Physical therapy technician vs technician

The differences between physical therapy technicians and technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a technician has an average salary of $38,045, 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 technician are patients, customer service, and patient care.

Physical therapy technician vs technician overview

	Physical Therapy Technician	Technician
Yearly salary	$35,161	$38,045
Hourly rate	$16.90	$18.29
Growth rate	24%	1%
Number of jobs	66,670	596,842
Job satisfaction	-	2
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Average age	39	40
Years of experience	-	2

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 technician do?

Technicians are skilled professionals who primarily work with technology in different industries. They are knowledgeable about the technical aspects of the various items they work with. They are usually working with electricity or with technological advancements. Technicians may be assigned to do the construction of equipment or materials related to their field of study. They may also be assigned to conduct diagnostics and other maintenance activities to ensure that the equipment works properly. Technicians may also be required to conduct basic repairs in case of problems. It is important that technicians have good analytical skills and decision-making skills.

Physical therapy technician vs technician salary

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

	Physical Therapy Technician	Technician
Average salary	$35,161	$38,045
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $59,000	Between $24,000 And $58,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	New York	Hawaii
Best paying company	St. Tammany Health System	Microsoft
Best paying industry	Health Care	Telecommunication

Differences between physical therapy technician and technician education

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

	Physical Therapy Technician	Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Most common major	Kinesiology	Business
Most common college	University of Virginia	-

Physical therapy technician vs technician demographics

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

	Physical Therapy Technician	Technician
Average age	39	40
Gender ratio	Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2%	Male, 75.2% Female, 24.8%
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, 9.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 4.9% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	7%	2%

Differences between physical therapy technician and technician 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.

Technician example responsibilities.

Achieve multiple ASE certifications within first year of employment.
Implement and manage UHF radio base stations, repeaters, and command network, effectively linking all regional headquarters.
Manage telecommunications installation and repair for hospital Nortel network.
Maintain numerous automate scripts to assist in managing Linux systems.
Manage, troubleshot and repair multiple wireless technologies including fiber optic transmission switches.
Install peripherals including printers, fax machines, scanners, and smartphones.

Physical therapy technician vs technician skills

Common physical therapy technician skills

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

Common technician skills

Patients, 16%
Customer Service, 14%
Patient Care, 8%
Hand Tools, 6%
Diagnosis, 5%
Preventative Maintenance, 4%

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Healthcare Support Industry
Physical Therapy Technician
Physical Therapy Technician vs Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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