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Therapy aide vs rehabilitation technician

The differences between therapy aides and rehabilitation technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a rehabilitation technician has an average salary of $29,533, 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 rehabilitation technician are patients, rehabilitation, and physical therapy.

Therapy aide vs rehabilitation technician overview

Therapy AideRehabilitation Technician
Yearly salary$29,312$29,533
Hourly rate$14.09$14.20
Growth rate25%24%
Number of jobs50,59831,196
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 54%Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Average age4143
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 rehabilitation technician do?

A rehabilitation technician is responsible for assisting therapists and other medical personnel on supporting the patients in their daily activities and physical therapy sessions. Rehabilitation technicians provide high-quality care services for the patients by administering medications, accompanying them on medical appointments, and ensuring the cleanliness and orderliness of all equipment and facilities to prevent hazards within the premises. They may also perform administrative and clerical duties such as updating patients' information on the database, writing reports, processing payments for medical procedures, and maintaining medical charts for reference.

Therapy aide vs rehabilitation technician salary

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

Therapy AideRehabilitation Technician
Average salary$29,312$29,533
Salary rangeBetween $23,000 And $37,000Between $23,000 And $37,000
Highest paying CityBeverly, MASeattle, WA
Highest paying stateMontanaWashington
Best paying companyState Bar of MichiganLawrence General Hospital
Best paying industryHealth CareHealth Care

Differences between therapy aide and rehabilitation technician education

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

Therapy AideRehabilitation Technician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 54%Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Most common majorKinesiologyKinesiology
Most common collegeUniversity of Michigan - Ann ArborUniversity of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Therapy aide vs rehabilitation technician demographics

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

Therapy AideRehabilitation Technician
Average age4143
Gender ratioMale, 29.1% Female, 70.9%Male, 31.0% Female, 69.0%
Race ratioBlack 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, 14.4% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.5% White, 57.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between therapy aide and rehabilitation 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.
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Rehabilitation technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage organization and cleanliness of therapy room and equipment.
  • Record vital signs and assist patients in performing their ADL's as directed by medical or nursing staff.
  • Assist patients with neurological conditions with different mobility training, ADL training, and strengthening exercises.
  • Assist with the modification of therapy plans, assist with manual stretching and traction of patients.
  • Prepare patients for electrical stimulation, mechanical traction, and ultrasounds.
  • Assist in operating a physical therapy facility by helping patients improve their movement, stamina, coordination, and intellectual capacity.
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Therapy aide vs rehabilitation technician skills

Common therapy aide skills
  • Patients, 28%
  • Patient Care, 16%
  • Rehabilitation, 16%
  • BARS, 10%
  • Physical Therapy, 5%
  • Occupational Therapy, 3%
Common rehabilitation technician skills
  • Patients, 23%
  • Rehabilitation, 18%
  • Physical Therapy, 12%
  • CPR, 9%
  • Customer Service, 5%
  • Occupational Therapy, 4%

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