Physical therapy aides are part of physical therapy teams. They provide support to physical therapists and physical therapy assistants. Their responsibilities include preparing the treatment area for physical therapy, cleaning and setting up equipment, preparing patients for therapy, and providing any assistance needed by the therapist. They also perform several other tasks such as scheduling treatment sessions, monitoring inventory, ordering supplies, and filling out insurance forms. You will also be expected to maintain the equipment and must be able to assemble and disassemble parts when necessary, especially for patient's adaptive equipment or wheelchairs.

You will usually work with occupational therapists, physical therapists, audiologists, hospitals, and residential and nursing facilities. Skills such as patient care, customer service, front office, ultrasound, direct supervision, and good communication skills are required for this position. The most commonly required educational qualification is a bachelor's degree in kinesiology, physical therapy, or other related fields. An average physical therapy aide earns $27,000 annually or $13.09 an hour.

What Does a Physical Therapy Aide Do

Physical therapist assistants, sometimes called PTAs, and physical therapist aides work under the direction and supervision of physical therapists. They help patients who are recovering from injuries and illnesses regain movement and manage pain. Physical therapist assistants are involved in the direct care of patients. Physical therapist aides often do tasks that are indirectly related to patient care, such as cleaning and setting up the treatment area, moving patients, and performing clerical duties.

Learn more about what a Physical Therapy Aide does

How To Become a Physical Therapy Aide

Physical therapist assistants entering the profession need an associate’s degree from an accredited program. All states require physical therapist assistants to be licensed or certified. Physical therapist aides usually have a high school diploma and receive on-the-job training.

Learn More About How To Become a Physical Therapy Aide

Physical Therapy Aide Career Paths

Average Salary for a Physical Therapy Aide

Physical Therapy Aides in America make an average salary of $31,160 per year or $15 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $118,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $8,000 per year.
Average Physical Therapy Aide Salary
$31,160 Yearly
$14.98 hourly

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Roles and Types of Physical Therapy Aide

The role of a physical therapy aide includes a wide range of responsibilities. These responsibilities can vary based on an individual's specific job, company, or industry.Here are some general physical therapy aide responsibilities:

  • Assists physical therapists in their treatment of patients. Prepares patients for treatment, as directed. Transports patients to
  • Preparation/restoration of treatment areas and equipment; maintaining adequate supply levels through inventory monitoring
  • Performs patient related tasks safely and effectively under the continuous

There are several types of physical therapy aide, including:

Aide

Role:

Aides make it possible for patients to stay at home with less severe conditions, instead of staying in hospitals or retirement homes. They monitor the patients' condition, keep them company, and help practicing hygiene and with chores around the house. Aides perform basic health care as well and help with transportation, if necessary.

Home health aides are the fastest-growing occupation in the U.S., with an increase in demand of 70% from 2010 to 2020. This tendency is likely to continue in rapid growth up to 2030, as the Baby Boomer generation reaches seniority.

Aides make $18 per hour, on average, and generally work 40 hours a week, sometimes taking night shifts and working on weekends, too. Part-time and live-in arrangements are both common as well, so you have a lot of options to figure out what works best for you.
  • Average Salary: $27,793
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Physical Therapy Technician

Role:

Physical Therapy Technician supports the Physical Therapists and Physical Therapy Assistants to plan and implement patient care. Physical therapy technicians provide administrative support and assist with assessing patients. They manage inventory and maintain equipment, and they often help receive incoming patients, record and stock inventory, and schedule appointments and treatments. Technicians are also in charge of cleaning equipment, washing linens, and performing clerical tasks.

Physical therapist skills include both soft and hard skills. This includes the ability to communicate information, listen actively, communicate verbally and in writing, and explain things with ease. Physical therapists must establish and foster relationships with patients as they help patients move through tough exercises. They must also be able to empathize with their patients to know how they are feeling and reacting to treatments. The educational requirement of a physical therapist technician is an associate's or bachelor's degree in physical therapy or kinesiology. Physical therapy technician makes an average salary of $69,890 per year.

  • Average Salary: $35,161
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Rehab Technician

Role:

Rehab technicians assist therapists and other medical personnel in their daily activities and therapy sessions. The technician's duty is to assist with patient intake, maintain patient records, and keep the facility and equipment clean. They also assist patients in reaching the examination and treatment room and conducting the initial assessments and basic diagnostic tests. Plus, they supervise physical therapy exercises, do paperwork and make an appointment, assist in basic life and advanced support techniques, perform EKGs, blood withdrawal, and computer order entry.

To be successful as a rehab technician, you should know therapeutic techniques, and you must also be a team player with exceptional interpersonal skills. A rehab technician must also be skilled with their hand when it comes to physical activities, and you must be able to communicate your ideas, thoughts, and opinions to those around you. To become a rehab technician, you must complete your high school education or GED, enroll in a nationally certified rehabilitation technician school, and pass the national exam through the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy ( NABCOT). A rehab technician's salary on average per year is $27,557.

  • Average Salary: $28,505
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

States With The Most Physical Therapy Aide Jobs

Mouse over a state to see the number of active physical therapy aide jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where physical therapy aides earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.

Average Salary: Job Openings:

Number Of Physical Therapy Aide Jobs By State

RankStateNumber of JobsAverage Salary
1California2,492$35,243
2Texas2,406$26,038
3New York1,904$44,171
4Florida1,672$23,076
5Pennsylvania1,538$36,654
6Illinois1,468$28,662
7Massachusetts1,399$39,227
8Indiana1,286$26,379
9Michigan1,255$30,065
10Georgia1,192$24,792
11North Carolina1,135$27,426
12Ohio1,116$36,262
13New Jersey1,073$42,675
14Virginia948$39,495
15Maryland770$37,023
16Missouri754$24,862
17Minnesota717$23,626
18Tennessee701$25,292
19Washington699$29,054
20Wisconsin659$28,004
21South Carolina636$25,146
22Arizona633$29,930
23Iowa588$24,190
24Kansas578$24,021
25Colorado560$28,184
26Kentucky505$32,041
27Connecticut460$41,989
28Alabama455$23,587
29Louisiana433$23,633
30Nebraska398$24,420
31Oregon389$27,865
32Oklahoma370$24,588
33West Virginia366$37,212
34New Hampshire365$36,813
35New Mexico312$27,087
36Mississippi284$24,654
37Maine235$35,987
38Arkansas225$24,449
39Vermont194$32,327
40Nevada191$30,712
41Montana191$24,550
42Rhode Island190$39,156
43Idaho188$28,239
44South Dakota170$23,465
45Utah169$27,194
46Delaware132$37,991
47Alaska131$26,618
48Hawaii127$26,626
49North Dakota110$26,691
50Wyoming102$23,567

Physical Therapy Aide Education

Physical Therapy Aide Majors

8.8 %

Physical Therapy Aide Degrees

Bachelors

67.9 %

Associate

14.2 %

High School Diploma

6.6 %

Top Colleges for Physical Therapy Aides

1. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-State Tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Business
Biology
Education
Kinesiology
Nursing

2. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-State Tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Biology
Business
Nursing
Physiology And Anatomy
Kinesiology

3. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Business
Biology
Nursing
Health Care Administration
Kinesiology

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Health And Wellness
Biology
Business
Psychology
Liberal Arts

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Liberal Arts
Business
Education
Biology
Psychology

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Business
Education
Biology
Health Care Administration
Psychology

7. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Health And Wellness
Biology
Nursing
Rehabilitation Science
Health Care Administration

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,410

Enrollment

31,321

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Health And Wellness
Biology
Liberal Arts
Health Sciences And Services
Nursing

9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-State Tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Biology
Education
Business
Psychology
Nursing

10. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-State Tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Biology
Business
Nursing
Psychology
Medical Assisting Services

Top Skills For a Physical Therapy Aide

The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 42.2% of physical therapy aides listed patients on their resume, but soft skills such as time-management skills and dexterity are important as well.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Physical Therapy Aide Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Physical Therapy Aide templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Physical Therapy Aide resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

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Physical Therapy Aide Demographics

Physical Therapy Aide Gender Distribution

Female
Female
64%
Male
Male
36%

After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

  • Among physical therapy aides, 64.4% of them are women, while 35.6% are men.

  • The most common race/ethnicity among physical therapy aides is White, which makes up 67.0% of all physical therapy aides.

  • The most common foreign language among physical therapy aides is Spanish at 59.3%.

Online Courses For Physical Therapy Aide That You May Like

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Best States For a Physical Therapy Aide

Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a physical therapy aide. The best states for people in this position are New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Virginia. Physical therapy aides make the most in New York with an average salary of $44,171. Whereas in New Jersey and Connecticut, they would average $42,675 and $41,989, respectively. While physical therapy aides would only make an average of $39,495 in Virginia, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.

1. New York

Total Physical Therapy Aide Jobs: 1,904
Highest 10% Earn:
$111,000
Location Quotient:
1.21

2. West Virginia

Total Physical Therapy Aide Jobs: 366
Highest 10% Earn:
$87,000
Location Quotient:
1.96

3. Maine

Total Physical Therapy Aide Jobs: 235
Highest 10% Earn:
$73,000
Location Quotient:
1.45
Full List Of Best States For Physical Therapy Aides

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Top Physical Therapy Aide Employers

Most Common Employers For Physical Therapy Aide

RankCompanyAverage SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
1Aya Healthcare$197,507$94.9651
2Massachusetts General Hospital$142,799$68.6519
3Encompass Health$104,151$50.0729
4Twin Boro Physical Therapy$40,364$19.4127
5California Solutions$34,371$16.5220
6Kaiser Permanente$31,482$15.1428
7Legacy Health$31,369$15.0825
8Athletico$29,013$13.9552
9Nova Medical Centers$28,734$13.8121
10Pivot$28,243$13.5819

Physical Therapy Aide Videos