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Career

Physical Therapist Aides

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipLower pressure

What they do

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.

Kinds of work

  • Social: Helping, teaching, caring for and supporting other people.
  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Lower pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $35,240 Median per year · $16.94/hr Most earn $25,360–$47,780

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Transport patients to and from treatment areas, using wheelchairs or providing standing support.
  • Schedule patient appointments with physical therapists and coordinate therapists' schedules.
  • Assist patients to dress, undress, or put on and remove supportive devices, such as braces, splints, or slings.
  • Measure patient's range-of-joint motion, body parts, or vital signs to determine effects of treatments or for patient evaluations.
  • Secure patients into or onto therapy equipment.
  • Fit patients for orthopedic braces, prostheses, or supportive devices, adjusting fit as needed.

Job outlook

United States
4% more jobs by 2035, about as fast as average · about 6,400 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Offices of physical, occupational and speech therapists, and audiologists65.4%
  • General medical and surgical hospitals13.2%
  • Offices of physicians9.2%
  • Specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals4.5%
  • Nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities)2.1%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 6 months to 1 year

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipExperience before this job: 6 months to 1 year

Physical therapist aide is an entry-level job. Most people need a high school diploma, a short certificate or on-the-job training, and roughly 6 months to 1 year of related experience before they are hired.

  1. High school diploma or equivalent

    4 years

    Finish high school with strong science and health classes, which build the basics for working with patients and treatment equipment.

  2. Certificate or on-the-job training in patient care

    6 months to 1 year

    Complete a short certificate program or training in patient care, or work in a related health setting, to learn safe patient handling and how a rehab clinic runs.

  3. Physical Therapist Aide

    Entry-level job after training

    Work under close supervision of a physical therapist or physical therapy assistant, preparing patients and treatment areas and handling routine delegated tasks.

Where it can lead

  1. Physical Therapist Assistant

    1-3 years as an aide, plus an associate degree of experience first

    Earn an associate degree in physical therapist assistant studies and a state license, then take on hands-on treatment work under a physical therapist's plan of care.

  2. Occupational Therapy Assistant

    1-3 years in a related rehab role, plus an associate degree of experience first

    Complete an associate degree in occupational therapy assisting to help patients build daily living and work skills under an occupational therapist's direction.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take biology, anatomy, or health science classesThese classes teach how the body moves and heals, which is the foundation for working in physical therapy.
  • Volunteer at a hospital, nursing home, or rehab centerHands-on time around patients shows you whether you enjoy helping people recover from injuries.
  • Get a CPR and first aid certificationMany health settings value this skill, and it's often a quick course offered by local groups.
  • Find a starter job in customer service or a care roleWorking with the public builds the patience, communication, and teamwork that clinic employers look for.

In college

  • Take anatomy, physiology, and medical terminologyThese courses give you the language and body knowledge you'll use daily as a physical therapy aide or when you move on to an assistant program.
  • Work or volunteer in a rehab, sports medicine, or nursing settingDirect patient experience counts toward the 6 months to 1 year of related experience employers often expect.
  • Earn a CPR and basic life support certificationThis is a quick, low-cost credential that clinics commonly ask for when hiring aides.
  • Look into an accredited physical therapist assistant or patient care certificate programCompleting a formal program gives you the training employers want and a clear route to an associate degree later on.

Tips for getting started

  • Ask a physical therapy clinic if you can shadow or volunteer, so you can see what aides do day to day and find out what supervisors look for.
  • Get a CPR and first aid certification early. Many clinics ask for it, and it shows you can stay calm around patients.
  • Check job ads for physical therapist aide or rehab aide roles in your area to see which skills and certificates employers list most often.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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