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Rehabilitation assistant vs rehabilitation technician

The differences between rehabilitation assistants and rehabilitation technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a rehabilitation assistant has an average salary of $35,219, which is higher than the $29,533 average annual salary of a rehabilitation technician.

The top three skills for a rehabilitation assistant include rehabilitation, patients and patient care. The most important skills for a rehabilitation technician are patients, rehabilitation, and physical therapy.

Rehabilitation assistant vs rehabilitation technician overview

Rehabilitation AssistantRehabilitation Technician
Yearly salary$35,219$29,533
Hourly rate$16.93$14.20
Growth rate12%24%
Number of jobs19,31731,196
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Average age4343
Years of experience12-

What does a rehabilitation assistant do?

A rehabilitation assistant performs support tasks to assist nurses or therapists in providing care services to patients and maintaining the smooth flow of operations in clinics. Their daily tasks often include greeting patients, answering inquiries, helping patients during treatments and training, and providing personal care by assisting them in hygienic and physical tasks. They may also prepare and process documents, handle calls and correspondence, organize files, liaise with external business partners such as vendors and suppliers, maintain records, and arrange schedules.

What does a rehabilitation technician do?

A rehabilitation technician is responsible for assisting therapists and other medical personnel on supporting the patients in their daily activities and physical therapy sessions. Rehabilitation technicians provide high-quality care services for the patients by administering medications, accompanying them on medical appointments, and ensuring the cleanliness and orderliness of all equipment and facilities to prevent hazards within the premises. They may also perform administrative and clerical duties such as updating patients' information on the database, writing reports, processing payments for medical procedures, and maintaining medical charts for reference.

Rehabilitation assistant vs rehabilitation technician salary

Rehabilitation assistants and rehabilitation technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Rehabilitation AssistantRehabilitation Technician
Average salary$35,219$29,533
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $47,000Between $23,000 And $37,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYSeattle, WA
Highest paying stateIllinoisWashington
Best paying companyHealth AllianceLawrence General Hospital
Best paying industryTelecommunicationHealth Care

Differences between rehabilitation assistant and rehabilitation technician education

There are a few differences between a rehabilitation assistant and a rehabilitation technician in terms of educational background:

Rehabilitation AssistantRehabilitation Technician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Most common majorPsychologyKinesiology
Most common collegeNew York UniversityUniversity of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Rehabilitation assistant vs rehabilitation technician demographics

Here are the differences between rehabilitation assistants' and rehabilitation technicians' demographics:

Rehabilitation AssistantRehabilitation Technician
Average age4343
Gender ratioMale, 26.1% Female, 73.9%Male, 31.0% Female, 69.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 6.5% White, 58.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.1%Black or African American, 14.4% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.5% White, 57.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage11%8%

Differences between rehabilitation assistant and rehabilitation technician duties and responsibilities

Rehabilitation assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage organization and cleanliness of therapy room and equipment.
  • Provide manual manipulation and cuing of patient lower extremities facilitating rehabilitation of gait patterns during body-weight support treadmill training therapy sessions.
  • Lead emergency drills and CPR training.
  • Respect patients rights, and comply with HIPPA confidentiality guidelines.
  • Direct personal care to clients, transportation, assist with therapies, diabetic train, CPR certify
  • Assist with ADL's such as bathing, toileting, grooming, dressing, eating, and ambulation.
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Rehabilitation technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage organization and cleanliness of therapy room and equipment.
  • Record vital signs and assist patients in performing their ADL's as directed by medical or nursing staff.
  • Assist patients with neurological conditions with different mobility training, ADL training, and strengthening exercises.
  • Assist with the modification of therapy plans, assist with manual stretching and traction of patients.
  • Prepare patients for electrical stimulation, mechanical traction, and ultrasounds.
  • Assist in operating a physical therapy facility by helping patients improve their movement, stamina, coordination, and intellectual capacity.
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Rehabilitation assistant vs rehabilitation technician skills

Common rehabilitation assistant skills
  • Rehabilitation, 16%
  • Patients, 14%
  • Patient Care, 8%
  • Customer Service, 8%
  • Money Management, 5%
  • Mental Illness, 5%
Common rehabilitation technician skills
  • Patients, 23%
  • Rehabilitation, 18%
  • Physical Therapy, 12%
  • CPR, 9%
  • Customer Service, 5%
  • Occupational Therapy, 4%

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