Physical Therapist Assistants
Health ScienceO*NET 31-2021.00United States
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.
- Median annual earnings
- $68,253
- Projected change
- +23.3%
- Typical education
- Associate degree
- Employment
- 115.8K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
84.2% of the workforce
Growing to 142.8K by 2035
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These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What physical therapist assistants do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Document patient information, such as notes on their progress.
- Instruct, motivate, safeguard, and assist patients as they practice exercises or functional activities.
- 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.
- Communicate with or instruct caregivers or family members on patient therapeutic activities or treatment plans.
- Clean work area and check and store equipment after treatment.
- Measure patients' range-of-joint motion, body parts, or vital signs to determine effects of treatments or for patient evaluations.
- Train patients in the use of orthopedic braces, prostheses, or supportive devices.
- Monitor operation of equipment and record use of equipment and administration of treatment.
- Attend or conduct continuing education courses, seminars, or in-service activities.
- Assist patients to dress, undress, or put on and remove supportive devices, such as braces, splints, or slings.
- Fit patients for orthopedic braces, prostheses, or supportive devices, such as crutches.
- Perform postural drainage, percussions, or vibrations or teach deep breathing exercises to treat respiratory conditions.
- Perform clerical duties, such as taking inventory, ordering supplies, answering telephone, taking messages, or filling out forms.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $47,296
- 25th percentile
- $59,372
- 50th percentile
- $68,253
- 75th percentile
- $78,967
- 90th percentile
- $90,591
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $68,253 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+23.3%much faster than average
2025115,795 jobs
2035 projected142,796 jobs
27,001 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- Associate degree
- 84.2%
- Bachelor's degree
- 14.9%
- Master's or Professional degree
- 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.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- 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.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- 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.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- 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.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Physical Therapist Assistants34,658 postings
- 02Physical Therapy Assistants14,404 postings
- 03Physical Therapy Technicians2,907 postings
- 04Home Health Physical Therapy Assistants2,635 postings
- 05Chiropractic Assistants2,401 postings
- 06Home Health Physical Therapists2,359 postings
- 07Outpatient Physical Therapists1,696 postings
- 08Physical Therapists/Physical Therapy Assistants1,357 postings
- 09Licensed Physical Therapist Assistants958 postings
- 10Physical Therapists791 postings
- 11Licensed Physical Therapy Assistants760 postings
- 12Chiropractic Assistants/Receptionists746 postings
- 13Skilled Nursing Facility Physical Therapy Assistants736 postings
- 14Front Desk/Chiropractic Assistants604 postings
- 15Physical Therapists/Rehabilitation Managers470 postings
- 16Rehabilitation Physical Therapy Assistants442 postings
- 17Travel Physical Therapist Assistants417 postings
- 18Long Term Care Physical Therapists311 postings
- 19Assistants295 postings
- 20Home Care Physical Therapists253 postings
Top employers
- 01AMN Healthcare2,417 postings
- 02UnitedHealth Group1,311 postings
- 03Genesis HealthCare1,240 postings
- 04Reliant Rehabilitation1,179 postings
- 05Upstream Rehabilitation1,158 postings
- 06Triage Staffing1,103 postings
- 07Encompass Health1,018 postings
- 08Optum974 postings
- 09Tender Touch Rehab Services771 postings
- 10Ardor Health Solutions770 postings
- 11Cora Physical Therapy750 postings
- 12Enhabit Home Health & Hospice729 postings
- 13MedPro Healthcare Staffing682 postings
- 14Fusion Medical Staffing645 postings
- 15Renewal Rehab641 postings
- 16US Physical Therapy616 postings
- 17CompHealth533 postings
- 18MAS Medical525 postings
- 19Medical Solutions510 postings
- 20Ati Physical Therapy477 postings
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