Professional attitudes, job satisfaction, and professional satisfaction among physiotherapists across regions with different socio-economic development levels: a cross-sectional study

Purpose Professional satisfaction among physiotherapists is important for workforce sustainability; however, the role of regional socio-economic context remains insufficiently understood. This study compared professional attitudes, job satisfaction and global professional satisfaction among physiotherapists working in two provinces with different socio-economic development levels and examined factors associated with global professional satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach This cross-sectional study included physiotherapists from Denizli (higher-SEGE province, n = 102) and Mus (lower-SEGE province, n = 53), classified according to the Socio-Economic Development Index (SEGE-2025). Data were collected using the Attitude Scale Toward the Physiotherapy Profession, the Minnesota (Job) Satisfaction Questionnaire Short Form (MSQ), the Job Satisfaction Scale, a single-item global professional satisfaction rating, and a researcher-developed job-related perceptions questionnaire. Findings Physiotherapists in the higher SEGE province reported more positive professional attitudes and higher global professional satisfaction, despite their longer working hours and more working days (p 0.05). Physiotherapists in the lower-SEGE province reported higher income (p 0.001), while salary satisfaction responses differed between provinces. Regression analysis identified monthly income (ß = 0.128, p = 0.034), professional attitudes (ß = 0.317, p 0.001), job satisfaction scale total score (ß = 0.191, p = 0.023), MSQ general satisfaction (ß = 0.319, p 0.001) and province-level SEGE score (ß = 0.138, p = 0.036) as significant predictors. Originality/value Findings suggest that physiotherapists' global professional satisfaction is shaped by attitudinal, organizational and structural factors, rather than income alone. Non-financial workforce strategies may be particularly important in lower-SEGE regions.