Careers / Physical Therapist Assistants
Physical Therapist Assistants — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$68,380
United States, 2025
Employment
112,430
United States, 2025
Typical education
Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree
Job Zone 3
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
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.
- O*NET code
- 31-2021.00
- Job zone
- 3
- Experience required
- None
Typical tasks
- 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.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$47,750
25th percentile
$59,820
75th percentile
$78,680
90th percentile
$89,510
Most important skills
- Active Listening4.0
- Monitoring3.8
- Speaking3.8
- Social Perceptiveness3.8
- Reading Comprehension3.3
- Service Orientation3.3
- Critical Thinking3.3
- Writing3.3
- Active Learning3.3
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1
- Coordination3.1
- Instructing3.1
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 15 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
15
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.0 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Monitoring | 3.8 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Speaking | 3.8 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.8 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.3 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.3 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Service Orientation | 3.3 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Instructing | 3.1 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Writing | 3.3 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Active Learning | 3.3 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Coordination | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Persuasion | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Time Management | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
Supplemental
National median $97,550
Compare with Physical Therapist AssistantsSupplemental
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Compare with Physical Therapist AssistantsSupplemental
National median $265,930
Compare with Physical Therapist AssistantsSupplemental
National median $100,330
Compare with Physical Therapist AssistantsHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $97,190 | 400 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $95,920 | 1,040 | 2025 |
| Spartanburg, SC | $88,070 | 160 | 2025 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $87,330 | 60 | 2025 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $87,300 | 90 | 2025 |
| Vallejo, CA | $86,630 | 50 | 2025 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $85,150 | 100 | 2025 |
| Austin, TX | $84,930 | 1,180 | 2025 |
| Salinas, CA | $84,850 | 70 | 2025 |
| Sacramento, CA | $84,290 | 570 | 2025 |
| Bakersfield, CA | $84,100 | 150 | 2025 |
| Modesto, CA | $83,450 | 150 | 2025 |
| CA | $83,110 | 9,400 | 2025 |
| Midland, TX | $82,620 | 70 | 2025 |
| San Diego, CA | $82,160 | 870 | 2025 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $82,140 | 3,730 | 2025 |
| Stockton, CA | $81,310 | 160 | 2025 |
| Boston, MA | $80,430 | 1,860 | 2025 |
| Dallas, TX | $80,370 | 2,110 | 2025 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | $79,790 | 90 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Physical Therapist Assistants to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.