Animal assisted therapist vs physical therapy technician

The differences between animal assisted therapists and physical therapy technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a physical therapy technician has an average salary of $35,161, 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 technician are patients, patient care, and rehabilitation.

Animal assisted therapist vs physical therapy technician overview

	Animal Assisted Therapist	Physical Therapy Technician
Yearly salary	$33,672	$35,161
Hourly rate	$16.19	$16.90
Growth rate	24%	24%
Number of jobs	34,598	66,670
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	-	-

Animal assisted therapist vs physical therapy technician salary

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

	Animal Assisted Therapist	Physical Therapy Technician
Average salary	$33,672	$35,161
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $49,000	Between $20,000 And $59,000
Highest paying City	-	New York, NY
Highest paying state	-	New York
Best paying company	-	St. Tammany Health System
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between animal assisted therapist and physical therapy technician education

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

	Animal Assisted Therapist	Physical Therapy Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common major	Psychology	Kinesiology
Most common college	Northwestern University	University of Virginia

Animal assisted therapist vs physical therapy technician demographics

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

	Animal Assisted Therapist	Physical Therapy Technician
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 30.7% Female, 69.3%	Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2%
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, 7.1% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian, 7.8% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between animal assisted therapist and physical therapy technician 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 technician example responsibilities.

Manage flexible schedule at various company facilities categorize as ILF, ALF, and SNF.
Assist patients in performing ADL tasks and the use of prescribe adaptive equipment.
Help with ADL's for each patient to make sure they make it to the therapy gym.
Schedule rehab sessions, transport patients to sessions, maintain the cleanliness of treatment area and order supplies.
Administer therapeutic ultrasound and prepare patients for mechanical traction.
Assist patients in performing rehabilitation exercises on the equipment; ensure safety and equipment use guidelines are follow.

Animal assisted therapist vs physical therapy technician 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 technician skills

Patients, 43%
Patient Care, 13%
Rehabilitation, 7%
Customer Service, 6%
Occupational Therapy, 3%
Treatment Rooms, 2%

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

Updated January 8, 2025

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