Physical therapy attendant vs occupational therapy assistant

The differences between physical therapy attendants and occupational therapy assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an occupational therapy assistant has an average salary of $50,653, which is higher than the $39,324 average annual salary of a physical therapy attendant.

The top three skills for a physical therapy attendant include therapeutic exercises, therapy equipment and rehabilitation. The most important skills for an occupational therapy assistant are patients, rehabilitation, and home health.

Physical therapy attendant vs occupational therapy assistant overview

	Physical Therapy Attendant	Occupational Therapy Assistant
Yearly salary	$39,324	$50,653
Hourly rate	$18.91	$24.35
Growth rate	24%	25%
Number of jobs	104,492	39,881
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Associate Degree, 69%
Average age	39	41
Years of experience	-	12

Physical therapy attendant vs occupational therapy assistant salary

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

	Physical Therapy Attendant	Occupational Therapy Assistant
Average salary	$39,324	$50,653
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $60,000	Between $37,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	-	Urban Honolulu, HI
Highest paying state	-	Hawaii
Best paying company	-	PeaceHealth
Best paying industry	-	Education

Differences between physical therapy attendant and occupational therapy assistant education

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

	Physical Therapy Attendant	Occupational Therapy Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Associate Degree, 69%
Most common major	Physical Therapy	Occupational Therapy
Most common college	Duke University	Northwestern University

Physical therapy attendant vs occupational therapy assistant demographics

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

	Physical Therapy Attendant	Occupational Therapy Assistant
Average age	39	41
Gender ratio	Male, 36.8% Female, 63.2%	Male, 17.2% Female, 82.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 10.4% White, 68.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.6% Asian, 5.2% White, 70.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	7%	8%

Differences between physical therapy attendant and occupational therapy assistant duties and responsibilities

Physical therapy attendant example responsibilities.

Manage flexible schedule at various company facilities categorize as ILF, ALF, and SNF.
Followed/Implement physical and occupational rehabilitation plans.
Followed/Implement physical and occupational rehabilitation plans.

Occupational therapy assistant example responsibilities.

Order patient equipment as well as developing and fabricating inexpensive adaptive equipment for patients to use.
Educate patients and family members on the importance of using adaptive equipment and following proper safety precautions.
Provide all occupational therapy services to facility patients, including charting their progress, developing and maintaining treatment plans.
Assist in rebuilding the therapy department in an inner city SNF.
Perform therapy to patients with hip replacements, knee replacements, CVA, and multiple disorders.
Help patients adapt to the use of wheelchairs, braces, canes, crutches and prosthetic/orthotic devices.

Physical therapy attendant vs occupational therapy assistant skills

Common physical therapy attendant skills

Therapeutic Exercises, 33%
Therapy Equipment, 26%
Rehabilitation, 22%
Direct Patient Care, 11%
Patient Treatment, 8%

Common occupational therapy assistant skills

Patients, 27%
Rehabilitation, 22%
Home Health, 11%
Patient Care, 10%
Therapy Programs, 4%
Acute Care, 3%

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Healthcare Support Industry
Physical Therapy Attendant
Physical Therapy Attendant vs Occupational Therapy Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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