hours and placement
PTA programs include supervised clinical rotations, where you work in real healthcare settings with patients. Ask each program how many clinical hours it requires and where students are typically placed. Settings can include hospitals, outpatient clinics, nursing facilities, and schools.
Program length and format
Most PTA programs take about two years full-time to complete. Some programs have part-time options, which take longer but can work better if you have job or family commitments. Check whether evening or hybrid coursework is available before you commit.
Cost and financial aid
Community college programs like Ivy Tech generally cost less per credit hour than university programs. That does not make them better or worse, only more affordable upfront. Most students use federal financial aid. Fill out the FAFSA (the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, the form used to apply for federal grants and loans) early, because aid is awarded on a rolling basis at many schools.
Licensing requirements in Indiana
Indiana requires PTAs to hold a state license before they can practice. The Indiana Physical Therapy Committee, which operates under the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency, oversees licensure. To get your license, you need to graduate from a CAPTE-accredited program and pass the NPTE. You will also complete a background check and pay a licensing fee. [VERIFY: current fee amounts and any continuing education requirements for renewal]
Licenses must be renewed on a regular cycle. Indiana requires licensed PTAs to complete continuing education hours as a condition of renewal. Check the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency website for the most current renewal requirements, because these details can change between legislative sessions.
Where PTAs work in Indiana
PTAs in Indiana work in a range of settings. Outpatient clinics make up a large share of the job market, but you will also find PTAs in hospitals, long-term care facilities, home health agencies, and school systems. Setting affects both your day-to-day work and your pay. Home health and some specialty clinics often pay more than hospital floors. If a particular setting interests you, ask programs how often students rotate through it during clinical training.
Indiana’s geography matters here too. Indianapolis and Fort Wayne have dense concentrations of healthcare employers. Smaller cities like Evansville, South Bend, and Terre Haute also have active healthcare markets. Rural areas of the state often have fewer PTAs per capita, which can mean more job openings in those communities.
Steps to becoming a PTA in Indiana
The path is straightforward. Here are the main steps in order:
- Finish your high school diploma or GED.
- Complete any prerequisite courses required by the program you choose. Common prerequisites include anatomy, biology, and English composition.
- Apply to a CAPTE-accredited PTA program in Indiana.
- Complete the program, including all classroom and clinical hours.
- Pass the NPTE.
- Apply for your Indiana PTA license through the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency.
- Begin working and maintain your license through continuing education.
Working as a physical therapist aide before or during your program is a practical move. The median aide wage of $35,100 (BLS May 2025 OEWS data) is lower than PTA pay, but the experience you gain in a clinic helps you in both your program and your job search after graduation.
Explore PTA programs in Indiana
The programs listed above are your starting point. Visit the program pages for Ivy Tech Community College, University of Indianapolis, University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne, Vincennes University, and University of Evansville to request current tuition figures, NPTE pass rates, and application deadlines. Contact each admissions office directly with your questions. The information on program pages is updated more often than any third-party source, so going straight to the school gives you the most accurate picture.