Physical Therapy Technician

Types of Degrees Physical Therapy Technician Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many physical therapy assistant graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Associate Degree	7,109
Undergraduate Certificate	224
Bachelor’s Degree	57
Basic Certificate	30

What Physical Therapy Technician Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to physical therapy assistant were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Physical Therapy Assistant Majors

Physical Therapy Assistant majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

Skills for Physical Therapy Assistant Majors

A major in physical therapy assistant prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
• Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.

Abilities for Physical Therapy Assistant Majors

As you progress with your physical therapy assistant degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

What Can You Do With a Physical Therapy Technician Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with physical therapy assistant:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Physical Therapist Assistants	31.1%	$58,040

Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Physical Therapy Technician?

The major attracts more women than men. About 66% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of physical therapy assistant majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	378
Black or African American	374
Hispanic or Latino	1,102
White	4,579
International Students	46
Other Races/Ethnicities	630

Geographic Diversity

Physical Therapy Assistant appeals to people across the globe. About 0.6% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Physical Therapy Technician Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

The median salary for someone in a career related to physical therapy assistant is $57,750. This median refers to all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Physical Therapy Technician

Some degrees associated with physical therapy assistant may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for physical therapy assistant careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	99.8%
Bachelor’s Degree	0.2%

Online Physical Therapy Technician Programs

In 2020-2021, 392 schools offered a physical therapy assistant program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	12	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	375	10
Bachelor’s Degree	0	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	0	0
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Physical Therapy Technician Worth It?

The median salary for a physical therapy assistant grad is $57,750 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 45% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $357,000 after 20 years!

Trades Related to Physical Therapy Technician

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to physical therapy assistant.

Major	Number of Grads
Medical/Clinical Assistant	56,439
Pharmacy Technician/Assistant	7,393
Occupational Therapist Assistant	4,848
Other Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services	3,406
Emergency Care Attendant (EMT Ambulance)	3,031
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Assistant	709
Respiratory Therapy Technician/Assistant	365
Speech-Language Pathology Assistant	189
Radiologist Assistant	106
Anesthesiologist Assistant	82
Lactation Consultant	42

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.