Therapy technician vs physical therapy aide

The differences between therapy technicians and physical therapy aides can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a physical therapy aide has an average salary of $31,160, 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 therapy aide are patients, patient care, and rehabilitation.

Therapy technician vs physical therapy aide overview

	Therapy Technician	Physical Therapy Aide
Yearly salary	$28,943	$31,160
Hourly rate	$13.91	$14.98
Growth rate	24%	24%
Number of jobs	36,360	99,485
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age	43	39
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 therapy aide do?

Physical therapy aides are employed under physical therapists' direction. They typically perform non-medical tasks, including helping with patient intake, setting up treatment rooms, and assisting with patient transportation to another health care facility. They are also responsible for documenting the responses and progress of patients and communicating with hospital personnel and physicians' offices. There are several skills and competencies to become a successful physical therapy aide, which include active listening skills, attention to detail, and compassion for patients.

Therapy technician vs physical therapy aide salary

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

	Therapy Technician	Physical Therapy Aide
Average salary	$28,943	$31,160
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $37,000	Between $8,000 And $118,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Washington	New York
Best paying company	Seattle Cancer Care Alliance	Aya Healthcare
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between therapy technician and physical therapy aide education

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

	Therapy Technician	Physical Therapy Aide
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common major	Kinesiology	Kinesiology
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Therapy technician vs physical therapy aide demographics

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

	Therapy Technician	Physical Therapy Aide
Average age	43	39
Gender ratio	Male, 28.6% Female, 71.4%	Male, 35.6% Female, 64.4%
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, 6.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 9.3% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	8%	7%

Differences between therapy technician and physical therapy aide 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 therapy aide example responsibilities.

Manage flexible schedule at various company facilities categorize as ILF, ALF, and SNF.
Administer ultrasound and electrical stimulation and start patients with their prescribe exercise programs.
Educate patients on supportive devices, such as braces, splints, and slings.
Earn repeated appreciations from supervisor, co-workers, and patients for providing the best quality care with compassion.
Work closely with PT's/PTA's; OT/COTA's and SLP in providing quality hands on care to rehab patients.
Create and maintain patient charts and paperwork including exercise, insurance authorization, insurance, HIPAA, and patient information.

Therapy technician vs physical therapy aide skills

Common therapy technician skills

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

Common physical therapy aide skills

Patients, 42%
Patient Care, 10%
Rehabilitation, 8%
Customer Service, 5%
Ultrasound, 5%
Direct Supervision, 4%

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

Updated January 8, 2025

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