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The differences between athletic trainers and physical therapy aides can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an athletic trainer has an average salary of $47,028, which is higher than the $31,160 average annual salary of a physical therapy aide.
The top three skills for an athletic trainer include patients, rehabilitation and CPR. The most important skills for a physical therapy aide are patients, patient care, and rehabilitation.
| Athletic Trainer | Physical Therapy Aide | |
| Yearly salary | $47,028 | $31,160 |
| Hourly rate | $22.61 | $14.98 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 24% |
| Number of jobs | 56,812 | 99,485 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 40 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
An athletic trainer is a healthcare professional who works with physicians to improve a patient's quality of life. Their profession encompasses the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of chronic medical conditions involving disabilities, functional limitations, and impairments. As an athletic trainer, you will typically do various tasks, including recognizing and evaluating injuries, providing emergency care or first aid, and developing and implementing rehabilitation programs. You are also responsible for planning and implementing programs to help prevent sports injuries among athletes.
Physical therapy aides are employed under physical therapists' direction. They typically perform non-medical tasks, including helping with patient intake, setting up treatment rooms, and assisting with patient transportation to another health care facility. They are also responsible for documenting the responses and progress of patients and communicating with hospital personnel and physicians' offices. There are several skills and competencies to become a successful physical therapy aide, which include active listening skills, attention to detail, and compassion for patients.
Athletic trainers and physical therapy aides have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Athletic Trainer | Physical Therapy Aide | |
| Average salary | $47,028 | $31,160 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $61,000 | Between $8,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | Greenwich, CT | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | New York |
| Best paying company | Ethical Culture Fieldston School | Aya Healthcare |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between an athletic trainer and a physical therapy aide in terms of educational background:
| Athletic Trainer | Physical Therapy Aide | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Athletic Training | Kinesiology |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Here are the differences between athletic trainers' and physical therapy aides' demographics:
| Athletic Trainer | Physical Therapy Aide | |
| Average age | 40 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 53.1% Female, 46.9% | Male, 35.6% Female, 64.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 8.3% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% | Black or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 9.3% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 7% |