Physical therapist assistant vs physical therapy technician

The differences between physical therapist assistants and physical therapy technicians 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 $35,161 average annual salary of a physical therapy technician.

The top three skills for a physical therapist assistant include patients, rehabilitation and home health. The most important skills for a physical therapy technician are patients, patient care, and rehabilitation.

Physical therapist assistant vs physical therapy technician overview

	Physical Therapist Assistant	Physical Therapy Technician
Yearly salary	$53,035	$35,161
Hourly rate	$25.50	$16.90
Growth rate	24%	24%
Number of jobs	80,018	66,670
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	-	-

What does a physical therapist assistant do?

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.

What does a physical therapy technician do?

A physical therapy technician supports both the physical therapists and their physical therapy assistants in planning and implementing patient care. You are expected to perform varied duties and responsibilities that include responding to patients' requests for assistance, assisting with patient preparation before treatment, and maintaining the equipment used by the physical therapist during treatment sessions. In addition, you will be responsible for maintaining patient satisfaction and patient confidentiality. A physical therapy technician will also perform some administrative tasks such as overseeing inventory and scheduling appointments and treatments.

Physical therapist assistant vs physical therapy technician salary

Physical therapist assistants and physical therapy technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Physical Therapist Assistant	Physical Therapy Technician
Average salary	$53,035	$35,161
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $70,000	Between $20,000 And $59,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Alaska	New York
Best paying company	Children's Hospital Colorado	St. Tammany Health System
Best paying industry	Professional	Health Care

Differences between physical therapist assistant and physical therapy technician education

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

	Physical Therapist Assistant	Physical Therapy Technician
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common major	Physical Therapy	Kinesiology
Most common college	Northwestern University	University of Virginia

Physical therapist assistant vs physical therapy technician demographics

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

	Physical Therapist Assistant	Physical Therapy Technician
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 33.7% Female, 66.3%	Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2%
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, 7.1% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian, 7.8% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between physical therapist assistant and physical therapy technician duties and responsibilities

Physical therapist assistant example responsibilities.

Manage a diverse caseload including, but not limit to CVA's, cardiac care, Alzheimer's and sub acute orthopedics
Provide patients at a SNF with ROM exercises, transfer and gait training as well as balance and bed mobility exercises.
Provide physical therapy treatment as directed by physical therapist as PRN PTA for inpatient orthopedic rehabilitation and community hospital settings.
Care of patients in acute and ICU settings.
Work with adult, geriatrics, burns, ulcers and ICU patients
Prepare iontophoresis patches, give cervical and/or lumbar hot packs to clients.

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.

Physical therapist assistant vs physical therapy technician skills

Common physical therapist assistant skills

Patients, 26%
Rehabilitation, 15%
Home Health, 11%
PTA, 7%
Physical Therapy Treatment, 5%
Quality Care, 4%

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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Physical Therapist Assistant
Physical Therapist Assistant vs Physical Therapy Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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