Physical therapy technician vs physiotherapy assistant

The differences between physical therapy technicians and physiotherapy assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a physiotherapy assistant has an average salary of $52,993, 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 physiotherapy assistant are rehabilitation, ultrasound, and insurance verification.

Physical therapy technician vs physiotherapy assistant overview

	Physical Therapy Technician	Physiotherapy Assistant
Yearly salary	$35,161	$52,993
Hourly rate	$16.90	$25.48
Growth rate	24%	24%
Number of jobs	66,670	13,085
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	-	-

Physical therapy technician vs physiotherapy assistant salary

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

	Physical Therapy Technician	Physiotherapy Assistant
Average salary	$35,161	$52,993
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $59,000	Between $38,000 And $72,000
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 physiotherapy assistant education

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

	Physical Therapy Technician	Physiotherapy Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common major	Kinesiology	Kinesiology
Most common college	University of Virginia	Purdue University

Physical therapy technician vs physiotherapy assistant demographics

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

	Physical Therapy Technician	Physiotherapy Assistant
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2%	Male, 15.9% Female, 84.1%
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 physiotherapy 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.

Physiotherapy assistant example responsibilities.

Perform ultrasound massage on patients and effectively manage pain level of patient using heat therapy.
Perform ultrasound, interferential currents, and laser therapies on patients with injuries.
Train patients in use and care of orthopedic braces, prostheses, and supportive devices, such as crutches.
Assist in the implementation of rehabilitation program
Educate, supervise, and preform rehabilitation and physical therapy exercises.
Perform after care sterilization, while recording progress of microscopic pathogens including cleaning and sterilizing wind care and rehabilitating equipment.

Physical therapy technician vs physiotherapy assistant skills

Common physical therapy technician skills

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

Common physiotherapy assistant skills

Rehabilitation, 45%
Ultrasound, 35%
Insurance Verification, 20%

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Healthcare Support Industry
Physical Therapy Technician
Physical Therapy Technician vs Physiotherapy Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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