Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between massage therapists and physical therapist assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a massage therapist has an average salary of $53,935, which is higher than the $53,035 average annual salary of a physical therapist assistant.
The top three skills for a massage therapist include customer service, cleanliness and strong customer service. The most important skills for a physical therapist assistant are patients, rehabilitation, and home health.
| Massage Therapist | Physical Therapist Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $53,935 | $53,035 |
| Hourly rate | $25.93 | $25.50 |
| Growth rate | 20% | 24% |
| Number of jobs | 34,262 | 80,018 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.6 | 4 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 26% | Associate Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 41 | 39 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Massage Therapists are professionals who practice in treating chronic pains like back pain, neck pain or headaches, and physical stress. Their main focus is on the general wellness of their patients. They help rehabilitate injuries by administering therapy treatments to patients with the power of touch using hands, fingers, forearms, elbows, and sometimes even feet. They often use aiding products like scented oils, lotions, and also offer information about additional relaxation techniques or exercises to practice such as stretching, postural improvement, strengthening, and other rehabilitative exercises. They work either in private, and public settings, and some are required to travel to clients' homes or offices to provide service.
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.
Massage therapists and physical therapist assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Massage Therapist | Physical Therapist Assistant | |
| Average salary | $53,935 | $53,035 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $92,000 | Between $40,000 And $70,000 |
| Highest paying City | Arlington, MA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Huntington Hospital | Children's Hospital Colorado |
| Best paying industry | Government | Professional |
There are a few differences between a massage therapist and a physical therapist assistant in terms of educational background:
| Massage Therapist | Physical Therapist Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 26% | Associate Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Somatic Bodywork | Physical Therapy |
| Most common college | - | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between massage therapists' and physical therapist assistants' demographics:
| Massage Therapist | Physical Therapist Assistant | |
| Average age | 41 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.6% Female, 76.4% | Male, 33.7% Female, 66.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 11.0% White, 60.5% 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 | 13% | 7% |