Physical therapist vs physical therapist technician

The differences between physical therapists and physical therapist technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a physical therapist has an average salary of $73,070, which is higher than the $70,364 average annual salary of a physical therapist technician.

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

Physical therapist vs physical therapist technician overview

	Physical Therapist	Physical Therapist Technician
Yearly salary	$73,070	$70,364
Hourly rate	$35.13	$33.83
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	86,697	74,733
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	-	-

Physical therapist vs physical therapist technician salary

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

	Physical Therapist	Physical Therapist Technician
Average salary	$73,070	$70,364
Salary range	Between $56,000 And $94,000	Between $47,000 And $103,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	-
Highest paying state	California	-
Best paying company	Parkway	-
Best paying industry	Professional	-

Differences between physical therapist and physical therapist technician education

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

	Physical Therapist	Physical Therapist Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Physical Therapy	Kinesiology
Most common college	Duke University	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Physical therapist vs physical therapist technician demographics

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

	Physical Therapist	Physical Therapist Technician
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 36.3% Female, 63.7%	Male, 38.7% Female, 61.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 7.5% Asian, 14.3% White, 70.2% 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 physical therapist and physical therapist technician duties and responsibilities

Physical therapist example responsibilities.

Conduct in-services and train colleagues in effective techniques for safely managing the CVA patient.
Achieve high level of patients satisfaction due to sound clinical management, quality of care and compassion.
Perform physical therapy evaluation and treatment of orthopedic patients and supervise PTAs.
Progress patients' functional mobility during treatment sessions by modifying task, intensity, and adaptive equipment utilize.
Motivate patients to participate in treatment sessions by educating them on the benefits of early mobility following cardiac and thoracic surgery.
Experience include IFSP and IEP writing and implementation

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.

Physical therapist vs physical therapist technician skills

Common physical therapist skills

Patients, 30%
Rehabilitation, 15%
Home Health, 13%
Quality Care, 5%
Physical Therapy, 3%
Treatment Programs, 3%

Common physical therapist technician skills

Patients, 52%
Rehabilitation, 10%
Patient Care, 5%
Electrical Stimulation, 3%
Traction, 3%
Physical Therapy Treatment, 3%

Physical Therapist vs. similar jobs

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Physical Therapist
Physical Therapist vs Physical Therapist Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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