Animal assisted therapist vs physical therapy attendant

The differences between animal assisted therapists and physical therapy attendants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a physical therapy attendant has an average salary of $39,324, which is higher than the $33,672 average annual salary of an animal assisted therapist.

The top three skills for an animal assisted therapist include patients, PET and patient care. The most important skills for a physical therapy attendant are therapeutic exercises, therapy equipment, and rehabilitation.

Animal assisted therapist vs physical therapy attendant overview

	Animal Assisted Therapist	Physical Therapy Attendant
Yearly salary	$33,672	$39,324
Hourly rate	$16.19	$18.91
Growth rate	24%	24%
Number of jobs	34,598	104,492
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	-	-

Animal assisted therapist vs physical therapy attendant salary

Animal assisted therapists and physical therapy attendants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Animal Assisted Therapist	Physical Therapy Attendant
Average salary	$33,672	$39,324
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $49,000	Between $25,000 And $60,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between animal assisted therapist and physical therapy attendant education

There are a few differences between an animal assisted therapist and a physical therapy attendant in terms of educational background:

	Animal Assisted Therapist	Physical Therapy Attendant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common major	Psychology	Physical Therapy
Most common college	Northwestern University	Duke University

Animal assisted therapist vs physical therapy attendant demographics

Here are the differences between animal assisted therapists' and physical therapy attendants' demographics:

	Animal Assisted Therapist	Physical Therapy Attendant
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 30.7% Female, 69.3%	Male, 36.8% Female, 63.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.8% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 8.1% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 7.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 10.4% White, 68.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between animal assisted therapist and physical therapy attendant duties and responsibilities

Animal assisted therapist example responsibilities.

Lead aftercare/community resource groups to provide education and awareness to patients regarding post-discharge follow up.
Administer traction to relieve neck or back pain, using intermittent and static traction equipment.
Operate electrical muscle stimulation machinery, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and the neck traction machine.
Observe physical therapist while providing comprehensive education, caregiver training for family members of patients prior to discharge to ensure safety.
Aid with patient's exercises, perform ultrasound, IFC, cold and heat treatments.

Physical therapy attendant example responsibilities.

Manage flexible schedule at various company facilities categorize as ILF, ALF, and SNF.
Followed/Implement physical and occupational rehabilitation plans.
Followed/Implement physical and occupational rehabilitation plans.

Animal assisted therapist vs physical therapy attendant skills

Common animal assisted therapist skills

Patients, 30%
PET, 15%
Patient Care, 10%
Physical Therapy, 5%
Behavioral Issues, 5%
Animal Handling, 3%

Common physical therapy attendant skills

Therapeutic Exercises, 33%
Therapy Equipment, 26%
Rehabilitation, 22%
Direct Patient Care, 11%
Patient Treatment, 8%

Animal Assisted Therapist vs. similar jobs

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Zippia Careers
Healthcare Support Industry
Animal Assisted Therapist
Animal Assisted Therapist vs Physical Therapy Attendant

Updated January 8, 2025

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