Physical Therapist Assistants
Also called: Certified Physical Therapist Assistant (CPTA), Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant (LPTA), Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA), Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA)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.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 4 of its 21 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 23.0% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 2.6% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Physical therapist assistants and aides”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 5.0 hires for every 10 job openings in health care and social assistance, which employs about 98% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.5.0 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $61,430 | $56,350 to $73,230 | 2,700 |
| Alaska | $77,640 | $74,410 to $80,770 | 110 |
| Arizona | $64,650 | $60,440 to $76,620 | 2,010 |
| Arkansas | $64,520 | $49,140 to $78,680 | 1,620 |
| California | $83,110 | $75,900 to $94,940 | 9,400 |
| Colorado | $64,810 | $57,740 to $77,280 | 1,350 |
| Connecticut | $75,880 | $69,440 to $79,530 | 980 |
| Delaware | $74,610 | $63,570 to $80,370 | 340 |
| District of Columbia | $63,400 | $45,970 to $80,950 | 40 |
| Florida | $72,530 | $63,120 to $75,420 | 9,870 |
| Georgia | $72,800 | $59,120 to $80,150 | 2,620 |
| Hawaii | $67,510 | $59,750 to $72,440 | 250 |
| Idaho | $61,020 | $55,950 to $65,900 | 560 |
| Illinois | $65,240 | $59,410 to $74,280 | 4,890 |
| Indiana | $65,280 | $57,320 to $76,280 | 2,830 |
| Iowa | $61,030 | $52,110 to $66,150 | 1,060 |
| Kansas | $64,500 | $59,930 to $74,900 | 1,300 |
| Kentucky | $61,480 | $50,320 to $73,800 | 2,580 |
| Louisiana | $65,370 | $47,030 to $76,800 | 1,670 |
| Maine | $66,250 | $61,000 to $73,700 | 410 |
| Maryland | $77,670 | $61,120 to $84,080 | 1,430 |
| Massachusetts | $79,460 | $67,060 to $81,640 | 2,640 |
| Michigan | $61,670 | $52,450 to $68,700 | 4,520 |
| Minnesota | $66,770 | $61,720 to $73,690 | 1,230 |
| Mississippi | $61,770 | $58,940 to $71,560 | 1,150 |
| Missouri | $63,770 | $58,540 to $73,940 | 2,490 |
| Montana | $62,650 | $60,420 to $69,020 | 250 |
| Nebraska | $61,370 | $52,840 to $69,110 | 980 |
| Nevada | $75,520 | $63,340 to $80,290 | 560 |
| New Hampshire | $71,440 | $62,730 to $74,960 | 500 |
| New Jersey | $78,440 | $72,900 to $83,200 | 1,810 |
| New Mexico | $62,280 | $47,550 to $78,200 | 700 |
| New York | $64,100 | $57,430 to $75,500 | 3,620 |
| North Carolina | $67,540 | $62,310 to $76,520 | 3,280 |
| North Dakota | $63,520 | $51,030 to $73,050 | 120 |
| Ohio | $63,820 | $59,550 to $75,600 | 7,040 |
| Oklahoma | $59,480 | $50,240 to $73,890 | 2,380 |
| Oregon | $73,180 | $61,430 to $81,290 | 890 |
| Pennsylvania | $62,580 | $57,770 to $73,310 | 4,270 |
| Puerto Rico | $29,710 | $25,510 to $35,900 | 830 |
| Rhode Island | $68,640 | $61,090 to $73,970 | 420 |
| South Carolina | $70,500 | $59,750 to $78,890 | 1,870 |
| South Dakota | $49,310 | $46,910 to $60,050 | 300 |
| Tennessee | $62,500 | $55,890 to $76,090 | 3,390 |
| Texas | $78,000 | $62,870 to $87,330 | 10,510 |
| Utah | $61,980 | $57,650 to $71,380 | 970 |
| Vermont | $71,600 | $61,430 to $77,120 | 100 |
| Virginia | $73,760 | $60,810 to $80,400 | 3,370 |
| Washington | $66,450 | $43,890 to $80,730 | 2,150 |
| West Virginia | $60,430 | $50,030 to $67,670 | 980 |
| Wisconsin | $64,080 | $59,790 to $73,210 | 1,650 |
| Wyoming | $63,550 | $60,490 to $74,260 | 240 |
Nationally: $68,380. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 4 of its 21 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Instruct, motivate, safeguard, and assist patients as they practice exercises or functional activities. | Not published |
| AI + software | Document patient information, such as notes on their progress. | 0.01% |
| AI + software | 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. | Not published |
| Not much | Instruct patients in proper body mechanics and in ways to improve functional mobility, such as aquatic exercise. | Not published |
| Not much | Secure patients into or onto therapy equipment. | Not published |
| AI + software | Confer with physical therapy staff or others to discuss and evaluate patient information for planning, modifying, or coordinating treatment. | Not published |
See all 21 tasks
| Not much | Transport patients to and from treatment areas, lifting and transferring them according to positioning requirements. | Not published |
| Not much | Clean work area and check and store equipment after treatment. | Not published |
| Not much | Communicate with or instruct caregivers or family members on patient therapeutic activities or treatment plans. | Not published |
| Not much | Administer active or passive manual therapeutic exercises, therapeutic massage, aquatic physical therapy, or heat, light, sound, or electrical modality treatments, such as ultrasound. | Not published |
| Not much | Measure patients' range-of-joint motion, body parts, or vital signs to determine effects of treatments or for patient evaluations. | Not published |
| Not much | Train patients in the use of orthopedic braces, prostheses, or supportive devices. | Not published |
| Not much | Assist patients to dress, undress, or put on and remove supportive devices, such as braces, splints, or slings. | Not published |
| Not much | Attend or conduct continuing education courses, seminars, or in-service activities. | Not published |
| Not much | Fit patients for orthopedic braces, prostheses, or supportive devices, such as crutches. | Not published |
| Not much | Monitor operation of equipment and record use of equipment and administration of treatment. | Not published |
| Not much | Perform postural drainage, percussions, or vibrations or teach deep breathing exercises to treat respiratory conditions. | Not published |
| Not much | Prepare treatment areas and electrotherapy equipment for use by physiotherapists. O*NET flags this task's ratings as uncertain | Not published |
| AI + software | Perform clerical duties, such as taking inventory, ordering supplies, answering telephone, taking messages, or filling out forms. | Not published |
| Not much | Administer traction to relieve neck or back pain, using intermittent or static traction equipment. O*NET flags this task's ratings as uncertain | Not published |
| Not much | Perform therapeutic wound care. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 1 of the 21 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 21 tasks fall under 19 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #4 Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise
- #30 Perform administrative or clerical activities
- #46 Provide support or encouragement to others
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Train others on health or medical topics | |||
| Administer basic health care or medical treatments | |||
| Prepare health or medical documents | |||
| Administer therapeutic treatments | |||
| Confer with healthcare or other professionals about patient care | |||
| Assist healthcare practitioners during medical procedures | |||
| Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise | |||
| Perform administrative or clerical activities |
Show all 19 activities
| Provide support or encouragement to others | |||
| Monitor health conditions of humans or animals | |||
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas | |||
| Evaluate patient or client condition or treatment options | |||
| Monitor equipment operation | |||
| Monitor resources or inventories | |||
| Assist individuals with special needs | |||
| Maintain health or medical records | |||
| Prepare medical equipment or work areas for use | |||
| Fit assistive devices to patients or clients | |||
| Transport patients or clients |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- A document or report73%
- An analysis or summary5%
- An explanation or answer4%
- An email or message2%
- Teaching material2%
How they worked with Claude
61% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for physical therapist assistants specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 18,872 moves out
- 1 Medical and Health Services Managers High +24.2% 6%
- 2 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 3%
- 3 Physical Therapists High +11.9% 3%
- 4 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
- 5 Teachers and Instructors, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
Where people moved in from
of 17,132 moves in
- 1 Cashiers High -6.5% 5%
- 2 Medical and Health Services Managers High +24.2% 4%
- 3 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 3%
- 4 First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers High -3.7% 3%
- 5 Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors Moderate +7.3% 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 84% associate's
- 15% bachelor's
- 1% professional doctorate
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 18 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 1% less than high school
- 7% high school
- 14% some college
- 40% associate's
- 33% bachelor's
- 3% master's
- 1% professional degree
- 1% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Physical therapist assistants and aides” · 1,459 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Physical therapist assistants and aides”
1 program: Physical Therapy Assistant.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
>99.5% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | 88.3% | 19.1% |
| a certification | 23.8% | 5.8% |
| an educational certificate | 1.2% | 2.8% |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 1 registered apprenticeship in this occupation (Physical Therapist Assistant (NOF)). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Physical Therapist Assistants” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/31-2021.00