Physical Therapist Aides
Health ScienceO*NET 31-2022.00United States
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.
- Median annual earnings
- $35,212
- Projected change
- +8.2%
- Typical education
- High school diploma or less
- Employment
- 50.63K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
44.5% of the workforce
Growing to 54.79K by 2035
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ASU learning related to this career
These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What physical therapist aides do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- 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.
- Administer active or passive manual therapeutic exercises, therapeutic massage, or heat, light, sound, water, or electrical modality treatments, such as ultrasound.
- Change linens, such as bed sheets and pillow cases.
- Transport patients to and from treatment areas, using wheelchairs or providing standing support.
- Perform clerical duties, such as taking inventory, ordering supplies, answering telephone, taking messages, or filling out forms.
- Schedule patient appointments with physical therapists and coordinate therapists' schedules.
- Arrange treatment supplies to keep them in order.
- Assist patients to dress, undress, or put on and remove supportive devices, such as braces, splints, or slings.
- Maintain equipment or furniture to keep it in good working condition, including performing the assembly or disassembly of equipment or accessories.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $25,259
- 25th percentile
- $30,324
- 50th percentile
- $35,212
- 75th percentile
- $38,887
- 90th percentile
- $47,996
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $35,212 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+8.2%faster than average
202550,633 jobs
2035 projected54,792 jobs
4,159 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- High school diploma or less
- 44.5%
- Associate degree
- 25.1%
- Doctoral degree or more
- 10.1%
- Some college
- 9.6%
- Bachelor's degree
- 8.6%
- Certificate
- 2.1%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- 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.
- 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.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Negotiation
- Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Physical Therapy Aides5,886 postings
- 02Physical Therapy Technicians224 postings
- 03Aides195 postings
- 04Physical Therapist Aides183 postings
- 05Therapy Aides130 postings
- 06Rehabilitation Aides107 postings
- 07Rehabilitation Technicians80 postings
- 08Medical Receptionists/Physical Therapy Aides47 postings
- 09Therapy Technicians29 postings
- 10Physical Therapists26 postings
- 11Technicians25 postings
- 12Therapy Support Specialists21 postings
- 13Physical Education Aides20 postings
- 14Chiropractic Physicians19 postings
- 15Outpatient Physical Therapists15 postings
- 16Research Aides13 postings
- 17Rehabilitation Therapy Aides12 postings
- 18Rehabilitation Therapy Technicians12 postings
- 19Bilingual Spanish Customer Service Representatives11 postings
- 20Orthopedic Physical Therapists11 postings
Top employers
- 01Athletico Physical Therapy798 postings
- 02Ati Physical Therapy690 postings
- 03Ivyrehab Network534 postings
- 04PT Solutions Physical Therapy229 postings
- 05Pivot Physical Therapy201 postings
- 06US Physical Therapy193 postings
- 07Professional Physical Therapy120 postings
- 08Therapeutic Associates Physical Therapy Wilsonville98 postings
- 09Therapeutic Associates93 postings
- 10Metro Physical & Aquatic Therapy84 postings
- 11Phoenix Physical Therapy56 postings
- 12Bay State Physical Therapy55 postings
- 13Sportsmed Physical Therapy50 postings
- 14Sportscare Physical Therapy44 postings
- 15Spine And Sport Physical Therapy40 postings
- 16California Rehabilitation And Sports Therapy38 postings
- 17Cora Physical Therapy35 postings
- 18Jag-One Physical Therapy33 postings
- 19Trinity Rehab32 postings
- 20Olympic Sports And Spine30 postings
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