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Occupational therapy technician vs physical therapy technician

The differences between occupational therapy technicians and physical therapy technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a physical therapy technician has an average salary of $35,161, which is higher than the $32,056 average annual salary of an occupational therapy technician.

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

Occupational therapy technician vs physical therapy technician overview

Occupational Therapy TechnicianPhysical Therapy Technician
Yearly salary$32,056$35,161
Hourly rate$15.41$16.90
Growth rate25%24%
Number of jobs54,68466,670
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 58%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age4139
Years of experience--

Occupational therapy technician vs physical therapy technician salary

Occupational therapy technicians and physical therapy technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Occupational Therapy TechnicianPhysical Therapy Technician
Average salary$32,056$35,161
Salary rangeBetween $14,000 And $68,000Between $20,000 And $59,000
Highest paying City-New York, NY
Highest paying state-New York
Best paying company-St. Tammany Health System
Best paying industry-Health Care

Differences between occupational therapy technician and physical therapy technician education

There are a few differences between an occupational therapy technician and a physical therapy technician in terms of educational background:

Occupational Therapy TechnicianPhysical Therapy Technician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 58%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common majorKinesiologyKinesiology
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityUniversity of Virginia

Occupational therapy technician vs physical therapy technician demographics

Here are the differences between occupational therapy technicians' and physical therapy technicians' demographics:

Occupational Therapy TechnicianPhysical Therapy Technician
Average age4139
Gender ratioMale, 26.1% Female, 73.9%Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.6% Asian, 5.2% White, 70.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%Black or African American, 7.1% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian, 7.8% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage8%7%

Differences between occupational therapy technician and physical therapy technician duties and responsibilities

Occupational therapy technician example responsibilities.

  • Administer physical and occupational therapy treatment plans to patients under the direct supervision of a therapist.
  • Assist therapists with transfers and ADL sessions in acute, ICU, and rehabilitation.
  • Assist in providing rehabilitative therapy to patients in the rehabilitation, transitional care and outpatient clinics.
  • Prepare materials for assessments and provide assistance to individuals through hands-on methods and direct contact observations by assisting the rehabilitation supervisor.
  • Maintain dynamic and static AAC devices, create overlays and programme changes to devices.
  • Suggest energy conservation/work simplification techniques.

Physical therapy technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage flexible schedule at various company facilities categorize as ILF, ALF, and SNF.
  • Assist patients in performing ADL tasks and the use of prescribe adaptive equipment.
  • Help with ADL's for each patient to make sure they make it to the therapy gym.
  • Schedule rehab sessions, transport patients to sessions, maintain the cleanliness of treatment area and order supplies.
  • Administer therapeutic ultrasound and prepare patients for mechanical traction.
  • Assist patients in performing rehabilitation exercises on the equipment; ensure safety and equipment use guidelines are follow.
    • Show more

Occupational therapy technician vs physical therapy technician skills

Common occupational therapy technician skills
  • Patients, 37%
  • Physical Therapy, 9%
  • Adaptive, 7%
  • Vital Signs, 6%
  • Occupational Therapy Treatments, 6%
  • Patient Care, 5%
Common physical therapy technician skills
  • Patients, 43%
  • Patient Care, 13%
  • Rehabilitation, 7%
  • Customer Service, 6%
  • Occupational Therapy, 3%
  • Treatment Rooms, 2%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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