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What is a therapy technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

A therapy technician performs various tasks to support therapists in providing care for patients, helping ensure the smooth workflow in the facility and compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.

The duties of a therapy technician often revolve around checking patients into the facility, updating patient records, administering treatment plans, and assisting other therapy staff as needed. Moreover, a therapy technician may also be in charge of reviewing medical charts, processing payments, operating therapy equipment, and monitoring patients' conditions. However, their tasks will largely depend on their level of education and training.

Speaking of education, the minimum requirement for this role is usually a high school diploma, but some employers require at least a certificate or associate's degree. Furthermore, an aspiring therapy technician may need to have at least six months of relevant work experience before they can qualify for this role.

Like other support staff, the average salary for this role is around $29,000 per year, or roughly $14 an hour.

ScoreTherapy TechnicianUS Average
Salary
2.3

Avg. Salary $28,943

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
10.0

Growth rate 24%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
8.1
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.71%

Asian 9.48%

Black or African American 14.40%

Hispanic or Latino 12.92%

Unknown 5.22%

White 57.26%

Gender

female 71.39%

male 28.61%

Age - 42
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 42
Stress level
10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.8

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
8.0

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Therapy technician career paths

Key steps to become a therapy technician

  1. Explore therapy technician education requirements

    Most common therapy technician degrees

    Bachelor's

    52.7 %

    Associate

    18.4 %

    High School Diploma

    13.8 %
  2. Start to develop specific therapy technician skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Patients22.62%
    Rehabilitation14.42%
    CPR7.74%
    Patient Safety5.98%
    Occupational Therapy4.77%
  3. Complete relevant therapy technician training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New therapy technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a therapy technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real therapy technician resumes.
  4. Research therapy technician duties and responsibilities

    • Perform basic living care for patients and assist with exercises under supervision of a rehabilitation team member.
    • Provide patient assistance with rehabilitation protocol with appropriate education and technique while monitoring vital signs and effects of treatment.
    • Direct patients to need areas with crutches, wheel chairs, walkers, canes etc.
    • Work with the physical and occupational therapists to guide patients through prescribe exercise program efficiently and safely.
  5. Prepare your therapy technician resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your therapy technician resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a therapy technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable therapy technician resume templates

    Build a professional therapy technician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your therapy technician resume.
    Therapy Technician Resume
    Therapy Technician Resume
    Therapy Technician Resume
    Therapy Technician Resume
    Therapy Technician Resume
    Therapy Technician Resume
    Therapy Technician Resume
    Therapy Technician Resume
    Therapy Technician Resume
  6. Apply for therapy technician jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a therapy technician job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first therapy technician job

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Average therapy technician salary

The average therapy technician salary in the United States is $28,943 per year or $14 per hour. Therapy technician salaries range between $22,000 and $37,000 per year.

Average therapy technician salary
$28,943 Yearly
$13.91 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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