What is a certified physical therapist assistant and how to become one

Key steps to become a certified physical therapist assistant

1. Explore certified physical therapist assistant education requirements

   Most common certified physical therapist assistant degrees

   Associate

   51.2 %

   Bachelor's

   40.2 %

   High School Diploma

   3.7 %

   Show more

2. Start to develop specific certified physical therapist assistant skills

   Skills	Percentages
   Rehabilitation	26.17%
   Patients	18.40%
   Acute Care	12.60%
   Physical Therapy	8.70%
   Discharge Planning	5.61%

   Show more

3. Complete relevant certified physical therapist assistant training and internships

   Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New certified physical therapist assistants learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a certified physical therapist assistant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real certified physical therapist assistant resumes.

4. Obtain the necessary licensing

   Becoming a licensed certified physical therapist assistant usually require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed certified physical therapist assistant in most of states. 40 states require certified physical therapist assistants to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.

   State	Education	Exam	License url
   Alabama	-	-	Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant
   Arkansas	Specific course required	State exam required	Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA)
   California	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Physical Therapist Assistant
   Connecticut	Specific course required	Third-party exam required	Physical Therapist Assistant
   Delaware	Degree required	State exam required	Physical Therapist Assistant

   Show more

5. Research certified physical therapist assistant duties and responsibilities

   • Manage a diverse caseload including, but not limit to CVA's, cardiac care, Alzheimer's and sub acute orthopedics
   • Provide inpatient physical therapy to critical care patients and middle- intensive care unit patients.
   • Assist with problem solving for rehabilitation and wind care for the facility.
   • Assist in outpatient orthopedic and neurology rehabilitation.

6. Prepare your certified physical therapist assistant resume

   When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your certified physical therapist assistant resume.

   You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a certified physical therapist assistant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

   Choose from 10+ customizable certified physical therapist assistant resume templates

   Build a professional certified physical therapist assistant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your certified physical therapist assistant resume.
   

   Use this template

   

   Use this template

   

   Use this template

   

   Use this template

   

   Use this template

   

   Use this template

   

   Use this template

   

   Use this template

   

   Use this template

7. Apply for certified physical therapist assistant jobs

   Now it's time to start searching for a certified physical therapist assistant job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

   1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
   2. Consult your professional network
   3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
   4. Watch out for job scams