Physical therapy attendant vs physical therapist

The differences between physical therapy attendants and physical therapists 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 $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 a physical therapist are patients, rehabilitation, and home health.

Physical therapy attendant vs physical therapist overview

	Physical Therapy Attendant	Physical Therapist
Yearly salary	$39,324	$73,070
Hourly rate	$18.91	$35.13
Growth rate	24%	17%
Number of jobs	104,492	86,697
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	39	41
Years of experience	-	-

Physical therapy attendant vs physical therapist salary

Physical therapy attendants and physical therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Physical Therapy Attendant	Physical Therapist
Average salary	$39,324	$73,070
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $60,000	Between $56,000 And $94,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Parkway
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between physical therapy attendant and physical therapist education

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

	Physical Therapy Attendant	Physical Therapist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Physical Therapy	Physical Therapy
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Physical therapy attendant vs physical therapist demographics

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

	Physical Therapy Attendant	Physical Therapist
Average age	39	41
Gender ratio	Male, 36.8% Female, 63.2%	Male, 36.3% Female, 63.7%
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, 3.7% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 7.5% Asian, 14.3% White, 70.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	12%

Differences between physical therapy attendant and physical therapist 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.

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 therapy attendant vs physical therapist skills

Common physical therapy attendant skills

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

Common physical therapist skills

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

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Physical Therapy Attendant
Physical Therapy Attendant vs Physical Therapist

Updated January 8, 2025

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