Physical therapist technician vs per diem physical therapist

The differences between physical therapist technicians and per diem physical therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a per diem physical therapist has an average salary of $74,590, which is higher than the $70,364 average annual salary of a physical therapist technician.

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

Physical therapist technician vs per diem physical therapist overview

	Physical Therapist Technician	Per Diem Physical Therapist
Yearly salary	$70,364	$74,590
Hourly rate	$33.83	$35.86
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	74,733	87,365
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	-	-

Physical therapist technician vs per diem physical therapist salary

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

	Physical Therapist Technician	Per Diem Physical Therapist
Average salary	$70,364	$74,590
Salary range	Between $47,000 And $103,000	Between $51,000 And $108,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Alameda Health System
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between physical therapist technician and per diem physical therapist education

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

	Physical Therapist Technician	Per Diem Physical Therapist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common major	Kinesiology	Physical Therapy
Most common college	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Physical therapist technician vs per diem physical therapist demographics

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

	Physical Therapist Technician	Per Diem Physical Therapist
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 38.7% Female, 61.3%	Male, 30.2% Female, 69.8%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 4.0% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 11.3% White, 72.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between physical therapist technician and per diem physical therapist duties and responsibilities

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.

Per diem physical therapist example responsibilities.

Achieve high level of patients satisfaction due to sound clinical management, quality of care and compassion.
Help patients adapt to the use of braces, canes, crutches and prosthetic/orthotic devices as needed.
Assist patients to adapt to the use of wheelchairs, braces, canes, crutches and prosthetic/orthotic devises.
Provide patient care in a SNF setting with the primary emphasis on transitioning patients from hospital to home.
Provide assessments and documentation for adaptive equipment.
Supervise PTAs and physical therapy aides in direct patient-relate activities.

Physical therapist technician vs per diem physical therapist skills

Common physical therapist technician skills

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

Common per diem physical therapist skills

Patients, 26%
Rehabilitation, 16%
Per Diem, 14%
Home Health, 10%
Treatment Programs, 6%
Physical Therapy Assistants, 3%

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

Updated January 8, 2025

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