Physical Therapist Assistants Career, Salary and Skills
Physical Therapist Assistants have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $68,380 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 112,430. Wage data is published for 400 locations.
Occupation description
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
Typical education
Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree
Experience
None
National salary and employment
Median annual
$68,380
Hourly median
$32.88
Employment
112,430
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.75 | 3.75 |
| Monitoring | 3.75 | 3.88 |
| Speaking | 3.75 | 3.88 |
| Writing | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.25 | 3.88 |
| Active Learning | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.25 | 3.88 |
| Service Orientation | 3.25 | 3.75 |
| Coordination | 3.12 | 3.12 |
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Instruct, motivate, safeguard, and assist patients as they practice exercises or functional activities.
Technology
- Arena Health Systems Phys-X
- Beaver Creek Software The THERAPIST
- Billing software
- BioEx Systems Exercise Pro
- Bookkeeping software
- Client caseload management software
- dBASE
- Eazy Application Systems QuickEMR
- eClinicalWorks EHR software
- Email software
- FileMaker Pro
- Knees Software PT DocTools
- Laboratory information system LIS
- Medical condition coding software
Physical Therapist Assistants salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Physical Therapist Assistants Salary in TXMedian $78,000 · Employment 10,510
- Physical Therapist Assistants Salary in FLMedian $72,530 · Employment 9,870
- Physical Therapist Assistants Salary in CAMedian $83,110 · Employment 9,400
- Physical Therapist Assistants Salary in OHMedian $63,820 · Employment 7,040
- Physical Therapist Assistants Salary in ILMedian $65,240 · Employment 4,890
- Physical Therapist Assistants Salary in MIMedian $61,670 · Employment 4,520
- Physical Therapist Assistants Salary in PAMedian $62,580 · Employment 4,270
- Physical Therapist Assistants Salary in Los Angeles, CAMedian $82,140 · Employment 3,730
- Physical Therapist Assistants Salary in NYMedian $64,100 · Employment 3,620
- Physical Therapist Assistants Salary in Chicago, ILMedian $72,230 · Employment 3,520
- Physical Therapist Assistants Salary in Miami, FLMedian $72,530 · Employment 3,420
- Physical Therapist Assistants Salary in TNMedian $62,500 · Employment 3,390
Related careers
- Massage TherapistsNational median $58,450
- Advanced Practice Psychiatric NursesNational median $97,550
- Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational NursesNational median $64,400
- Emergency Medicine PhysiciansNational median $335,550
- Nurse PractitionersNational median $132,300
- Physician AssistantsNational median $135,880
- Acute Care NursesNational median $97,550
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation PhysiciansNational median $265,930
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.