Student physical therapist vs physical therapy technician

The differences between student physical therapists and physical therapy technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a student physical therapist has an average salary of $73,003, which is higher than the $35,161 average annual salary of a physical therapy technician.

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

Student physical therapist vs physical therapy technician overview

	Student Physical Therapist	Physical Therapy Technician
Yearly salary	$73,003	$35,161
Hourly rate	$35.10	$16.90
Growth rate	17%	24%
Number of jobs	92,101	66,670
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age	41	39
Years of experience	-	-

What does a student physical therapist do?

A student physical therapist assists physicians in handling patients in a medical facility or a similar setting. As students, they typically follow directives and work under the supervision of a physical therapist. Besides assisting in treating patients, a student may also perform various clerical tasks such as filing paperwork, producing reports, running errands, managing schedules, responding to inquiries, and answering calls and correspondence. They may also coordinate with other hospital personnel and attend meetings, all while adhering to the medical facility's policies and standards.

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.

Student physical therapist vs physical therapy technician salary

Student physical therapists and physical therapy technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Student Physical Therapist	Physical Therapy Technician
Average salary	$73,003	$35,161
Salary range	Between $54,000 And $97,000	Between $20,000 And $59,000
Highest paying City	-	New York, NY
Highest paying state	-	New York
Best paying company	-	St. Tammany Health System
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between student physical therapist and physical therapy technician education

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

	Student Physical Therapist	Physical Therapy Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common major	Kinesiology	Kinesiology
Most common college	Duke University	University of Virginia

Student physical therapist vs physical therapy technician demographics

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

	Student Physical Therapist	Physical Therapy Technician
Average age	41	39
Gender ratio	Male, 37.4% Female, 62.6%	Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 72.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	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%
LGBT Percentage	12%	7%

Differences between student physical therapist and physical therapy technician duties and responsibilities

Student physical therapist example responsibilities.

Achieve high level of patients satisfaction due to sound clinical management, quality of care and compassion.
Evaluate and treat patients with total hip/total knee surgeries, status post CVA and spinal cord injuries.
Evaluate and treat patients with orthopedic conditions such as low back pain, cervical pain, post operative conditions.
Perform evaluations, provide patient treatment, supervise COTA
Develop ability to perform ICU mobility treatments with acutely ill patients.
Evaluate and treat patients in ICU implicating early mobilization to prevent further decline in cardiopulmonary compromise patients.

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.

Student physical therapist vs physical therapy technician skills

Common student physical therapist skills

Patients, 31%
Occupational Therapy, 13%
Rehabilitation, 8%
Patient Care, 6%
Physical Therapy Assistants, 6%
Adaptive, 4%

Common physical therapy technician skills

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

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Student Physical Therapist
Student Physical Therapist vs Physical Therapy Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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