Therapy technician vs patient care technician

The differences between therapy technicians and patient care technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a patient care technician has an average salary of $32,806, which is higher than the $28,943 average annual salary of a therapy technician.

The top three skills for a therapy technician include patients, rehabilitation and CPR. The most important skills for a patient care technician are patients, vital signs, and phlebotomy.

Therapy technician vs patient care technician overview

	Therapy Technician	Patient Care Technician
Yearly salary	$28,943	$32,806
Hourly rate	$13.91	$15.77
Growth rate	24%	9%
Number of jobs	36,360	167,520
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 27%
Average age	43	34
Years of experience	-	-

What does a therapy technician do?

A therapy technician is responsible for supporting therapists in providing the highest quality care services for the patients, administering treatment plans, and guiding patients to full recovery. Therapy technicians also perform administrative duties, such as updating patients' information on the database, monitoring patients' condition, reviewing medical charts, processing payments for therapy procedures, and performing medical examinations under the supervision of medical professionals. They operate various therapy equipment, inspect the performance of the machinery, and ask for maintenance support for repairs or replacement as needed.

What does a patient care technician do?

Patient care technicians are medical workers who work in clinics, hospitals, or other medical facilities under the supervision of doctors or other health professionals. They provide assistance to health professionals and patients. They help patients with mobility concerns get into hospital beds, bathrooms, wheelchairs, and more. They also help patients with their physical therapy sessions and other physical needs. They handle patient concerns and communicate these to attending physicians. They may be assigned to administer basic medical procedures such as checking vital signs and collecting samples from patients, among others.

Therapy technician vs patient care technician salary

Therapy technicians and patient care technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Therapy Technician	Patient Care Technician
Average salary	$28,943	$32,806
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $37,000	Between $24,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Rochester, NH
Highest paying state	Washington	Vermont
Best paying company	Seattle Cancer Care Alliance	Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between therapy technician and patient care technician education

There are a few differences between a therapy technician and a patient care technician in terms of educational background:

	Therapy Technician	Patient Care Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 27%
Most common major	Kinesiology	Nursing
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	Emory University

Therapy technician vs patient care technician demographics

Here are the differences between therapy technicians' and patient care technicians' demographics:

	Therapy Technician	Patient Care Technician
Average age	43	34
Gender ratio	Male, 28.6% Female, 71.4%	Male, 19.0% Female, 81.0%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 14.3% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 6.4% White, 51.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	8%	15%

Differences between therapy technician and patient care technician duties and responsibilities

Therapy technician example 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.
Prepare materials for assessments and provide assistance to individuals through hands-on methods and direct contact observations by assisting the rehabilitation supervisor.
Attend professional development workshops in augmentative communication devices, sign language, and skill integration.

Patient care technician example responsibilities.

Manage care and prepare medical records, transcription and supply orders.
Manage daily care of high acuity patients with neurological trauma/disorders and post-surgery.
Qualify to perform patient care responsibilities on catheter patients.
Transport patients using wheelchairs and stretchers and assist patients to ambulate safely.
Assist with transferring patients in and out of wheelchairs, recliners, and stretchers.
Apply protective restraints safely and appropriately, assist in the admission, discharge and transfer of patients as needed.

Therapy technician vs patient care technician skills

Common therapy technician skills

Patients, 23%
Rehabilitation, 14%
CPR, 8%
Patient Safety, 6%
Occupational Therapy, 5%
Physical Therapy, 5%

Common patient care technician skills

Patients, 24%
Vital Signs, 9%
Phlebotomy, 7%
CPR, 6%
Direct Patient Care, 5%
Customer Service, 5%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Therapy Technician
Therapy Technician vs Patient Care Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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