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Physical Therapist Assistants: Career Overview
Assist physical therapists in providing physical therapy treatments and procedures. May, in accordance with state laws, assist in the development of treatment plans, carry out routine functions, document the progress of treatment, and modify specific treatments in accordance with patient status and within the scope of treatment plans established by a physical therapist. Generally requires formal training.
What Tasks Do Physical Therapist Assistants Perform?
The day-to-day responsibilities of physical therapist assistants span:
- Instruct, motivate, safeguard, and assist patients as they practice exercises or functional activities.
- Document patient information, such as notes on their progress.
- Observe patients during treatments to compile and evaluate data on their responses and progress and provide results to physical therapist in person or through progress notes.
- Instruct patients in proper body mechanics and in ways to improve functional mobility, such as aquatic exercise.
- Secure patients into or onto therapy equipment.
- Confer with physical therapy staff or others to discuss and evaluate patient information for planning, modifying, or coordinating treatment.
- Administer active or passive manual therapeutic exercises, therapeutic massage, aquatic physical therapy, or heat, light, sound, or electrical modality treatments, such as ultrasound.
- Transport patients to and from treatment areas, lifting and transferring them according to positioning requirements.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Successful physical therapist assistants rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The competencies most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Other Physical Therapist Assistants Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Assistant
- Certified Physical Therapist Assistant (CPTA)
- Home Care Physical Therapy Assistant
- Home Health Physical Therapist Assistant
- Home Health Physical Therapy Assistant (Home Health PTA)
- Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant (LPTA)
- Licensed Physical Therapy Assistant
- Nursing Facility PTA (Nursing Facility Physical Therapy Assistant)
How Many Physical Therapist Assistants Are There?
There are roughly 407,606 physical therapist assistants working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to decline by -1.6% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Physical Therapist Assistants Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $29,340 |
| Hourly median | $14.11 |
| 10th percentile | $20,732 |
| 25th percentile | $25,036 |
| 75th percentile | $33,644 |
| 90th percentile | $37,949 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| California | $79,410 |
| Massachusetts | $77,780 |
| Alaska | $76,310 |
| Texas | $76,250 |
| New Jersey | $74,780 |
| Connecticut | $74,120 |
| Virginia | $73,900 |
| Nevada | $73,080 |
| Washington | $72,950 |
| Maryland | $71,770 |
| Georgia | $71,530 |
| Oregon | $69,510 |
| South Carolina | $68,340 |
| Vermont | $67,990 |
| Arkansas | $67,230 |
| New Hampshire | $67,150 |
| Arizona | $66,110 |
| Florida | $66,100 |
| New York | $64,660 |
| Illinois | $64,630 |
| North Carolina | $63,930 |
| Delaware | $63,410 |
| Rhode Island | $63,410 |
| Minnesota | $63,240 |
| Kansas | $63,010 |
| Tennessee | $62,920 |
| Indiana | $62,890 |
| Montana | $62,540 |
| Kentucky | $62,400 |
| Oklahoma | $62,380 |
| Ohio | $62,140 |
| Hawaii | $62,120 |
| Colorado | $62,110 |
| Wisconsin | $61,890 |
| Pennsylvania | $61,610 |
| Louisiana | $61,340 |
| Mississippi | $61,220 |
| Utah | $61,110 |
| Missouri | $60,940 |
| Alabama | $60,890 |
| Wyoming | $60,850 |
| Maine | $60,830 |
| Iowa | $60,720 |
| Nebraska | $60,430 |
| West Virginia | $60,270 |
| North Dakota | $59,970 |
| Michigan | $59,510 |
| New Mexico | $59,330 |
| Idaho | $58,240 |
| District of Columbia | $54,660 |
| South Dakota | $49,840 |
| Puerto Rico | $24,760 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Earnings for physical therapist assistants differ across the country. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $76,919 | 11.3% | 0.69 |
| New England | $72,879 | 4.4% | 0.96 |
| Southwest | $72,670 | 14.3% | 1.17 |
| Southeast | $65,745 | 31.0% | 1.34 |
| Middle Atlantic | $65,639 | 10.8% | 0.80 |
| Great Lakes | $62,199 | 17.5% | 1.30 |
| Rocky Mountains | $61,245 | 3.4% | 0.86 |
| Plains States | $61,100 | 6.6% | 1.05 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $97,350 | 330 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $97,230 | 850 |
| Modesto, CA | CA | $96,120 | 140 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | CA | $90,000 | 80 |
| Spartanburg, SC | SC | $85,470 | 160 |
| Salinas, CA | CA | $84,210 | 50 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | CA | $83,820 | 50 |
| Chico, CA | CA | $83,610 | 50 |
Industry Breakdown
The bulk of physical therapist assistants work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 105,060 | $65,510 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 1,070 | $69,530 |
| Educational Services | 790 | $62,160 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 550 | $70,580 |
Physical Therapist Assistants work in the following industries:
Tech Stack
- Medical software: eClinicalWorks EHR software (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
Work Environment
The work environment for physical therapist assistants tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Physical Proximity
- Contact With Others
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Frequency of Decision Making
Education and Training
Typical physical therapist assistants positions require an associate’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Physician Assistants (Supplemental)
- Occupational Therapists (Supplemental)
- Physical Therapists (Supplemental)
- Radiation Therapists (Primary-Long)
- Recreational Therapists (Primary-Long)
- Respiratory Therapists (Primary-Short)
- Acute Care Nurses (Supplemental)
- Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses (Supplemental)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Students preparing for physical therapist assistants commonly pursue programs in:
Health Professions and Related Programs
1 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
Statistics shown above are sourced from 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: 31-2021.00 (Physical Therapist Assistants).
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