Physical therapy technician vs home health physical therapist assistant

The differences between physical therapy technicians and home health physical therapist assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a home health physical therapist assistant has an average salary of $51,119, which is higher than the $35,161 average annual salary of a physical therapy technician.

The top three skills for a physical therapy technician include patients, patient care and rehabilitation. The most important skills for a home health physical therapist assistant are home health, patient care, and physical therapy.

Physical therapy technician vs home health physical therapist assistant overview

	Physical Therapy Technician	Home Health Physical Therapist Assistant
Yearly salary	$35,161	$51,119
Hourly rate	$16.90	$24.58
Growth rate	24%	24%
Number of jobs	66,670	136,922
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	-	-

What does a physical therapy technician do?

A physical therapy technician supports both the physical therapists and their physical therapy assistants in planning and implementing patient care. You are expected to perform varied duties and responsibilities that include responding to patients' requests for assistance, assisting with patient preparation before treatment, and maintaining the equipment used by the physical therapist during treatment sessions. In addition, you will be responsible for maintaining patient satisfaction and patient confidentiality. A physical therapy technician will also perform some administrative tasks such as overseeing inventory and scheduling appointments and treatments.

What does a home health physical therapist assistant do?

Home health physical therapist assistants are skilled professionals who are responsible for assisting the physical therapist in performing physical therapy in homecare settings. These assistants are required to follow the treatment plan that is set by the physical therapist while providing aid to patients in active and passive exercises. They must observe and record the response of patients to the treatment as well as changes in their condition. Home health physical therapist assistants must also participate in staff conferences and committees when necessary.

Physical therapy technician vs home health physical therapist assistant salary

Physical therapy technicians and home health physical therapist assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Physical Therapy Technician	Home Health Physical Therapist Assistant
Average salary	$35,161	$51,119
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $59,000	Between $35,000 And $73,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	-
Highest paying state	New York	-
Best paying company	St. Tammany Health System	-
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between physical therapy technician and home health physical therapist assistant education

There are a few differences between a physical therapy technician and a home health physical therapist assistant in terms of educational background:

	Physical Therapy Technician	Home Health Physical Therapist Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Most common major	Kinesiology	Physical Therapy
Most common college	University of Virginia	New York University

Physical therapy technician vs home health physical therapist assistant demographics

Here are the differences between physical therapy technicians' and home health physical therapist assistants' demographics:

	Physical Therapy Technician	Home Health Physical Therapist Assistant
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2%	Male, 29.7% Female, 70.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.1% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian, 7.8% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 7.3% White, 73.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between physical therapy technician and home health physical therapist assistant duties and responsibilities

Physical therapy technician example responsibilities.

Manage flexible schedule at various company facilities categorize as ILF, ALF, and SNF.
Assist patients in performing ADL tasks and the use of prescribe adaptive equipment.
Help with ADL's for each patient to make sure they make it to the therapy gym.
Schedule rehab sessions, transport patients to sessions, maintain the cleanliness of treatment area and order supplies.
Administer therapeutic ultrasound and prepare patients for mechanical traction.
Assist patients in performing rehabilitation exercises on the equipment; ensure safety and equipment use guidelines are follow.

Home health physical therapist assistant example responsibilities.

Manage a diverse caseload including, but not limit to CVA's, cardiac care, Alzheimer's and sub acute orthopedics
Help oversee patient exercises and therapeutic mechanical traction.
Develop a positive relationship with client through constant companionship and therapeutic walking.
Revoke basic physical activity in many depress clients by providing high quality companionship and exercise assistance.
Practice specialized post-orthopedic surgery recovery and rehabilitation.
Provide care to Alzheimer patient, ensuring the proper administration of prescriptions and physician care instructions.

Physical therapy technician vs home health physical therapist assistant skills

Common physical therapy technician skills

Patients, 43%
Patient Care, 13%
Rehabilitation, 7%
Customer Service, 6%
Occupational Therapy, 3%
Treatment Rooms, 2%

Common home health physical therapist assistant skills

Home Health, 82%
Patient Care, 11%
Physical Therapy, 6%
Physical Therapy Treatment, 1%
Community Resources, 1%
Health Aides, 0%

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Physical Therapy Technician
Physical Therapy Technician vs Home Health Physical Therapist Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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