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Physical Therapist Assistants

It's a bright outlook for

This career will grow rapidly in the next few years.

Learn more about what they do.

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.

Related: Occupational Therapy Aides Occupational Therapy Assistants Physical Therapist Aides Psychiatric Technicians Respiratory Therapists

Industries: Health & Counseling

Summary
Details

Assist patients to dress, undress, or put on and remove supportive devices, such as braces, splints, or slings.
Communicate with or instruct caregivers or family members on patient therapeutic activities or treatment plans.
Clean work area and check and store equipment after treatment.
Instruct, motivate, safeguard, and assist patients as they practice exercises or functional activities.
Prepare treatment areas and electrotherapy equipment for use by physiotherapists.
Measure patients' range-of-joint motion, body parts, or vital signs to determine effects of treatments or for patient evaluations.
Instruct patients in proper body mechanics and in ways to improve functional mobility, such as aquatic exercise.
Instruct patients in proper body mechanics and in ways to improve functional mobility, such as aquatic exercise.
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.
Transport patients to and from treatment areas, lifting and transferring them according to positioning requirements.
Perform postural drainage, percussions, or vibrations or teach deep breathing exercises to treat respiratory conditions.
Train patients in the use of orthopedic braces, prostheses, or supportive devices.
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.
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.
Instruct, motivate, safeguard, and assist patients as they practice exercises or functional activities.
Document patient information, such as notes on their progress.
Perform therapeutic wound care.
Monitor operation of equipment and record use of equipment and administration of treatment.
Attend or conduct continuing education courses, seminars, or in-service activities.
Fit patients for orthopedic braces, prostheses, or supportive devices, such as crutches.
Administer traction to relieve neck or back pain, using intermittent or static traction equipment.
Perform clerical duties, such as taking inventory, ordering supplies, answering telephone, taking messages, or filling out forms.
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.
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.
Perform postural drainage, percussions, or vibrations or teach deep breathing exercises to treat respiratory conditions.
Attend or conduct continuing education courses, seminars, or in-service activities.
Perform clerical duties, such as taking inventory, ordering supplies, answering telephone, taking messages, or filling out forms.
Prepare treatment areas and electrotherapy equipment for use by physiotherapists.

Persuasion
- Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
Complex Problem Solving
- Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
Service Orientation
- Looking for ways to help people.
Active Listening
- Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
Active Learning
- Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
Writing
- Writing things for co-workers or customers.
Learning Strategies
- Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
Speaking
- Talking to others.
Operation and Control
- Using equipment or systems.
Systems Analysis
- Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
Operations Analysis
- Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
Reading Comprehension
- Reading work-related information.
Critical Thinking
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
Instructing
- Teaching people how to do something.
Science
- Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
Systems Evaluation
- Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
Installation
- Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
Equipment Maintenance
- Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
Time Management
- Managing your time and the time of other people.
Management of Material Resources
- Managing equipment and materials.
Negotiation
- Bringing people together to solve differences.
Coordination
- Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
Quality Control Analysis
- Testing how well a product or service works.
Management of Personnel Resources
- Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
Equipment Selection
- Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
Social Perceptiveness
- Understanding people's reactions.
Mathematics
- Using math to solve problems.
Monitoring
- Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
Technology Design
- Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
Troubleshooting
- Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
Management of Financial Resources
- Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
Programming
- Writing computer programs.
Judgment and Decision Making
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

Perceptual Speed
- Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
Visualization
- Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
Selective Attention
- Paying attention to something without being distracted.
Gross Body Coordination
- Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
Control Precision
- Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
Inductive Reasoning
- Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
Glare Sensitivity
- Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
Gross Body Equilibrium
- Keeping your balance or staying upright.
Oral Expression
- Communicating by speaking.
Deductive Reasoning
- Using rules to solve problems.
Information Ordering
- Ordering or arranging things.
Oral Comprehension
- Listening and understanding what people say.
Auditory Attention
- Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
Wrist-Finger Speed
- Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
Stamina
- Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
Far Vision
- Seeing details that are far away.
Hearing Sensitivity
- Telling the difference between sounds.
Written Expression
- Communicating by writing.
Memorization
- Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
Speed of Closure
- Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
Speed of Limb Movement
- Quickly moving your arms and legs.
Finger Dexterity
- Putting together small parts with your fingers.
Near Vision
- Seeing details up close.
Manual Dexterity
- Holding or moving items with your hands.
Static Strength
- Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
Rate Control
- Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
Dynamic Strength
- Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
Depth Perception
- Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
Fluency of Ideas
- Coming up with lots of ideas.
Speech Recognition
- Recognizing spoken words.
Speech Clarity
- Speaking clearly.
Sound Localization
- Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
Mathematical Reasoning
- Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
Number Facility
- Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
Flexibility of Closure
- Seeing hidden patterns.
Spatial Orientation
- Knowing where things are around you.
Time Sharing
- Doing two or more things at the same time.
Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Keeping your arm or hand steady.
Extent Flexibility
- Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Visual Color Discrimination
- Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
Reaction Time
- Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
Trunk Strength
- Using your lower back and stomach.
Response Orientation
- Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
Explosive Strength
- Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
Peripheral Vision
- Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
Multilimb Coordination
- Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
Dynamic Flexibility
- Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Night Vision
- Seeing at night or under low light.
Written Comprehension
- Reading and understanding what is written.
Problem Sensitivity
- Noticing when problems happen.
Originality
- Creating new and original ideas.
Category Flexibility
- Grouping things in different ways.

English Language
- Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Telecommunications
- Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Philosophy and Theology
- Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
Fine Arts
- Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
Administrative
- Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Education and Training
- Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Law and Government
- Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Psychology
- Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Computers and Electronics
- Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Medicine and Dentistry
- Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
History and Archeology
- Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
Transportation
- Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Therapy and Counseling
- Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Public Safety and Security
- Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Personnel and Human Resources
- Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
Geography
- Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Chemistry
- Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Biology
- Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Administration and Management
- Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Production and Processing
- Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Mathematics
- Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Mechanical
- Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Sales and Marketing
- Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Design
- Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Economics and Accounting
- Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
Engineering and Technology
- Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Customer and Personal Service
- Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Building and Construction
- Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Sociology and Anthropology
- Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
Foreign Language
- Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
Communications and Media
- Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Food Production
- Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
Physics
- Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

Education

Associate's degree

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

No on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

Washington Annual Salary

72950/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

35.07/hr

Currently Employed

2,310

Yearly Projected Openings

390

Social: People interested in this work like activities that include helping people, teaching, and talking. They do well at jobs that need:

Optimism
Empathy
Social Orientation
Cooperation
Integrity
Attention to Detail

Arm orthopedic softgoods
Back or lumbar or sacral orthopedic softgoods
Balance beams or boards or bolsters or rockers for rehabilitation or therapy
Blood pressure cuff kits
Canes
Cardiac output CO monitoring units
Chest percussors
Continuous passive motion CPM devices
Crutches
Desktop computers
Diathermy units
Digital camcorders or video cameras
Digital cameras
Dynamometers
Electric vibrators for rehabilitation or therapy
Electromyography EMG units
Electrotherapy combination units
Ergometer
Exercise trampolines
Full body immersion hydrotherapy baths or tanks
Gait belts for rehabilitation or therapy
Galvanic or faradic stimulators
Goggles
Goniometers or arthrometers
Head or neck traction supplies
Hydrotherapy bath or tank accessories
Knee therapeutic brace or support
Lower body resistance machines
Lower extremity prosthetic devices
Mats or platforms for rehabilitation or therapy
Medical acoustic stethoscopes
Medical nasal cannulas
Medical staff isolation or cover gowns
Mobile medical services automated external defibrillators AED or hard paddles
Neuromuscular stimulators or kits
Notebook computers
Orthopedic splint systems
Orthotics or foot care products
Oxygen therapy delivery system products
Parallel bars for rehabilitation or therapy
Patient care beds for specialty care
Patient height rulers
Patient lifts
Patient shifting boards
Patient stretchers
Pedal exercisers for rehabilitation or therapy
Pelvis or back traction supplies
Personal computers
Physiological recorders
Plumb bobs
Positioning devices
Powder boards for rehabilitation or therapy
Protective gloves
Pulse oximeter units
Reachers for the physically challenged
Reflex hammers or mallets
Resistive exercise bands or putty or tubing for rehabilitation or therapy
Skinfold calipers
Surgical isolation or surgical masks
Tablet computers
Therapeutic balls
Therapeutic heating or cooling pads or compresses or packs
Therapeutic paraffin baths
Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation units
Treadmill exercisers for rehabilitation or therapy
Ultrasonic therapy apparatus or supplies
Ultraviolet UV lamps
Upper body resistance machines
Upper extremity prosthetic devices
Vascular sequential compression devices or tubing
Walkers or rollators
Weights or sets for rehabilitation or therapy
Wheelchairs
Wrist exercisers for rehabilitation or therapy

Accounting software
Action games
Calendar and scheduling software
Data base user interface and query software
Electronic mail software
Medical software
Office suite software
Operating system software
Presentation software
Spreadsheet software
Word processing software

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