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. Generally requires formal training.
National median · BLS
$68,380
▲ +4.38%YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$68,730
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
112,430
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.
Pay range for Physical Therapist Assistants
Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Percentile
All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay
$47,750
25th
$59,820
Median (50th)
$68,380
75th
$78,680
90th — top pay
$89,510
Hourly ⇄ annual pay
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Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on
hrs/week ×
weeks/year
= 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035
Job outlook for Physical Therapist Assistants
BLS projects employment of physical therapist assistants to grow 23% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations.
About 18,500 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.
Jobs 2025 → 2035
114,100 → 140,400
+26,200 jobs
Projected change
+23%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
18,500
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Associate's degree
No related experience required
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 3)
Medium Preparation Needed. Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
BLS state medians, plus the same figure adjusted for local prices (BEA Regional Price Parities). Tap a state for its full range and H-1B pay.
State
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
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Physical Therapist Assistants salaries by metro area
Search by city, ZIP code or metro name. Tap a metro for its full range.
Metro area
Median
Jobs
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Skills & tools
Skills needed for Physical Therapist Assistants
How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.
Top skills
Active Listening4.0
Monitoring3.8
Social Perceptiveness3.8
Speaking3.8
Active Learning3.3
Critical Thinking3.3
Reading Comprehension3.3
Service Orientation3.3
Writing3.3
Complex Problem Solving3.1
Top knowledge areas
Customer and Personal Service4.5
Therapy and Counseling4.2
English Language4.2
Education and Training3.9
Psychology3.6
Medicine and Dentistry3.5
Computers and Electronics3.4
Biology3.4
Software and technology used
eClinicalWorks EHR softwareMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft WordArena Health Systems Phys-XBeaver Creek Software The THERAPISTBilling softwareBioEx Systems Exercise ProBookkeeping softwareClient caseload management softwaredBASEEazy Application Systems QuickEMREmail softwareFileMaker Pro
Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).
Source: O*NET 31.0 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.
About the job
What physical therapist assistants do
Instruct, motivate, safeguard, and assist patients as they practice exercises or functional activities.
Document patient information, such as notes on their progress.
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.
Also called
Certified Physical Therapist Assistant (CPTA)Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant (LPTA)Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA)Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA)Home Care Physical Therapy AssistantHome Health Physical Therapist AssistantLicensed Physical Therapy AssistantOutpatient Physical Therapist AssistantPer Diem Physical Therapist Assistant (Per Diem PTA)
Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.
Similar jobs and how they pay
Occupations O*NET lists as closely related to Physical Therapist Assistants, with BLS national medians compared with this occupation's $68,380.
