Chief physical therapist vs physical therapist technician

The differences between chief physical therapists and physical therapist technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a chief physical therapist has an average salary of $73,429, which is higher than the $70,364 average annual salary of a physical therapist technician.

The top three skills for a chief physical therapist include physical therapy, rehabilitation and occupational therapy. The most important skills for a physical therapist technician are patients, rehabilitation, and patient care.

Chief physical therapist vs physical therapist technician overview

	Chief Physical Therapist	Physical Therapist Technician
Yearly salary	$73,429	$70,364
Hourly rate	$35.30	$33.83
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	81,780	74,733
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 80%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	-	-

Chief physical therapist vs physical therapist technician salary

Chief physical therapists and physical therapist technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Chief Physical Therapist	Physical Therapist Technician
Average salary	$73,429	$70,364
Salary range	Between $49,000 And $108,000	Between $47,000 And $103,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between chief physical therapist and physical therapist technician education

There are a few differences between a chief physical therapist and a physical therapist technician in terms of educational background:

	Chief Physical Therapist	Physical Therapist Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 80%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Physical Therapy	Kinesiology
Most common college	Duke University	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chief physical therapist vs physical therapist technician demographics

Here are the differences between chief physical therapists' and physical therapist technicians' demographics:

	Chief Physical Therapist	Physical Therapist Technician
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 56.5% Female, 43.5%	Male, 38.7% Female, 61.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 6.9% Asian, 15.8% White, 69.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% Asian, 11.4% White, 73.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between chief physical therapist and physical therapist technician duties and responsibilities

Chief physical therapist example responsibilities.

Demonstrate working knowledge of community mental health services identify in the Medicaid guidelines and attain contractual outcomes within designate time frames.
Request appropriate casts, splints, and or braces.
Evaluate, develop, administer and supervise the treatment of orthopedic patients.
Provide regular free seminars to the primary caregivers of pediatric patients with physical disabilities.
Design and implement rehabilitation department component of CIS for physician order entry and outpatient scheduling.
Attend Medicare seminars pertaining to rehabilitation services to gain understanding of regulatory, documentation, and billing requirements.

Physical therapist technician example responsibilities.

Demonstrate working knowledge of community mental health services identify in the Medicaid guidelines and attain contractual outcomes within designate time frames.
Order supplies for patients needs such as braces, wheelchairs, and walkers.
Administer traction to relieve cervical and lumbar pain, using intermittent and static traction equipment.
Fit patients for orthopedic braces, prostheses, and supportive devices, such as crutches.
Provide a variety of modalities to therapy patients including: cryotherapy, thermotherapy, ultrasound, electrical stem.
Instruct patients as to proper exercise techniques and monitor during sessions to ensure safety and facilitate efficient rehabilitation.

Chief physical therapist vs physical therapist technician skills

Common chief physical therapist skills

Physical Therapy, 20%
Rehabilitation, 19%
Occupational Therapy, 17%
Patients, 14%
Physical Therapy Treatment, 12%
Clinical Education, 4%

Common physical therapist technician skills

Patients, 52%
Rehabilitation, 10%
Patient Care, 5%
Electrical Stimulation, 3%
Traction, 3%
Physical Therapy Treatment, 3%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Chief Physical Therapist
Chief Physical Therapist vs Physical Therapist Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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