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Physical Therapy Technician

A program that prepares individuals, under the supervision of a physical therapist, to implement physical therapy treatment care plans, train patients, conduct treatment interventions, use equipment, and observe and record patient progress. Includes instruction in applied anatomy and physiology, behavioral sciences, biomechanics, clinical documentation, clinical pathology, communication, exercise physiology, kinesiology, neuroscience, and professional standards and ethics.

Types of Degrees Physical Therapy Technician Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Physical Therapy Technician may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	246
Associate’s Degree	5,247
Bachelor’s Degree	77
Master’s Degree	63

What Physical Therapy Technician Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Physical Therapy Technician develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Physical Therapy Technician graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Physical Therapy Technician emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Therapy and Counseling — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Physical Therapy Technician program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Active Learning — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Physical Therapy Technician careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Speech Recognition — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Physical Therapy Technician graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Assisting and Caring for Others	5.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.9 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.8 / 7
Performing General Physical Activities	4.7 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.7 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.6 / 7
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public	4.5 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.2 / 7
Getting Information	4.2 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Physical Therapy Technician professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Spreadsheet software	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
Rehab Documentation Company ReDoc Suite	Medical software	—
Bookkeeping software	Accounting software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
PhysioTools Tools RG	Medical software	—
eClinicalWorks EHR software	Medical software	—
SpectraSoft DocuPRO	Medical software	—
Summit Software CarePoint	Medical software	—
Knees Software PT DocTools	Medical software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Accounting software	Accounting software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Physical Therapy Technician graduates include:

• Rehabilitation Assistant (Rehab Assistant)
• Assistant
• Home Health Physical Therapy Assistant (Home Health PTA)
• Home Care Physical Therapy Assistant
• Home Health Physical Therapist Assistant
• Licensed Physical Therapy Assistant
• Physiotherapy Assistant
• Outpatient Physical Therapist Assistant
• Nursing Facility PTA (Nursing Facility Physical Therapy Assistant)
• Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant (LPTA)
• Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA)
• Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA)
• Per Diem Physical Therapist Assistant (Per Diem PTA)
• SNF PTA (Skilled Nursing Facility Physical Therapy Assistant)
• Certified Physical Therapist Assistant (CPTA)

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Physical Therapy Technician graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	84.2%
Bachelor’s degree	14.9%
First professional degree	1.0%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Physical Therapy Technician?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 62.6% of Physical Therapy Technician degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	3,528	62.6%
Men	2,105	37.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Physical Therapy Technician graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	3,242	57.6%
Asian	336	6.0%
Hispanic or Latino	1,152	20.5%
Black or African American	365	6.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	42	0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	29	0.5%
Two or More Races	218	3.9%
Race Unknown	217	3.9%
International Students	32	0.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Physical Therapy Technician Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Physical Therapy Technician graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$27,434
4 years	$29,082
5 years	$32,352

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $32,352 — roughly 18% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Physical Therapy Technician Programs

Online study is tracked by IPEDS for Physical Therapy Technician. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	2	11
Bachelor’s	5	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Physical Therapy Technician Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Physical Therapy Technician graduates earn a median of $29,082 four years after completion — about 23% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services	80,693
Medical/Clinical Assistant	52,819
Pharmacy Technician/Assistant	7,541
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services, Other	4,065
Occupational Therapist Assistant	3,178
Radiologist Assistant	1,513
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Assistant	614
Respiratory Therapy Technician/Assistant	431
Anesthesiologist Assistant	423
Speech-Language Pathology Assistant	363
Pathology/Pathologist Assistant	153
Lactation Consultant	37

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.