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Physical therapy aide vs assistant

The differences between physical therapy aides and assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an assistant has an average salary of $37,363, which is higher than the $31,160 average annual salary of a physical therapy aide.

The top three skills for a physical therapy aide include patients, patient care and rehabilitation. The most important skills for an assistant are patients, customer service, and patient care.

Physical therapy aide vs assistant overview

Physical Therapy AideAssistant
Yearly salary$31,160$37,363
Hourly rate$14.98$17.96
Growth rate24%-8%
Number of jobs99,485557,900
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age3950
Years of experience-2

What does a physical therapy aide do?

Physical therapy aides are employed under physical therapists' direction. They typically perform non-medical tasks, including helping with patient intake, setting up treatment rooms, and assisting with patient transportation to another health care facility. They are also responsible for documenting the responses and progress of patients and communicating with hospital personnel and physicians' offices. There are several skills and competencies to become a successful physical therapy aide, which include active listening skills, attention to detail, and compassion for patients.

What does an assistant do?

An assistant intern is responsible for facilitating administrative and clerical tasks as assigned by the management. Assistant interns' duties include keeping records of meetings, receiving calls and handling customer inquiries, assisting on writing reports and data entry processing, cooperating and providing support for business events, and adhering to company policies and regulatory procedures. Successful assistant interns must have excellent time-management, multi-tasking, and communication skills. They must be a team player and fast-learner to handle various tasks in the corporate industry.

Physical therapy aide vs assistant salary

Physical therapy aides and assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Physical Therapy AideAssistant
Average salary$31,160$37,363
Salary rangeBetween $8,000 And $118,000Between $16,000 And $82,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYBoston, MA
Highest paying stateNew YorkMassachusetts
Best paying companyAya HealthcareLatham & Watkins
Best paying industryHealth CareEducation

Differences between physical therapy aide and assistant education

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

Physical Therapy AideAssistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common majorKinesiologyBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of Michigan - Ann ArborWestern Carolina University

Physical therapy aide vs assistant demographics

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

Physical Therapy AideAssistant
Average age3950
Gender ratioMale, 35.6% Female, 64.4%Male, 40.7% Female, 59.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 9.3% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage7%6%

Differences between physical therapy aide and assistant duties and responsibilities

Physical therapy aide example responsibilities.

  • Manage flexible schedule at various company facilities categorize as ILF, ALF, and SNF.
  • Administer ultrasound and electrical stimulation and start patients with their prescribe exercise programs.
  • Educate patients on supportive devices, such as braces, splints, and slings.
  • Earn repeated appreciations from supervisor, co-workers, and patients for providing the best quality care with compassion.
  • Work closely with PT's/PTA's; OT/COTA's and SLP in providing quality hands on care to rehab patients.
  • Create and maintain patient charts and paperwork including exercise, insurance authorization, insurance, HIPAA, and patient information.
    • Show more

Assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage circulations, including educational textbooks and DVDS, video technology and supplies.
  • Manage branches providing information technology support, logistics, training and operational support.
  • Manage company's twitter account and communicate with multiple physical therapy providers around the country
  • Optimize productivity in prioritizing and managing special projects, PowerPoint presentations for classes, and proctore exams for undergraduate classes.
  • Assist in jewelry design and assembly, manage company Facebook page, participate in wholesale buying, and manage retail inventory
  • Manage and update company Facebook page with daily updates, finding/sharing relevant and interesting information, and encouraging fan engagement.
    • Show more

Physical therapy aide vs assistant skills

Common physical therapy aide skills
  • Patients, 42%
  • Patient Care, 10%
  • Rehabilitation, 8%
  • Customer Service, 5%
  • Ultrasound, 5%
  • Direct Supervision, 4%
Common assistant skills
  • Patients, 27%
  • Customer Service, 13%
  • Patient Care, 8%
  • CPR, 5%
  • Sales Floor, 5%
  • Scheduling Appointments, 3%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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