SOC 31-2021.00Bright outlook

    Physical Therapist Assistants

    Assist physical therapists in providing physical therapy treatments and procedures.

    Median pay
    $68,380
    Growth
    +23.0%
    Much faster than average
    Openings a year
    18,500
    Typical education
    Associate's degree

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $47,750
    Median
    $68,380
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $89,510
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    112,430 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Physical therapist assistants help patients recover their mobility by delivering treatments under the direction of a physical therapist. The career offers a median annual salary of $68,380 and is growing much faster than average.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What physical therapist assistants do

    Job Zone 3: Medium preparation

    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.

    Usually vocational training, an associate degree or related experience.

    What the work is like

    People in this career spend their days working directly with the public to deliver rehabilitative care. Under the guidance of a physical therapist, assistants perform physical activities to help patients, monitor their progress, and modify specific treatments as allowed by state laws and established plans. They must document treatment details, communicate clearly with supervisors and peers, and evaluate information to ensure all standards are met.

    Success in this social-focused role requires strong active listening, speaking, and social perceptiveness skills to understand patient needs. Assistants rely on their knowledge of therapy, counseling, medicine, psychology, and customer service to guide patients safely. Key work styles include empathy, cooperation, dependability, and attention to detail. Because the work is highly interactive, maintaining self-control, optimism, sincerity, and cautiousness is essential for building trust and ensuring patient safety during physical therapy sessions.

    How to get there

    Entering this field typically requires medium preparation, which usually means earning an associate's degree. The most common college majors that lead to this career are in allied health and medical assisting services.

    In addition to formal training, some states require a license to practice this work. Candidates can pursue professional certifications to demonstrate their competency. These include the National Physical Therapist Assistant Examination offered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy, as well as the Physical Therapy Technician Certification from the American Medical Certification Association.

    Pay and outlook explained

    In 2025, the median annual pay for physical therapist assistants was $68,380. Individual earnings vary based on experience and location, with the lowest 10% earning less than $47,750 and the highest 10% earning more than $89,510.

    The field is experiencing rapid growth, with employment projected to increase by 23% from 2025 to 2035, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. This growth is expected to result in approximately 18,500 job openings each year.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R)
    58 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    44 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    9 / 100
    Social (S) · strongest
    90 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    5 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    46 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code SRC. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Assisting and Caring for Others
    100
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    98
    Documenting/Recording Information
    95
    Performing General Physical Activities
    92
    Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
    91
    Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
    91
    Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
    87
    Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
    82
    Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
    81
    Getting Information
    80
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Active Listening
    • Monitoring
    • Social Perceptiveness
    • Speaking
    • Active Learning
    • Critical Thinking
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Service Orientation
    • Writing
    • Complex Problem Solving

    Knowledge

    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Therapy and Counseling
    • English Language
    • Education and Training
    • Psychology
    • Medicine and Dentistry
    • Computers and Electronics
    • Biology
    • Administrative
    • Public Safety and Security

    Abilities

    • Oral Expression
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Speech Clarity
    • Speech Recognition
    • Near Vision
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Written Comprehension
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Inductive Reasoning
    • Selective Attention

    Work styles

    • Cooperation
    • Dependability
    • Empathy
    • Attention to Detail
    • Social Orientation
    • Integrity
    • Optimism
    • Sincerity
    • Self-Control
    • Cautiousness

    Also called

    Assistant · Certified Physical Therapist Assistant (CPTA) · Home Care Physical Therapy Assistant · Home Health Physical Therapist Assistant · Home Health Physical Therapy Assistant (Home Health PTA) · Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant (LPTA) · Licensed Physical Therapy Assistant · Nursing Facility PTA (Nursing Facility Physical Therapy Assistant) · Outpatient Physical Therapist Assistant · Per Diem Physical Therapist Assistant (Per Diem PTA)

    Career pathway

    From your interests to physical therapist assistants

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Physical Therapist Assistants$68,380 median pay

    3. Majors

    4. Colleges

    College Scorecard program outcomes

    Colleges with strong outcomes

    Programs that lead to this career, ranked by what their graduates earn four years after finishing. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid.

    1. 1University of Connecticut UCONN logo
      University of Connecticut UCONN

      Storrs, CT · Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $38,020
      4 yrs after
      $79,657
      Median debt
      $19,500
    2. 2
      Ohio State University-Main Campus

      Columbus, OH · Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $45,321
      4 yrs after
      $73,594
      Median debt
      $19,829

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Programs with few graduates are not listed.

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What physical therapist assistants may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work.

    • Physical Therapy Assistant

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    52 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

    All careers

    Questions about physical therapist assistants

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What is the typical education required for this career?

    To enter this field, individuals typically need to earn an associate's degree. This preparation generally involves vocational training or related experience in allied health and medical assisting services.

    Are there certification exams available for physical therapist assistants?

    Yes, candidates can seek certifications such as the National Physical Therapist Assistant Examination from the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy. Another option is the Physical Therapy Technician Certification from the American Medical Certification Association.

    How many people are employed in this field and what is the job outlook?

    There are 112,430 people employed in this occupation. The field is projected to grow by 23% between 2025 and 2035, leading to about 18,500 job openings each year.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    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. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.