Becoming a Physical Therapist Assistant in New Jersey
Physical therapist assistants play a vital role in helping physical therapists (PTs) treat patients and provide the type of intensive care that is needed during physical therapy and rehabilitation. The kind of care that PTAs provide includes exercises to regain full range of motion for specific body parts, strengthening injured muscles and learning how to control a prosthetic limb. They also have the responsibility of tracking a patient’s progress and educating patients.
Getting Your PTA License in New Jersey
The first step to becoming a PTA is to enroll at an accredited college with a physical therapist assistant associate’s degree program. This school must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education and be approved by the New Jersey Board of Physical Therapy Examiners. Admission to these programs is very selective, and the majority of schools require that potential students have a minimum of 50 hours of experience (volunteer or paid) in a physical therapy setting.
Once you have completed a PTA degree program, you will need to pass the New Jersey Jurisprudence Assessment Module and the National Physical Therapy Examination for PTAs.
Colleges Offering PTA Programs in New Jersey
It takes two years to complete a PTA degree from most colleges. This will include both classroom time and internships. Some colleges in the state that offer PTA degree programs are:
- Rowan College Gloucester County. This two-year program is one of six selective admissions programs offered at RCGC. This means that acceptance to the program is competitive and potential students are held to a higher standard than other programs. Anyone who is interested in applying must attend an information session and turn in their application by November 1st each year.
- Essex County College. The PTA program at ECC takes two years to complete and includes both general education and core classes. Although Essex County College has an open door policy, which means all high school graduates and people with GEDs are considered for admission, you must have a clean criminal background check and drug screening before being accepted into the PTA program.
Career and Salary Information
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, PTAs in New Jersey make an average of $67,990 a year in 2017, which is the highest salary for this field in the country. You could make more or less depending on where you find employment.
There are many different options for employment in New Jersey-state hospitals, physical therapy facilities and sports medicine clinics are just a few. PTAs usually have a Monday through Friday work schedule, which is just another perk for this career field.
Going to school in New Jersey to earn a PTA degree costs between $8,000 and $14,000 a year. Because New Jersey pays their PTAs the highest salary nationwide, a degree in this field is a good investment in your future. The need for PTAs in New Jersey is also predicted to rise over the next few years. According to data collected by the Projections Managing Partnership, 3,330 PTAs were working in New Jersey in 2016. PMP predicts that by 2026 that number will rise 22.5 percent to 4,080.
PTA Employment Outlook
The need for physical therapist assistants is continuing to grow, not just in New Jersey but all over the nation. As generations continue to age, many of them will be in need of some form of physical therapy in their senior years. Physical therapists and their assistants play a significant role in helping both the injured and the elderly live more comfortable, active lives.
The highest paying cities for PTAs to seek work in New Jersey are Newark, Paterson and Jersey City. The lowest paying cities are reported to be Belleville, Livingston and Teaneck.
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FAQs
How much do physical therapist assistants earn in the state of New Jersey?
According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, physical therapist assistants in the state of New Jersey made an average of $69,480 per year in 2019. Entry-level physical therapist assistants earned around $54,530 and some experienced professionals earned salaries as high as $86,080.
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Becoming a physical therapist assistant in New Jersey
New Jersey licenses physical therapist assistants (PTAs) through the State Board of Physical Therapy, and every PTA working in the state must hold an active New Jersey license before treating patients. That single requirement shapes every decision you make about your training, from which program you pick to how you schedule your licensing exam.
New Jersey is a densely populated state with a large healthcare workforce, which means steady demand for PTAs across hospitals, outpatient clinics, long-term care facilities, and home health agencies. If you live in North Jersey, you may also find positions just across the border in New York City or Philadelphia, since the metro areas overlap.
What a PTA actually does on the job
A physical therapist assistant works under the direction of a licensed physical therapist (PT). You carry out the treatment plan the PT creates. Day to day, that means guiding patients through exercises, applying heat or cold therapy, using electrical stimulation equipment, tracking patient progress, and documenting each session.
You do not diagnose conditions or design treatment plans independently. However, you do spend more hands-on time with patients than most PTs do, because the PT often moves between multiple patients while you stay with one. That close patient contact is one reason many people find the role satisfying.
Common work settings in New Jersey
Most PTAs in New Jersey work in one of these settings:
- Outpatient orthopedic and sports medicine clinics
- Skilled nursing facilities and long-term care centers
- Hospital inpatient rehabilitation units
- Home health agencies
- School districts, under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
- Pediatric therapy centers
Each setting has a different pace and patient mix. Outpatient clinics tend to see patients recovering from surgery or sports injuries. Skilled nursing facilities focus more on elderly patients rebuilding strength and mobility after a hospital stay. Home health work gives you variety but requires independent time management because you travel between patients.
How to become a licensed PTA in New Jersey
The path to licensure follows four clear steps. Each one builds on the last, so it helps to understand the full sequence before you apply to any program.
Step 1: Graduate from an accredited PTA program
You must complete an associate degree program accredited by CAPTE, which stands for the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education. CAPTE is the national body that sets curriculum and clinical standards for PTA programs across the country. New Jersey has several CAPTE-accredited programs at community colleges and universities.
A typical program takes about two years full time. The first year covers anatomy, physiology, kinesiology (the study of how the body moves), and foundational PT concepts. The second year adds more advanced coursework and supervised clinical rotations at approved facilities.
Step 2: Complete clinical education hours
Clinical rotations are built into your program. You will spend time in at least two different clinical settings before you graduate. These rotations are supervised by licensed clinicians. You do not get paid for clinical hours, but you gain the hands-on experience that employers and licensing boards expect.
Step 3: Pass the NPTE-PTA
The NPTE-PTA is the National Physical Therapy Examination for Physical Therapist Assistants. It is a computer-based exam administered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT). You must pass this exam before New Jersey will issue your license. The exam tests clinical knowledge, patient care skills, and professional standards. Most states, including New Jersey, require a passing score before you can apply for licensure.
Step 4: Apply for a New Jersey PTA license
After passing the NPTE-PTA, you submit a licensure application to the New Jersey State Board of Physical Therapy. The application includes your exam scores, official transcripts, and any required background check documents. Once approved, you receive your PTA license and can legally practice in the state.
Keeping your license active
New Jersey requires continuing education (CE) to renew your PTA license every two years. You must complete [VERIFY: current NJ CE hour requirement per biennial renewal cycle] hours of approved continuing education each renewal period. Some CE hours must cover topics related to patient safety or ethics. Check the State Board’s current requirements before your first renewal, because the rules can change.
What to look for in a New Jersey PTA program
All CAPTE-accredited programs meet a minimum quality standard, but they differ in ways that matter to you as a student. Here are the factors worth comparing directly.
NPTE pass rates
Every CAPTE-accredited program must report its graduates’ first-time NPTE pass rates. A high pass rate tells you that the program prepares students well for the licensing exam. Look for programs that publish this number openly. If a program does not share it, ask the admissions office directly.
Program length and schedule format
Most New Jersey PTA programs are two-year associate degrees. Some schools offer evening or hybrid options for students who work while they study. However, clinical rotations almost always require daytime availability, so you will need to plan around that even in a flexible program.
Tuition and financial aid
Community colleges in New Jersey generally charge lower tuition than four-year institutions. You may also qualify for federal financial aid, including Pell Grants and subsidized loans, if you enroll at least half time in an eligible program. New Jersey also has state-level aid programs through the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA). Ask each program’s financial aid office what you qualify for before making a decision based on sticker price alone.
Clinical site partnerships
Ask each program where it places students for clinical rotations. A program with strong partnerships at facilities near where you live or plan to work gives you a practical advantage. It can also make networking easier when you start your job search.
Career path and earning potential
Your earning potential as a PTA in New Jersey depends on your work setting, years of experience, and the region of the state where you work. Northern New Jersey, which sits in the New York metro area, tends to pay more than rural southern parts of the state.
As you gain experience, you can take on more complex patient cases and, in some settings, move into supervisory or lead clinician roles. Some PTAs pursue additional certifications in areas like orthopedics, neurologic rehabilitation, or lymphedema management. These credentials can support advancement and higher pay, though they require extra training and exam fees.
A small number of PTAs eventually go back to school to earn a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree and become licensed PTs. That path requires completing a DPT program, which is typically three years after a bachelor’s degree. It is a significant commitment, but it gives you a broader scope of practice and, in most settings, higher compensation.
New Jersey’s physical therapy licensing board
The New Jersey State Board of Physical Therapy sits within the Division of Consumer Affairs. The board handles initial licensure, license renewals, disciplinary matters, and CE approvals. You can verify any PTA’s license status through the board’s public license lookup tool on the Division of Consumer Affairs website.
If you have questions about reciprocity (transferring a license from another state), the board reviews applications on a case-by-case basis. New Jersey does participate in the PT Compact, which is an agreement between member states that allows licensed PTAs to practice in other Compact states without obtaining a separate license in each one. Compact privileges are separate from full New Jersey licensure, so confirm your status with the board before practicing across state lines.
Preparing a strong program application
PTA programs in New Jersey are competitive. Most programs have prerequisites you must complete before applying, often including college-level anatomy and physiology, English composition, and mathematics. Some programs also require observation hours in a physical therapy setting before they will consider your application.
If you have not done so yet, contact a PT or PTA clinic near you and ask to shadow or volunteer. Even 20 to 40 hours of observation strengthens your application and helps you confirm that the work is a good fit for you before you invest two years and thousands of dollars in training.
Your GPA in prerequisite courses matters. Programs often screen applicants by science GPA, not just overall GPA. If your grades in anatomy or physiology are lower than you would like, retaking those courses before applying can improve your chances of acceptance.
Next steps for you
If you are ready to move forward, start by reviewing the list of CAPTE-accredited PTA programs in New Jersey. Compare their program lengths, tuition rates, NPTE pass rates, and clinical site locations. Then reach out to two or three programs to request information or schedule a campus visit.
The sooner you complete your prerequisite courses and observation hours, the sooner you can submit a competitive application and begin your training.