Career Atlas USA

Physical Therapist Aides

Median salary
$35,240
Average salary
$36,430
Employment
48,150
Projected growth
2.8% growth
Annual openings
6,600
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent

What Physical Therapist Aides Do

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.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
0.7%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 2 of 5

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed

Experience
Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
Education
Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Job training
Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

  • Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.5/5
  • English Languageimportance 4.0/5
  • Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.5/5
  • Therapy and Counselingimportance 3.3/5
  • Psychologyimportance 3.0/5
  • Public Safety and Securityimportance 2.9/5
  • Administrativeimportance 2.8/5
  • Education and Trainingimportance 2.6/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

  • Contact With Others4.8/5
  • Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.7/5
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.5/5
  • Physical Proximity4.5/5
  • Health and Safety of Other Workers4.1/5
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.1/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

  • Service Orientationimportance 3.3/5
  • Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.1/5
  • Coordinationimportance 3.1/5
  • Instructingimportance 3.0/5
  • Time Managementimportance 3.0/5
  • Persuasionimportance 2.9/5
  • Complex Problem Solvingimportance 2.9/5
  • Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 2.8/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

Other Software Used

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

  • Cooperation
  • Dependability
  • Empathy
  • Attention to Detail
  • Optimism
  • Social Orientation
  • Sincerity

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

  • SocialHigh
  • RealisticMedium
  • ConventionalMedium
  • InvestigativeLow
  • EnterprisingLow
  • ArtisticLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where physical therapist aides make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

  1. 1Logan, UT-ID3.65× national avg
  2. 2Rome, GA3.55× national avg
  3. 3Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA3.52× national avg
  4. 4Redding, CA3.40× national avg
  5. 5Texarkana, TX-AR3.34× national avg

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.

Rehabilitation Aide

Full salary data & percentiles →Best states for this career →Highest-paying states →