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The differences between physical therapist assistants and certified occupational therapy assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a physical therapist assistant has an average salary of $53,035, which is higher than the $50,872 average annual salary of a certified occupational therapy assistant.
The top three skills for a physical therapist assistant include patients, rehabilitation and home health. The most important skills for a certified occupational therapy assistant are patients, rehabilitation, and home health.
| Physical Therapist Assistant | Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $53,035 | $50,872 |
| Hourly rate | $25.50 | $24.46 |
| Growth rate | 24% | 25% |
| Number of jobs | 80,018 | 70,679 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | 3 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 67% | Associate Degree, 84% |
| Average age | 39 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | 12 |
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.
Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants are professionals who work with licensed occupational therapists in providing therapy to patients. This therapy is usually related to the physical or mobility challenges of a patient. Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants help patients retain their skills, improve on their challenges, and eventually recover. They record the patient's progress after every therapy session. They may also help out in creating treatment plans for the patient. Since they spend a lot of time with patients, their inputs and recommendations are valuable in crafting and adjusting the treatment plan.
Physical therapist assistants and certified occupational therapy assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Physical Therapist Assistant | Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant | |
| Average salary | $53,035 | $50,872 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $70,000 | Between $37,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Mamaroneck, NY |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | New York |
| Best paying company | Children's Hospital Colorado | Staten Island Academy |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Education |
There are a few differences between a physical therapist assistant and a certified occupational therapy assistant in terms of educational background:
| Physical Therapist Assistant | Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 67% | Associate Degree, 84% |
| Most common major | Physical Therapy | Occupational Therapy |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between physical therapist assistants' and certified occupational therapy assistants' demographics:
| Physical Therapist Assistant | Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant | |
| Average age | 39 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.7% Female, 66.3% | Male, 15.2% Female, 84.8% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 8% |