Physical therapy technician vs outpatient physical therapist assistant

The differences between physical therapy technicians and outpatient physical therapist assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an outpatient physical therapist assistant has an average salary of $54,009, 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 outpatient physical therapist assistant are patients, rehabilitation, and PTA.

Physical therapy technician vs outpatient physical therapist assistant overview

	Physical Therapy Technician	Outpatient Physical Therapist Assistant
Yearly salary	$35,161	$54,009
Hourly rate	$16.90	$25.97
Growth rate	24%	24%
Number of jobs	66,670	62,717
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Associate Degree, 68%
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 an outpatient physical therapist assistant do?

A PTA (physical therapist assistant) helps a physical therapist carry out a treatment or rehabilitation program. Outpatient PTAs provide patients with physical therapy support services in a private space, clinic, or other facilities. Their responsibilities often involve setting up equipment to be used by patients, documenting patient progress, and cleaning the therapy area between appointments. PTA duties include assisting patients to do exercises, warm-ups, stretching, using equipment, and other movements prescribed by physical therapists during appointments.

Physical therapy technician vs outpatient physical therapist assistant salary

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

	Physical Therapy Technician	Outpatient Physical Therapist Assistant
Average salary	$35,161	$54,009
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 outpatient physical therapist assistant education

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

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

Physical therapy technician vs outpatient physical therapist assistant demographics

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

	Physical Therapy Technician	Outpatient Physical Therapist Assistant
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2%	Male, 26.7% Female, 73.3%
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, 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 outpatient 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.

Outpatient physical therapist assistant example responsibilities.

Manage a diverse caseload including, but not limit to CVA's, cardiac care, Alzheimer's and sub acute orthopedics
Work as PTA in outpatient clinic and home health.
Work as PTA as part of team to execute proper care of body mechanics and safety of patient.
Prepare garments and accessories for processing through ALM's for contamination detection.
Focus on spinal cord injuries, strokes, orthopedic, dementia, functional training in ADL's.
Perform maintenance on various types of wheelchair, walkers, and physical therapy equipment requiring repair and/or modification.

Physical therapy technician vs outpatient 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 outpatient physical therapist assistant skills

Patients, 38%
Rehabilitation, 17%
PTA, 11%
Home Health, 5%
Physical Therapy, 4%
Quality Patient Care, 3%

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Healthcare Support Industry
Physical Therapy Technician
Physical Therapy Technician vs Outpatient Physical Therapist Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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