How To Become A Rehabilitation Technician: What It Is and Career Path

What is a rehabilitation technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A rehabilitation technician works in the healthcare industry to help patients recover from injuries or illnesses. They assist physical therapists, occupational therapists, and healthcare professionals, Rehabilitation technicians work in hospitals, clinics, or long-term care facilities. Their duties may include helping patients with exercises, monitoring vital signs, setting up equipment, and assisting with treatments. They may also assist with patient mobility and safety, as well as maintaining records. Rehabilitation technicians help patients recover and regain their independence.

ScoreRehabilitation TechnicianUS Average

Salary

2.3

Avg. Salary $29,533

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

10.0

Growth rate 24%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.71%

Asian 9.48%

Black or African American 14.40%

Hispanic or Latino 12.92%

Unknown 5.22%

White 57.26%

Gender

female 68.99%

male 31.01%

Age - 42

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 42

Stress level

10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.8

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

8.0

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a rehabilitation technician?

Pros

Variety of tasks and responsibilities
Job growth potential in the field
Hands-on work with patients providing direct care
Opportunity to learn new skills and techniques over time
Opportunity to specialize in a specific area of rehabilitation (e.g. pediatrics, sports injury)

Cons

Physically demanding work that may require lifting and positioning patients
Emotional toll of working with patients who may be struggling or in pain
Potential exposure to infectious diseases or hazardous materials
Possibility of encountering difficult or uncooperative patients
Potential for burnout due to high workload and emotional demands of the job

Key steps to become a rehabilitation technician

Explore rehabilitation technician education requirements

Most common rehabilitation technician degrees

Bachelor's

57.0 %

Associate

16.3 %

High School Diploma

10.4 %

Start to develop specific rehabilitation technician skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	22.73%
Rehabilitation	18.47%
Physical Therapy	12.08%
CPR	9.46%
Customer Service	5.38%

Complete relevant rehabilitation technician training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New rehabilitation technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a rehabilitation technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real rehabilitation technician resumes.

Research rehabilitation technician duties and 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 your rehabilitation technician resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your rehabilitation technician resume.

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Choose from 10+ customizable rehabilitation technician resume templates

Build a professional rehabilitation technician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your rehabilitation technician resume.