Orthopedic physical therapist vs physical therapist technician

The differences between orthopedic physical therapists and physical therapist technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an orthopedic physical therapist has an average salary of $72,799, which is higher than the $70,364 average annual salary of a physical therapist technician.

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

Orthopedic physical therapist vs physical therapist technician overview

	Orthopedic Physical Therapist	Physical Therapist Technician
Yearly salary	$72,799	$70,364
Hourly rate	$35.00	$33.83
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	87,603	74,733
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	-	-

Orthopedic physical therapist vs physical therapist technician salary

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

	Orthopedic Physical Therapist	Physical Therapist Technician
Average salary	$72,799	$70,364
Salary range	Between $48,000 And $108,000	Between $47,000 And $103,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between orthopedic physical therapist and physical therapist technician education

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

	Orthopedic 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	Duke University	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Orthopedic physical therapist vs physical therapist technician demographics

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

	Orthopedic Physical Therapist	Physical Therapist Technician
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 44.3% Female, 55.7%	Male, 38.7% Female, 61.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 7.5% Asian, 11.4% White, 73.1% 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 orthopedic physical therapist and physical therapist technician duties and responsibilities

Orthopedic 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.
Restore functional mobility for patients and prevent or lessen disabilities following disease or injury.
Provide physical therapy services to a vast patient base, including individuals with physical impairments requiring use of specialize adaptive equipment.
Supervise PTAs and therapy techs daily in the administration of therapeutic interventions and patient care.
Develop and implement an activity checklist for post-operative patients to reduce incidence rate of pneumonia.
Supervise treatment conduct by physical therapist assistants and delegate appropriate tasks to rehabilitation technicians on a daily basis.

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.

Orthopedic physical therapist vs physical therapist technician skills

Common orthopedic physical therapist skills

Patients, 44%
Rehabilitation, 18%
Patient Care, 18%
Home Health, 4%
Discharge Planning, 3%
Discharge Summaries, 2%

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
Orthopedic Physical Therapist
Orthopedic Physical Therapist vs Physical Therapist Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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