Find Trade Colleges
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.
What Do Physical Therapist Aides Take On?
The day-to-day responsibilities of 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.
What Physical Therapist Aides Need to Know
Top physical therapist aides combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The competencies most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Other Physical Therapist Aides Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- 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)
Employment and Demand
The U.S. employs around 195,608 physical therapist aides working in the United States today. This occupation is expected 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 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay 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 |
Where Physical Therapist Aides Earn the Most
Pay for physical therapist aides shift depending on where you work. These regions lead on median pay:
| 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 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| 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 |
Which Industries Hire Physical Therapist Aides
The largest employers 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 |
Below are examples of industries where physical therapist aides work:
Tools and Technology
- 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)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The on-the-job environment of physical therapist aides reflects 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
Education and Training
Entry-level 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), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
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).
TradeCollege.org provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. TradeCollege.org is a for-profit site, and the displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© TradeCollege.org – All Rights Reserved.