Sports physical therapist vs physical therapist technician

The differences between sports physical therapists and physical therapist technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a physical therapist technician has an average salary of $70,364, which is higher than the $67,105 average annual salary of a sports physical therapist.

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

Sports physical therapist vs physical therapist technician overview

	Sports Physical Therapist	Physical Therapist Technician
Yearly salary	$67,105	$70,364
Hourly rate	$32.26	$33.83
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	70,367	74,733
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	-	-

Sports physical therapist vs physical therapist technician salary

Sports physical therapists and physical therapist technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Sports Physical Therapist	Physical Therapist Technician
Average salary	$67,105	$70,364
Salary range	Between $41,000 And $107,000	Between $47,000 And $103,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between sports physical therapist and physical therapist technician education

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

	Sports Physical Therapist	Physical Therapist Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Physical Therapy	Kinesiology
Most common college	Northwestern University	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Sports physical therapist vs physical therapist technician demographics

Here are the differences between sports physical therapists' and physical therapist technicians' demographics:

	Sports Physical Therapist	Physical Therapist Technician
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 42.5% Female, 57.5%	Male, 38.7% Female, 61.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 7.4% Asian, 12.4% White, 72.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% Asian, 11.4% White, 73.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between sports physical therapist and physical therapist technician duties and responsibilities

Sports physical therapist example responsibilities.

Demonstrate working knowledge of community mental health services identify in the Medicaid guidelines and attain contractual outcomes within designate time frames.
Administer therapeutic hot packs, cold packs and personally handle various electrical stimulation treatments; ultrasound, electrical stimulation.
Employ at an out-patient orthopedic clinic with primary goal for patient return to work, ADL, or sports/recreation activities.

Physical therapist technician example responsibilities.

Demonstrate working knowledge of community mental health services identify in the Medicaid guidelines and attain contractual outcomes within designate time frames.
Order supplies for patients needs such as braces, wheelchairs, and walkers.
Administer traction to relieve cervical and lumbar pain, using intermittent and static traction equipment.
Fit patients for orthopedic braces, prostheses, and supportive devices, such as crutches.
Provide a variety of modalities to therapy patients including: cryotherapy, thermotherapy, ultrasound, electrical stem.
Instruct patients as to proper exercise techniques and monitor during sessions to ensure safety and facilitate efficient rehabilitation.

Sports physical therapist vs physical therapist technician skills

Common sports physical therapist skills

Physical Therapy, 43%
Patient Care, 27%
Rehabilitation, 26%
Injury Prevention, 1%
PTA, 1%
Primary Care, 1%

Common physical therapist technician skills

Patients, 52%
Rehabilitation, 10%
Patient Care, 5%
Electrical Stimulation, 3%
Traction, 3%
Physical Therapy Treatment, 3%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Sports Physical Therapist
Sports Physical Therapist vs Physical Therapist Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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