Therapy technician vs physical therapist

The differences between therapy technicians and physical therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a physical therapist has an average salary of $73,070, 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 physical therapist are patients, rehabilitation, and home health.

Therapy technician vs physical therapist overview

	Therapy Technician	Physical Therapist
Yearly salary	$28,943	$73,070
Hourly rate	$13.91	$35.13
Growth rate	24%	17%
Number of jobs	36,360	86,697
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	43	41
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 physical therapist do?

Physical therapists are health care professionals who diagnose and treat patients with health conditions and limited ability to move and perform daily activities. They help in restoring physical function and mobility and teach how to properly use therapeutic exercise techniques. They also help promote overall wellness and encourage healthier and more active lifestyles. They design a recovery plan unique for every patient, provide treatment and therapy to help improve and manage their condition. They provide care to all kinds of individuals, from newborns to people at the end of their life.

Therapy technician vs physical therapist salary

Therapy technicians and physical therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Therapy Technician	Physical Therapist
Average salary	$28,943	$73,070
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $37,000	Between $56,000 And $94,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Washington	California
Best paying company	Seattle Cancer Care Alliance	Parkway
Best paying industry	Health Care	Professional

Differences between therapy technician and physical therapist education

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

	Therapy Technician	Physical Therapist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Kinesiology	Physical Therapy
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	Duke University

Therapy technician vs physical therapist demographics

Here are the differences between therapy technicians' and physical therapists' demographics:

	Therapy Technician	Physical Therapist
Average age	43	41
Gender ratio	Male, 28.6% Female, 71.4%	Male, 36.3% Female, 63.7%
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, 3.7% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 7.5% Asian, 14.3% White, 70.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	8%	12%

Differences between therapy technician and physical therapist 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.

Physical therapist example responsibilities.

Conduct in-services and train colleagues in effective techniques for safely managing the CVA patient.
Achieve high level of patients satisfaction due to sound clinical management, quality of care and compassion.
Perform physical therapy evaluation and treatment of orthopedic patients and supervise PTAs.
Progress patients' functional mobility during treatment sessions by modifying task, intensity, and adaptive equipment utilize.
Motivate patients to participate in treatment sessions by educating them on the benefits of early mobility following cardiac and thoracic surgery.
Experience include IFSP and IEP writing and implementation

Therapy technician vs physical therapist skills

Common therapy technician skills

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

Common physical therapist skills

Patients, 30%
Rehabilitation, 15%
Home Health, 13%
Quality Care, 5%
Physical Therapy, 3%
Treatment Programs, 3%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Therapy Technician
Therapy Technician vs Physical Therapist

Updated January 8, 2025

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