Therapy aide vs physical therapy aide

The differences between therapy aides and physical therapy aides can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a physical therapy aide has an average salary of $31,160, 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 therapy aide are patients, patient care, and rehabilitation.

Therapy aide vs physical therapy aide overview

	Therapy Aide	Physical Therapy Aide
Yearly salary	$29,312	$31,160
Hourly rate	$14.09	$14.98
Growth rate	25%	24%
Number of jobs	50,598	99,485
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age	41	39
Years of experience	-	-

What does a therapy aide do?

A therapy aide is responsible for monitoring and stabilizing the patients' condition by leading therapy sessions and recording the patients' progress for the doctor's reference. Therapy aides administer quality care plans according to the patients' medical findings and treatment options. They also operate various therapy equipment and machinery, requiring them to inspect the tools regularly to avoid potential hazards and therapy operations delays. A therapy aide must have an excellent understanding of the medical industry to discuss therapy procedures and respond to the patients' inquiries and concerns accurately.

What does a physical therapy aide do?

Physical therapy aides are employed under physical therapists' direction. They typically perform non-medical tasks, including helping with patient intake, setting up treatment rooms, and assisting with patient transportation to another health care facility. They are also responsible for documenting the responses and progress of patients and communicating with hospital personnel and physicians' offices. There are several skills and competencies to become a successful physical therapy aide, which include active listening skills, attention to detail, and compassion for patients.

Therapy aide vs physical therapy aide salary

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

	Therapy Aide	Physical Therapy Aide
Average salary	$29,312	$31,160
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $37,000	Between $8,000 And $118,000
Highest paying City	Beverly, MA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Montana	New York
Best paying company	State Bar of Michigan	Aya Healthcare
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between therapy aide and physical therapy aide education

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

	Therapy Aide	Physical Therapy Aide
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common major	Kinesiology	Kinesiology
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Therapy aide vs physical therapy aide demographics

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

	Therapy Aide	Physical Therapy Aide
Average age	41	39
Gender ratio	Male, 29.1% Female, 70.9%	Male, 35.6% Female, 64.4%
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, 6.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 9.3% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	8%	7%

Differences between therapy aide and physical therapy aide 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 therapy aide example responsibilities.

Manage flexible schedule at various company facilities categorize as ILF, ALF, and SNF.
Administer ultrasound and electrical stimulation and start patients with their prescribe exercise programs.
Educate patients on supportive devices, such as braces, splints, and slings.
Earn repeated appreciations from supervisor, co-workers, and patients for providing the best quality care with compassion.
Work closely with PT's/PTA's; OT/COTA's and SLP in providing quality hands on care to rehab patients.
Create and maintain patient charts and paperwork including exercise, insurance authorization, insurance, HIPAA, and patient information.

Therapy aide vs physical therapy aide skills

Common therapy aide skills

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

Common physical therapy aide skills

Patients, 42%
Patient Care, 10%
Rehabilitation, 8%
Customer Service, 5%
Ultrasound, 5%
Direct Supervision, 4%

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Healthcare Support Industry
Therapy Aide
Therapy Aide vs Physical Therapy Aide

Updated January 8, 2025

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