Physical Therapist Aides: Career Overview
Under close supervision of a physical therapist or physical therapy assistant, perform only delegated, selected, or routine tasks in specific situations. These duties include preparing the patient and the treatment area.
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What Tasks Do Physical Therapist Aides Perform?
The core tasks performed by physical therapist aides span:
- Clean and organize work area and disinfect equipment after treatment.
- Secure patients into or onto therapy equipment.
- Instruct, motivate, safeguard, or assist patients practicing exercises or functional activities, under direction of medical staff.
- Confer with physical therapy staff or others to discuss and evaluate patient information for planning, modifying, or coordinating treatment.
- Observe patients during treatment to compile and evaluate data on patients' responses and progress and report to physical therapist.
- Change linens, such as bed sheets and pillow cases.
- Administer active or passive manual therapeutic exercises, therapeutic massage, or heat, light, sound, water, or electrical modality treatments, such as ultrasound.
- Transport patients to and from treatment areas, using wheelchairs or providing standing support.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Top physical therapist aides rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The competencies most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Types of Physical Therapist Aides Jobs
Common job titles for this role include:
- Aide
- Outpatient Aide
- Outpatient Therapy Aide
- PT Attendant (Physical Therapy Attendant)
- PT Tech (Physical Therapist Technician)
- PT Tech (Physical Therapy Technician)
- Physical Therapist Aide (PTA)
- Physical Therapy Aide (PTA)
Job Outlook
The U.S. employs around 195,608 physical therapist aides working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +7.2% over the projection horizon.
Physical Therapist Aides Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $32,519 |
| Hourly median | $15.63 |
| 10th percentile | $22,717 |
| 25th percentile | $27,618 |
| 75th percentile | $37,420 |
| 90th percentile | $42,321 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Physical Therapist Aides Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Minnesota | $44,340 |
| Alaska | $42,320 |
| Massachusetts | $38,000 |
| District of Columbia | $37,820 |
| Washington | $37,730 |
| Colorado | $37,210 |
| Hawaii | $36,470 |
| Iowa | $36,440 |
| Pennsylvania | $36,420 |
| California | $36,290 |
| North Dakota | $36,290 |
| New Jersey | $35,920 |
| Oregon | $35,880 |
| Ohio | $35,880 |
| Maine | $35,870 |
| New Mexico | $35,760 |
| Wisconsin | $35,700 |
| Connecticut | $35,280 |
| North Carolina | $35,190 |
| New York | $34,970 |
| Arizona | $34,910 |
| Montana | $34,870 |
| Illinois | $34,790 |
| South Dakota | $34,290 |
| New Hampshire | $34,250 |
| Florida | $33,520 |
| Rhode Island | $32,610 |
| Texas | $32,050 |
| Maryland | $31,370 |
| Georgia | $30,920 |
| South Carolina | $30,750 |
| Tennessee | $30,700 |
| Michigan | $30,160 |
| Delaware | $29,640 |
| Wyoming | $29,460 |
| Nevada | $29,430 |
| West Virginia | $29,320 |
| Indiana | $29,020 |
| Virginia | $28,840 |
| Kansas | $28,810 |
| Kentucky | $28,770 |
| Arkansas | $28,670 |
| Idaho | $28,610 |
| Missouri | $28,340 |
| Utah | $27,860 |
| Mississippi | $26,900 |
| Nebraska | $26,540 |
| Alabama | $25,220 |
| Oklahoma | $24,350 |
| Puerto Rico | $21,840 |
| Louisiana | $21,600 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Pay for physical therapist aides shift depending on where you work. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $35,979 | 21.2% | 1.31 |
| New England | $35,794 | 3.7% | 0.96 |
| Middle Atlantic | $34,793 | 19.4% | 1.44 |
| Great Lakes | $32,499 | 10.8% | 0.88 |
| Southwest | $32,492 | 15.0% | 1.31 |
| Plains States | $30,325 | 5.2% | 1.14 |
| Rocky Mountains | $30,316 | 5.1% | 1.85 |
| Southeast | $29,041 | 19.6% | 1.11 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstable Town, MA | MA | $47,290 | 30 |
| Abilene, TX | TX | $46,790 | 90 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | HI | $44,430 | 70 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $44,070 | 390 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | NC | $43,940 | 40 |
| Chico, CA | CA | $42,800 | 60 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $41,430 | 790 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | CO | $41,180 | 210 |
Top Industries Employing Physical Therapist Aides
The bulk of physical therapist aides work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 42,910 | $34,370 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 150 | $35,610 |
| Educational Services | 40 | $34,420 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Software Physical Therapist Aides Use
- Medical software: Epic Systems (hot technology)
- Medical software: MEDITECH software (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The on-the-job environment of physical therapist aides tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Contact With Others
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Physical Proximity
- Health and Safety of Other Workers
Getting Started in This Career
Typical physical therapist aides positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Occupational Therapists (Primary-Long)
- Physical Therapists (Supplemental)
- Radiation Therapists (Supplemental)
- Recreational Therapists (Supplemental)
- Respiratory Therapists (Primary-Long)
- Acute Care Nurses (Supplemental)
- Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses (Supplemental)
- Emergency Medicine Physicians (Supplemental)
Where to Study
Aspiring physical therapist aides often complete programs in:
Health Professions and Related Programs
2 programs across 1 majors
Sources
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 31-2022.00 (Physical Therapist Aides).
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