Chiropractor assistant vs physical therapist assistant

The differences between chiropractor assistants and physical therapist assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a physical therapist assistant has an average salary of $53,035, which is higher than the $32,726 average annual salary of a chiropractor assistant.

The top three skills for a chiropractor assistant include patients, physical therapy and front desk. The most important skills for a physical therapist assistant are patients, rehabilitation, and home health.

Chiropractor assistant vs physical therapist assistant overview

	Chiropractor Assistant	Physical Therapist Assistant
Yearly salary	$32,726	$53,035
Hourly rate	$15.73	$25.50
Growth rate	10%	24%
Number of jobs	57,019	80,018
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	Associate Degree, 67%
Average age	45	39
Years of experience	2	-

What does a chiropractor assistant do?

A chiropractic assistant is an employee who works directly under a senior chiropractor by providing administrative support and clinical assistance. Chiropractic assistants maintain order in the clinic's waiting room by greeting their patients and checking them in for appointments. They are often specially trained to assist patients with x-rays and take their vital signs. Since chiropractic assistants usually deal with patients, they must able to communicate well and have the ability to stay calm under pressure.

What does a physical therapist assistant do?

A physical therapist assistant's role is to provide treatments that will help a patient improve physical movements while under a physical therapist's supervision. Their responsibilities revolve around regularly observing a patient's reaction and progress to the treatment, operating various machines such as treadmills and trainers, and giving instructions to families on how to take care of the patient while at home. Furthermore, they must coordinate with a physical therapist to meet all of the patient's needs and give the best treatment possible.

Chiropractor assistant vs physical therapist assistant salary

Chiropractor assistants and physical therapist assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Chiropractor Assistant	Physical Therapist Assistant
Average salary	$32,726	$53,035
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $41,000	Between $40,000 And $70,000
Highest paying City	Commack, NY	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Connecticut	Alaska
Best paying company	Physicians Group Management	Children's Hospital Colorado
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Professional

Differences between chiropractor assistant and physical therapist assistant education

There are a few differences between a chiropractor assistant and a physical therapist assistant in terms of educational background:

	Chiropractor Assistant	Physical Therapist Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	Associate Degree, 67%
Most common major	Business	Physical Therapy
Most common college	New York University	Northwestern University

Chiropractor assistant vs physical therapist assistant demographics

Here are the differences between chiropractor assistants' and physical therapist assistants' demographics:

	Chiropractor Assistant	Physical Therapist Assistant
Average age	45	39
Gender ratio	Male, 11.1% Female, 88.9%	Male, 33.7% Female, 66.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 2.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 6.8% Asian, 6.2% White, 80.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 13.0% Asian, 8.6% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	9%	7%

Differences between chiropractor assistant and physical therapist assistant duties and responsibilities

Chiropractor assistant example responsibilities.

Manage front of office staff; including scheduling, payroll, inventory and proper implementation of office compliance manual.
Provide customer service to patients by scheduling appointments and acting as a liaison on insurance coverage availability.
Handle administrative office duties essentially answering phones, scheduling appointments, registering new patients and maintaining insurance benefits.
Communicate with insurance companies, pain clinics, orthopedic groups, MRI facilities, and surgeons.
Process and submit payroll timely and accurately.
Perform physiotherapy and therapeutic ultrasound, as needed.

Physical therapist assistant example responsibilities.

Manage a diverse caseload including, but not limit to CVA's, cardiac care, Alzheimer's and sub acute orthopedics
Provide patients at a SNF with ROM exercises, transfer and gait training as well as balance and bed mobility exercises.
Provide physical therapy treatment as directed by physical therapist as PRN PTA for inpatient orthopedic rehabilitation and community hospital settings.
Care of patients in acute and ICU settings.
Work with adult, geriatrics, burns, ulcers and ICU patients
Prepare iontophoresis patches, give cervical and/or lumbar hot packs to clients.

Chiropractor assistant vs physical therapist assistant skills

Common chiropractor assistant skills

Patients, 39%
Physical Therapy, 12%
Front Desk, 5%
Scheduling Patient Appointments, 4%
Patient Care, 4%
Traction, 3%

Common physical therapist assistant skills

Patients, 26%
Rehabilitation, 15%
Home Health, 11%
PTA, 7%
Physical Therapy Treatment, 5%
Quality Care, 4%

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Chiropractor Assistant
Chiropractor Assistant vs Physical Therapist Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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