Geriatric physical therapist vs physical therapist technician

The differences between geriatric physical therapists and physical therapist technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a physical therapist technician has an average salary of $70,364, which is higher than the $68,810 average annual salary of a geriatric physical therapist.

The top three skills for a geriatric physical therapist include rehabilitation, home health and social work. The most important skills for a physical therapist technician are patients, rehabilitation, and patient care.

Geriatric physical therapist vs physical therapist technician overview

	Geriatric Physical Therapist	Physical Therapist Technician
Yearly salary	$68,810	$70,364
Hourly rate	$33.08	$33.83
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	69,468	74,733
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	-	-

Geriatric physical therapist vs physical therapist technician salary

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

	Geriatric Physical Therapist	Physical Therapist Technician
Average salary	$68,810	$70,364
Salary range	Between $44,000 And $105,000	Between $47,000 And $103,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between geriatric physical therapist and physical therapist technician education

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

	Geriatric Physical Therapist	Physical Therapist Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Physical Therapy	Kinesiology
Most common college	Columbia University in the City of New York	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Geriatric physical therapist vs physical therapist technician demographics

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

	Geriatric Physical Therapist	Physical Therapist Technician
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 21.4% Female, 78.6%	Male, 38.7% Female, 61.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 12.9% White, 71.2% 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 geriatric physical therapist and physical therapist technician duties and responsibilities

Geriatric 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.
Care for veterans in both independent and SNF environments.
Screen, evaluate and treat residents with diverse disease processes in multiple SNF's.
Provide rehabilitation services as per patient requirement.
Administer therapeutic hot packs, cold packs and personally handle various electrical stimulation treatments; ultrasound, electrical stimulation.
Work to decrease ICU length of stay, vent days, and hospital length of stay.

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.

Geriatric physical therapist vs physical therapist technician skills

Common geriatric physical therapist skills

Rehabilitation, 40%
Home Health, 33%
Social Work, 7%
Family Therapy, 4%
Discharge Planning, 4%
Substance Abuse, 3%

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
Geriatric Physical Therapist
Geriatric Physical Therapist vs Physical Therapist Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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