Therapy aide vs physical therapist technician

The differences between therapy aides 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 $29,312 average annual salary of a therapy aide.

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

Therapy aide vs physical therapist technician overview

	Therapy Aide	Physical Therapist Technician
Yearly salary	$29,312	$70,364
Hourly rate	$14.09	$33.83
Growth rate	25%	17%
Number of jobs	50,598	74,733
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	-	-

Therapy aide vs physical therapist technician salary

Therapy aides and physical therapist technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Therapy Aide	Physical Therapist Technician
Average salary	$29,312	$70,364
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $37,000	Between $47,000 And $103,000
Highest paying City	Beverly, MA	-
Highest paying state	Montana	-
Best paying company	State Bar of Michigan	-
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between therapy aide and physical therapist technician education

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

	Therapy Aide	Physical Therapist Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Kinesiology	Kinesiology
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Therapy aide vs physical therapist technician demographics

Here are the differences between therapy aides' and physical therapist technicians' demographics:

	Therapy Aide	Physical Therapist Technician
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 29.1% Female, 70.9%	Male, 38.7% Female, 61.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.6% Asian, 5.2% White, 70.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	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	8%	12%

Differences between therapy aide and physical therapist technician duties and responsibilities

Therapy aide example responsibilities.

Assist in implementing clinical treatment programs using ABA (apply behavior analysis).
Prepare patients for physical therapy treatment by welcoming, comforting, providing and/or assisting patient into physical therapy apparel.
Require the physical ability and training to conduct CPR.
Fabricate and modify splints according to Dr. Gupta's specifications.
Perform wound care, remove sutures, and help the therapists in fabricating custom make orthotic splints.
Collect data on client's achievements for the purpose of documenting activities, preparing reports and/or updating IEP logs.

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.

Therapy aide vs physical therapist technician skills

Common therapy aide skills

Patients, 28%
Patient Care, 16%
Rehabilitation, 16%
BARS, 10%
Physical Therapy, 5%
Occupational Therapy, 3%

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 Support Industry
Therapy Aide
Therapy Aide vs Physical Therapist Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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