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physical therapy technician/aide

A program that prepares individuals to assist in rehabilitation services under the supervision of physical therapists, and to perform routine functions in support of physical therapy and rehabilitation. Includes instruction in applied kinesiology, basic function of the human body, communication skills, principles and procedures of physical therapy, physical therapy modalities, and professional ethics.

Types of Degrees physical therapy technician/aide Majors Are Earning

Those studying physical therapy technician/aide may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	20

What physical therapy technician/aide Majors Need to Know

Studies in physical therapy technician/aide develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that physical therapy technician/aide graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing physical therapy technician/aide emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Therapy and Counseling — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 2.7 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.0 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set developed in a physical therapy technician/aide program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3 / 7.
• Service Orientation — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Coordination — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to physical therapy technician/aide careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3 / 7.
• Speech Recognition — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, physical therapy technician/aide graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Assisting and Caring for Others	5.0 / 7
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public	4.5 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Handling and Moving Objects	4.1 / 7
Working with Computers	4.0 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.0 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by physical therapy technician/aide professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Medical procedure coding software	Medical software	—
Epic Systems	Medical software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Patient record maintenance software	Medical software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
MEDITECH software	Medical software	—
Scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for physical therapy technician/aide graduates include:

• PT Tech (Physical Therapist Technician)
• Outpatient Aide
• Rehabilitation Technician (Rehabilitation Tech)
• Rehabilitation Therapy Aide
• Physiotherapy Aide
• Outpatient Therapy Aide
• Aide
• PT Attendant (Physical Therapy Attendant)
• PT Tech (Physical Therapy Technician)
• Restorative Aide (RA)
• Physical Therapist Aide (PTA)
• Therapy Aide
• Rehabilitation Attendant
• Physical Therapy Aide (PTA)
• Rehabilitation Aide

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to physical therapy technician/aide graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	34.4%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	25.1%
Less than a high school diploma	10.1%
Doctoral degree	10.1%
Some college courses	9.6%
Bachelor’s degree	8.6%
Postsecondary certificate	2.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in physical therapy technician/aide?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 70% of physical therapy technician/aide degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	14	70.0%
Men	6	30.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of physical therapy technician/aide graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	3	15.0%
Hispanic or Latino	9	45.0%
Black or African American	6	30.0%
Race Unknown	2	10.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do physical therapy technician/aide Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of physical therapy technician/aide graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$21,334
4 years	$27,226
5 years	$29,985

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $29,985 — roughly 41% above the 1-year mark.

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

Is a Degree in physical therapy technician/aide Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, physical therapy technician/aide graduates earn a median of $27,226 four years after completion — about 28% 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
Health Aides/Attendants/Orderlies	3,143
Home Health Aide/Home Attendant	1,704
Medication Aide	724
Health Aide	488
Rehabilitation Aide	158
Health Aides/Attendants/Orderlies, Other	49

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.