Physical therapy technician vs licensed physical therapist assistant

The differences between physical therapy technicians and licensed physical therapist assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a licensed physical therapist assistant has an average salary of $53,673, 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 licensed physical therapist assistant are patients, patient care, and home health.

Physical therapy technician vs licensed physical therapist assistant overview

	Physical Therapy Technician	Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant
Yearly salary	$35,161	$53,673
Hourly rate	$16.90	$25.80
Growth rate	24%	24%
Number of jobs	66,670	77,253
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Associate Degree, 81%
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 licensed physical therapist assistant do?

A Physical Therapist assistant serves as an apprentice of a Physical Therapist. Their work is mainly to help patients who are undergoing recovery treatment because of certain sicknesses or injuries. They are the ones who are directing care for patients inside a hospital or a facility. They also treat patients who need a massage by giving them the proper exercise and recording and reporting everything that a patient does in a day. This will serve as a basis to determine their improvement.

Physical therapy technician vs licensed physical therapist assistant salary

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

	Physical Therapy Technician	Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant
Average salary	$35,161	$53,673
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $59,000	Between $40,000 And $71,000
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 licensed physical therapist assistant education

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

	Physical Therapy Technician	Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Associate Degree, 81%
Most common major	Kinesiology	Physical Therapy
Most common college	University of Virginia	Northwestern University

Physical therapy technician vs licensed physical therapist assistant demographics

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

	Physical Therapy Technician	Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2%	Male, 32.3% Female, 67.8%
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, 6.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 9.3% White, 66.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between physical therapy technician and licensed 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.

Licensed physical therapist assistant example responsibilities.

Lead exercises and support for orthopedic, TKR, THA, and CVA in mix inpatient and outpatient setting.
Provide home rehabilitation to a variety of patients including CVA, orthopedics, and general rehabilitation and education.
Work briefly in a SNF setting providing physical therapy services to the elderly.
Fit patients for orthopedic braces, prostheses, or supportive devices, such as crutches.
Treat patients of all ages with a variety of diagnoses.Expertise in acute CVA, orthopedic surgeries, trauma and ICU.
Treat patients on weekends in skil nursing facility/rehab setting, specializing in orthopedics, post-operative and general rehabilitation.

Physical therapy technician vs licensed 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 licensed physical therapist assistant skills

Patients, 31%
Patient Care, 11%
Home Health, 8%
Rehabilitation, 7%
Treatment Programs, 6%
Acute Care, 4%

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Physical Therapy Technician
Physical Therapy Technician vs Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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