Physical Therapist Aides
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.
- O*NET-SOC code
31-2022.00 - Preparation Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$35,240
Employment, U.S.48,150
Median hourly wage$16.94
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $25,360 | $30,410 | $35,240 | $38,810 | $47,780 |
By state (50)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 750 | $27,290 | 1.15 |
| Alaska | 110 | $55,760 | 1.05 |
| Arizona | 1,340 | $35,260 | 1.34 |
| Arkansas | 160 | $29,450 | 0.40 |
| California | 7,330 | $38,330 | 1.30 |
| Colorado | 360 | $41,970 | 0.40 |
| Connecticut | 520 | $35,770 | 0.99 |
| Delaware | 300 | $34,060 | 2.00 |
| District of Columbia | 30 | $38,950 | 0.16 |
| Florida | 1,210 | $35,140 | 0.39 |
| Georgia | 1,200 | $30,550 | 0.79 |
| Hawaii | 60 | $33,810 | 0.33 |
| Idaho | 540 | $28,660 | 2.04 |
| Illinois | 680 | $36,650 | 0.36 |
| Indiana | 860 | $35,100 | 0.86 |
| Iowa | 390 | $29,120 | 0.81 |
| Kansas | 440 | $25,280 | 0.99 |
| Kentucky | 160 | $35,490 | 0.25 |
| Louisiana | 1,380 | $22,460 | 2.31 |
| Maine | 90 | $39,660 | 0.43 |
| Maryland | 830 | $34,780 | 0.97 |
| Massachusetts | 1,020 | $37,440 | 0.91 |
| Michigan | 1,810 | $29,350 | 1.33 |
| Minnesota | 150 | $42,330 | 0.16 |
| Mississippi | 270 | $27,370 | 0.74 |
| Missouri | 750 | $29,250 | 0.83 |
| Montana | 110 | $38,950 | 0.68 |
| Nebraska | 670 | $28,080 | 2.13 |
| Nevada | 900 | $31,970 | 1.88 |
| New Hampshire | 130 | $40,460 | 0.63 |
| New Jersey | 2,230 | $34,430 | 1.68 |
| New Mexico | 240 | $31,990 | 0.89 |
| New York | 4,950 | $35,380 | 1.65 |
| North Carolina | 1,050 | $34,760 | 0.68 |
| North Dakota | 120 | $37,680 | 0.89 |
| Ohio | 760 | $37,220 | 0.44 |
| Oklahoma | 370 | $27,630 | 0.69 |
| Oregon | 1,090 | $36,060 | 1.79 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,200 | $35,520 | 0.64 |
| Rhode Island | 280 | $31,200 | 1.83 |
| South Carolina | 370 | $33,280 | 0.52 |
| South Dakota | 70 | $31,330 | 0.53 |
| Tennessee | 710 | $30,320 | 0.70 |
| Texas | 5,710 | $31,590 | 1.31 |
| Utah | 1,130 | $29,150 | 2.11 |
| Virginia | 1,260 | $33,390 | 0.99 |
| Washington | 760 | $39,500 | 0.69 |
| West Virginia | 170 | $34,840 | 0.77 |
| Wisconsin | 840 | $36,820 | 0.93 |
| Wyoming | 240 | $30,470 | 2.78 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physical Therapist Assistants | 3 | 0.967 |
| 2 | Animal Caretakers | 1-2 | 0.966 |
| 3 | Occupational Therapy Aides | 3 | 0.965 |
| 4 | Occupational Therapy Assistants | 3 | 0.962 |
| 5 | Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | 3 | 0.958 |
| 6 | Nursing Assistants | 3 | 0.957 |
| 7 | Medical Assistants | 3 | 0.955 |
| 8 | Phlebotomists | 3 | 0.953 |
| 9 | Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers | 1-2 | 0.952 |
| 10 | Athletic Trainers | 5 | 0.952 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Physical Therapist Aides, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flight Attendants | Judgment and Decision Making | 0.76 | 0.952 |
| Childcare Workers | Judgment and Decision Making | 0.88 | 0.949 |
| Personal Care Aides | Service Orientation | 0.88 | 0.940 |
| Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers | Judgment and Decision Making | 0.88 | 0.937 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Physical Therapist Aides, excluding software Physical Therapist Aides already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| Electronic medical record EMR software | 6 of 20 | 8.7x |
| Billing software | 5 of 20 | 10.5x |
| Diagnostic and procedural coding software | 3 of 20 | 27.7x |
| PointClickCare healthcare software | 3 of 20 | 27.7x |
| Medical condition coding software | 5 of 20 | 5.8x |
| Laboratory information system LIS | 3 of 20 | 15.4x |
| eClinicalWorks EHR software | 5 of 20 | 4.8x |
| Bookkeeping software | 3 of 20 | 9.9x |
| FaceTime | 3 of 20 | 6.0x |
| Database software | 7 of 20 | 1.9x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 3.62 | 3.00 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.00 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.38 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 2.38 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.62 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.25 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.12 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 2.62 | 2.88 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 2.12 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.62 |
| Science | Essential skill | 1.88 | 1.38 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.12 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 1.25 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.75 |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 1.50 | 0.50 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 1.50 | 0.50 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 1.25 | not rated |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.25 | not rated |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Customer and Personal Service | 4.48 | 5.07 |
| English Language | 4.03 | 3.30 |
| Computers and Electronics | 3.49 | 3.81 |
| Therapy and Counseling | 3.33 | 2.74 |
| Psychology | 2.98 | 3.12 |
| Public Safety and Security | 2.89 | 2.75 |
| Administrative | 2.82 | 2.94 |
| Education and Training | 2.62 | 2.51 |
| Telecommunications | 2.44 | 0.91 |
| Administration and Management | 2.43 | 1.47 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 2.41 | 1.65 |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 2.39 | 1.87 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 2.38 | 1.97 |
| Communications and Media | 2.36 | 1.90 |
| Mathematics | 2.27 | 2.09 |
| Biology | 2.21 | 1.41 |
| Transportation | 2.20 | 1.40 |
| Foreign Language | 2.13 | 1.60 |
| Sales and Marketing | 2.09 | 1.13 |
| Physics | 2.01 | 1.21 |
| Mechanical | 1.91 | 0.87 |
| Production and Processing | 1.77 | 1.48 |
| Law and Government | 1.74 | 1.20 |
| Chemistry | 1.73 | 1.50 |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.53 | 0.90 |
| Geography | 1.42 | 0.63 |
| Design | 1.29 | not rated |
| Engineering and Technology | 1.27 | not rated |
| Economics and Accounting | 1.20 | not rated |
| History and Archeology | 1.06 | not rated |
| Food Production | 1.03 | not rated |
| Building and Construction | 1.02 | not rated |
| Fine Arts | 1.02 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Oral Comprehension | 3.38 | 3.75 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.25 | 3.00 |
| Near Vision | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Oral Expression | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Information Ordering | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Trunk Strength | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Written Comprehension | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Selective Attention | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Written Expression | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Category Flexibility | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Static Strength | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 2.88 | 2.62 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 2.88 | 2.62 |
| Finger Dexterity | 2.88 | 2.50 |
| Extent Flexibility | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Far Vision | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Perceptual Speed | 2.75 | 2.38 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 2.75 | 2.12 |
| Manual Dexterity | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Gross Body Coordination | 2.62 | 2.25 |
| Stamina | 2.62 | 2.25 |
| Time Sharing | 2.38 | 2.25 |
| Dynamic Strength | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Memorization | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Originality | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 2.25 | 2.00 |
| Visualization | 2.12 | 2.75 |
| Auditory Attention | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Control Precision | 2.12 | 1.88 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 2.00 | 2.12 |
| Number Facility | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Depth Perception | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 1.88 | 1.62 |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 1.75 | 1.12 |
| Response Orientation | 1.62 | 1.25 |
| Reaction Time | 1.50 | 0.88 |
| Rate Control | 1.50 | 0.50 |
| Explosive Strength | 1.38 | 0.62 |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Glare Sensitivity | 1.00 | not rated |
| Night Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Peripheral Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Sound Localization | 1.00 | not rated |
| Spatial Orientation | 1.00 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Epic Systems hot
- MEDITECH software hot
- Microsoft Excel hot
- Microsoft Office software hot
- Microsoft Outlook hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- Medical procedure coding software
- Patient record maintenance software
- Scheduling software
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lubbock, TX | 170 | 3.31 | $27,620 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 100 | 3.22 | $39,210 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 190 | 3.15 | $29,080 |
| Ogden, UT | 250 | 3.01 | $27,920 |
| Bend, OR | 100 | 2.95 | $35,730 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 290 | 2.84 | $36,240 |
| Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | 260 | 2.76 | $28,850 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | 320 | 2.53 | $21,910 |
| Killeen-Temple, TX | 120 | 2.52 | $29,970 |
| Lincoln, NE | 140 | 2.48 | $28,080 |