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The differences between therapy aides and rehab technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a therapy aide has an average salary of $29,312, which is higher than the $28,505 average annual salary of a rehab technician.
The top three skills for a therapy aide include patients, patient care and rehabilitation. The most important skills for a rehab technician are patients, physical therapy, and rehabilitation.
| Therapy Aide | Rehab Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $29,312 | $28,505 |
| Hourly rate | $14.09 | $13.70 |
| Growth rate | 25% | 24% |
| Number of jobs | 50,598 | 27,969 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 41 | 39 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
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.
A rehab technician's role is to assist physical therapists and patients in a hospital or similar facility. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around gathering a patient's personal information and medical history, escorting them to corresponding rooms, and conducting initial tests and assessments. It is also essential to maintain records of all transactions, updating medical accounts promptly and accurately. Furthermore, a rehab technician may also perform basic treatments under the supervision of a physical therapist. There are also instances when they have to sanitize and clean therapy equipment, all in adherence to the facility's safety regulations and policies.
Therapy aides and rehab technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Therapy Aide | Rehab Technician | |
| Average salary | $29,312 | $28,505 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $37,000 | Between $22,000 And $36,000 |
| Highest paying City | Beverly, MA | Santa Rosa, CA |
| Highest paying state | Montana | Colorado |
| Best paying company | State Bar of Michigan | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a therapy aide and a rehab technician in terms of educational background:
| Therapy Aide | Rehab Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Kinesiology | Kinesiology |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | University of Virginia |
Here are the differences between therapy aides' and rehab technicians' demographics:
| Therapy Aide | Rehab Technician | |
| Average age | 41 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 29.1% Female, 70.9% | Male, 33.7% Female, 66.3% |
| 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, 7.1% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 13.3% Asian, 7.5% White, 66.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 7% |