Therapy technician vs rehabilitation aide

The differences between therapy technicians and rehabilitation aides can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a therapy technician has an average salary of $28,943, which is higher than the $28,284 average annual salary of a rehabilitation aide.

The top three skills for a therapy technician include patients, rehabilitation and CPR. The most important skills for a rehabilitation aide are patients, rehabilitation, and CPR.

Therapy technician vs rehabilitation aide overview

	Therapy Technician	Rehabilitation Aide
Yearly salary	$28,943	$28,284
Hourly rate	$13.91	$13.60
Growth rate	24%	24%
Number of jobs	36,360	42,701
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
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 rehabilitation aide do?

A rehabilitation aide is responsible for assisting patients with injuries, mental disorders, and illnesses in their treatment plans and medications. Rehabilitation aides monitor the patients' progress and update attending physicians regarding their conditions. They also prepare treatment rooms, including the materials and equipment for the medical procedures, and discuss the process with the patients. A rehabilitation aide must be highly organizational, especially in attending to different patients' needs and ensuring the safety and security of all facilities and assets.

Therapy technician vs rehabilitation aide salary

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

	Therapy Technician	Rehabilitation Aide
Average salary	$28,943	$28,284
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $37,000	Between $22,000 And $35,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Loveland, CO
Highest paying state	Washington	Colorado
Best paying company	Seattle Cancer Care Alliance	Lifespan
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between therapy technician and rehabilitation aide education

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

	Therapy Technician	Rehabilitation Aide
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common major	Kinesiology	Kinesiology
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Therapy technician vs rehabilitation aide demographics

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

	Therapy Technician	Rehabilitation Aide
Average age	43	39
Gender ratio	Male, 28.6% Female, 71.4%	Male, 27.2% Female, 72.8%
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, 6.9% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 7.7% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	8%	7%

Differences between therapy technician and rehabilitation 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.

Rehabilitation aide example responsibilities.

Manage inventory of supplies and splints for the department.
Manage organization and cleanliness of therapy room and equipment.
Help patients who used wheelchairs and walkers.
Assist patients with ADL's, collect lab specimens, perform EKG's, occasionally perform duty as a patient sitter.
Assist physical therapists and occupational hand therapist in implementing rehabilitation programs for patients in an outpatient orthopedics and hand therapy clinic.
Assist OTR/L in patient education and DME distribution at SNF

Therapy technician vs rehabilitation aide skills

Common therapy technician skills

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

Common rehabilitation aide skills

Patients, 34%
Rehabilitation, 18%
CPR, 6%
Direct Supervision, 5%
Cleanliness, 5%
Data Entry, 4%

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

Updated January 8, 2025

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