Rehabilitation aide vs physical therapy attendant

The differences between rehabilitation aides and physical therapy attendants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a physical therapy attendant has an average salary of $39,324, which is higher than the $28,284 average annual salary of a rehabilitation aide.

The top three skills for a rehabilitation aide include patients, rehabilitation and CPR. The most important skills for a physical therapy attendant are therapeutic exercises, therapy equipment, and rehabilitation.

Rehabilitation aide vs physical therapy attendant overview

	Rehabilitation Aide	Physical Therapy Attendant
Yearly salary	$28,284	$39,324
Hourly rate	$13.60	$18.91
Growth rate	24%	24%
Number of jobs	42,701	104,492
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	-	-

Rehabilitation aide vs physical therapy attendant salary

Rehabilitation aides and physical therapy attendants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Rehabilitation Aide	Physical Therapy Attendant
Average salary	$28,284	$39,324
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $35,000	Between $25,000 And $60,000
Highest paying City	Loveland, CO	-
Highest paying state	Colorado	-
Best paying company	Lifespan	-
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between rehabilitation aide and physical therapy attendant education

There are a few differences between a rehabilitation aide and a physical therapy attendant in terms of educational background:

	Rehabilitation Aide	Physical Therapy Attendant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common major	Kinesiology	Physical Therapy
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	Duke University

Rehabilitation aide vs physical therapy attendant demographics

Here are the differences between rehabilitation aides' and physical therapy attendants' demographics:

	Rehabilitation Aide	Physical Therapy Attendant
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 27.2% Female, 72.8%	Male, 36.8% Female, 63.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.9% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 7.7% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 7.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 10.4% White, 68.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between rehabilitation aide and physical therapy attendant duties and responsibilities

Rehabilitation aide example responsibilities.

Manage inventory of supplies and splints for the department.
Manage organization and cleanliness of therapy room and equipment.
Help patients who used wheelchairs and walkers.
Assist patients with ADL's, collect lab specimens, perform EKG's, occasionally perform duty as a patient sitter.
Assist physical therapists and occupational hand therapist in implementing rehabilitation programs for patients in an outpatient orthopedics and hand therapy clinic.
Assist OTR/L in patient education and DME distribution at SNF

Physical therapy attendant example responsibilities.

Manage flexible schedule at various company facilities categorize as ILF, ALF, and SNF.
Followed/Implement physical and occupational rehabilitation plans.
Followed/Implement physical and occupational rehabilitation plans.

Rehabilitation aide vs physical therapy attendant skills

Common rehabilitation aide skills

Patients, 34%
Rehabilitation, 18%
CPR, 6%
Direct Supervision, 5%
Cleanliness, 5%
Data Entry, 4%

Common physical therapy attendant skills

Therapeutic Exercises, 33%
Therapy Equipment, 26%
Rehabilitation, 22%
Direct Patient Care, 11%
Patient Treatment, 8%

Rehabilitation Aide vs. similar jobs

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Healthcare Support Industry
Rehabilitation Aide
Rehabilitation Aide vs Physical Therapy Attendant

Updated January 8, 2025

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