Outpatient physical therapist assistant vs physical therapy aide

The differences between outpatient physical therapist assistants and physical therapy aides can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an outpatient physical therapist assistant has an average salary of $54,009, which is higher than the $31,160 average annual salary of a physical therapy aide.

The top three skills for an outpatient physical therapist assistant include patients, rehabilitation and PTA. The most important skills for a physical therapy aide are patients, patient care, and rehabilitation.

Outpatient physical therapist assistant vs physical therapy aide overview

	Outpatient Physical Therapist Assistant	Physical Therapy Aide
Yearly salary	$54,009	$31,160
Hourly rate	$25.97	$14.98
Growth rate	24%	24%
Number of jobs	62,717	99,485
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	-	-

What does an outpatient physical therapist assistant do?

A PTA (physical therapist assistant) helps a physical therapist carry out a treatment or rehabilitation program. Outpatient PTAs provide patients with physical therapy support services in a private space, clinic, or other facilities. Their responsibilities often involve setting up equipment to be used by patients, documenting patient progress, and cleaning the therapy area between appointments. PTA duties include assisting patients to do exercises, warm-ups, stretching, using equipment, and other movements prescribed by physical therapists during appointments.

What does a physical therapy aide do?

Physical therapy aides are employed under physical therapists' direction. They typically perform non-medical tasks, including helping with patient intake, setting up treatment rooms, and assisting with patient transportation to another health care facility. They are also responsible for documenting the responses and progress of patients and communicating with hospital personnel and physicians' offices. There are several skills and competencies to become a successful physical therapy aide, which include active listening skills, attention to detail, and compassion for patients.

Outpatient physical therapist assistant vs physical therapy aide salary

Outpatient physical therapist assistants and physical therapy aides have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Outpatient Physical Therapist Assistant	Physical Therapy Aide
Average salary	$54,009	$31,160
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $71,000	Between $8,000 And $118,000
Highest paying City	-	New York, NY
Highest paying state	-	New York
Best paying company	-	Aya Healthcare
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between outpatient physical therapist assistant and physical therapy aide education

There are a few differences between an outpatient physical therapist assistant and a physical therapy aide in terms of educational background:

	Outpatient Physical Therapist Assistant	Physical Therapy Aide
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common major	Physical Therapy	Kinesiology
Most common college	Northwestern University	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Outpatient physical therapist assistant vs physical therapy aide demographics

Here are the differences between outpatient physical therapist assistants' and physical therapy aides' demographics:

	Outpatient Physical Therapist Assistant	Physical Therapy Aide
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 26.7% Female, 73.3%	Male, 35.6% Female, 64.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 9.3% White, 66.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 9.3% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between outpatient physical therapist assistant and physical therapy aide duties and responsibilities

Outpatient physical therapist assistant example responsibilities.

Manage a diverse caseload including, but not limit to CVA's, cardiac care, Alzheimer's and sub acute orthopedics
Work as PTA in outpatient clinic and home health.
Work as PTA as part of team to execute proper care of body mechanics and safety of patient.
Prepare garments and accessories for processing through ALM's for contamination detection.
Focus on spinal cord injuries, strokes, orthopedic, dementia, functional training in ADL's.
Perform maintenance on various types of wheelchair, walkers, and physical therapy equipment requiring repair and/or modification.

Physical therapy aide example responsibilities.

Manage flexible schedule at various company facilities categorize as ILF, ALF, and SNF.
Administer ultrasound and electrical stimulation and start patients with their prescribe exercise programs.
Educate patients on supportive devices, such as braces, splints, and slings.
Earn repeated appreciations from supervisor, co-workers, and patients for providing the best quality care with compassion.
Work closely with PT's/PTA's; OT/COTA's and SLP in providing quality hands on care to rehab patients.
Create and maintain patient charts and paperwork including exercise, insurance authorization, insurance, HIPAA, and patient information.

Outpatient physical therapist assistant vs physical therapy aide skills

Common outpatient physical therapist assistant skills

Patients, 38%
Rehabilitation, 17%
PTA, 11%
Home Health, 5%
Physical Therapy, 4%
Quality Patient Care, 3%

Common physical therapy aide skills

Patients, 42%
Patient Care, 10%
Rehabilitation, 8%
Customer Service, 5%
Ultrasound, 5%
Direct Supervision, 4%

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Healthcare Support Industry
Outpatient Physical Therapist Assistant
Outpatient Physical Therapist Assistant vs Physical Therapy Aide

Updated January 8, 2025

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