Physical therapy technician vs occupational therapy assistant

The differences between physical therapy technicians 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 $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 an occupational therapy assistant are patients, rehabilitation, and home health.

Physical therapy technician vs occupational therapy assistant overview

	Physical Therapy Technician	Occupational Therapy Assistant
Yearly salary	$35,161	$50,653
Hourly rate	$16.90	$24.35
Growth rate	24%	25%
Number of jobs	66,670	39,881
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Associate Degree, 69%
Average age	39	41
Years of experience	-	12

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 an occupational therapy assistant do?

An occupational therapy assistant is primarily responsible for assisting an occupational therapist when handling patients at a clinic or similar setting. Their duties revolve around gathering patient information and medical history, treating patients using the therapist's care plan, monitoring a patient's progress, and maintaining an accurate and extensive record. There are also instances when an assistant must discuss the conditions and extent of treatment to patients and families, as well as monitor supplies and inventory.

Physical therapy technician vs occupational therapy assistant salary

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

	Physical Therapy Technician	Occupational Therapy Assistant
Average salary	$35,161	$50,653
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $59,000	Between $37,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Urban Honolulu, HI
Highest paying state	New York	Hawaii
Best paying company	St. Tammany Health System	PeaceHealth
Best paying industry	Health Care	Education

Differences between physical therapy technician and occupational therapy assistant education

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

	Physical Therapy Technician	Occupational Therapy Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Associate Degree, 69%
Most common major	Kinesiology	Occupational Therapy
Most common college	University of Virginia	Northwestern University

Physical therapy technician vs occupational therapy assistant demographics

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

	Physical Therapy Technician	Occupational Therapy Assistant
Average age	39	41
Gender ratio	Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2%	Male, 17.2% Female, 82.8%
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, 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 technician and occupational therapy 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.

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 technician vs occupational therapy assistant skills

Common physical therapy technician skills

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

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 Technician
Physical Therapy Technician vs Occupational Therapy Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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