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Therapy and Assessment Professionals
What they do?
Audiologists and speech-language pathologists diagnose, evaluate, and treat human communication disorders including hearing, speech, language, and voice disorders.
Physiotherapists assess patients; provide preventive, diagnostic, and treatment services to restore or maintain function; alleviate pain; and prevent disability or physical dysfunction.
Occupational therapists utilize a systematic approach based on evidence and professional reasoning to enable individuals, groups and communities to develop the means and opportunities to identify, engage in, and improve their function in the occupations of life. Occupational therapists use a process involving assessment, intervention and evaluation of progress of the client related to their occupational performance in self-care, work, study, volunteerism and leisure. Occupational therapists may advise on health risks in the workplace, mental health promotion programs, and active living programs for seniors. Occupational therapists deliver direct professional services but may also perform functions as manager, researcher, program developer or educator.
Art, dance, music, athletic, and recreational therapists and remedial gymnasts plan and carry out specialized programs to aid in the treatment of mental/physical disabilities.
What education do I need?
1. To be a therapy or assessment professional, you need a college or university program in your area of work, a period of supervised training, and credentials such as a licence or membership in a professional association.
2. To be an audiologist or speech-language pathologist, you need a master's degree or equivalent in your chosen area of practice. You may need certification with a professional association and a licence in the province/territory where you'll work.
3. To be a physiotherapist, you must have a professional master's degree in physiotherapy and a period of supervised practical training. To practise, you need a licence or registration in the province/territory where you'll work.
4. To be an occupational therapist, you need a university degree in occupational therapy--an accredited program that includes supervised field work. You also need a licence in the province/territory where you'll work, except in British Columbia.
5. To be an art therapist, you need a graduate degree in art therapy.
6. To be a dance therapist, you must have a bachelor's degree in psychology or dance/movement therapy, or an approved graduate program in dance/movement therapy.
High School Subject that will help:
1. English
2. Physical Education
3. Chemistry
4. Biology
What can you expect to make:
The average hourly wages for Therapy and Assessment Professionals is $26.08/HR, which is above average for occupations in the health sector and close to the average for all professional occupations. These wages grew at an above-average rate from 2002 to 2004.
Average Wage
Expected Wage by Age
Unemployment:
2% of Therapy and Assessment Professionals are unemployed. This rate is close to the average for professionnal occupations.
Unemployment
Trends in Unemployment
Current Job Outlook:
The job outlook for Therapy and Assessment Professionals is considered Above Average because:
1. Employment grew at an above-average rate.
2. Hourly wages ($26.08) are above the average ($18.07), and the rate of wage growth is also above average.
3. The unemployment rate (2%) is below the 2004 average (7%).
Future Job Prospects:
Your job outlook will continue to be Above Average because:
1. The employment growth rate will likely be above average because of ongoing trends--a growing and aging population that requires more health services, technology advances that improve the ability to diagnose/treat diseases, and increased government funding for health care.
2. Although the retirement rate will likely be below average, the number of retiring workers should contribute to job openings.
3. The number of job seekers will likely exceed the number of job openings. This will not be significant enough to have an impact on the work prospects.
Highest Concetration:
The highest concentrations (per 10,000 people) of are found in Alberta and Prince Edward Island while the lowest concentrations are in New Brunswick and Newfoundland.
Unionization Rate:
The unionization rate (64%) is above the average (32%) for all occupations.
Useful Experience:
1. Committee work
2. Interpersonal skills
Part Time Workers
Part time workers:
27% of Therapy and Assessment Professionals are employed only on a part-time basis. There were 44,300 workers employed in these occupations in 2004, an increase of 34% since 1997.
Age Demographics
Age Demographics:
The younger-than-average age (38) of worker will likely result in a below-average retirement rate to 2009.
