Physical Therapist Assistants
SOC 31-2021 · 2024-2034
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.
How the U.S. Department of Labor describes this work. Published in English only.
The job this trains for
- Typical pay in California
- $85,215per year
- Projected openings
- 18,930
- Projected change
- +41.1%
- Usually needs
- Associate's degree
Bright Outlook — a U.S. Department of Labor designation
Rapid Growth
The Department's own designation, made from its national projections. It is not this project's assessment and it is not California's: every other figure on this page comes from California's projection, which can point the other way and for some occupations does.
Skills this work uses most
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, rates how important each of these is to this work, and they are listed in that order, most important first. The ratings themselves are not shown, because the data carries the number without the scale it was measured on. The names are as published, in English.
- Active Listening
- Social Perceptiveness
- Monitoring
- Speaking
- Service Orientation
- Writing
Pay by region
| Region | Typical pay in California | Projected openings |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA (San Benito and Santa Clara Counties) | $100,118 | 660 |
| Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) | $100,068 | 1,070 |
| San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD (San Francisco and San Mateo Counties) | $99,923 | 530 |
| San Rafael MD (Marin County) | $99,538 | 90 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma MSA (Sonoma County) | $92,559 | 150 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville MSA (Santa Cruz County) | $86,203 | 100 |
| Chico MSA (Butte County) | $85,987 | 100 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA (El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo Counties) | $85,617 | 910 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara MSA (Santa Barbara County) | $84,774 | 140 |
| Modesto MSA (Stanislaus County) | $84,033 | 270 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA (San Diego County) | $84,013 | 1,340 |
| Redding MSA (Shasta County) | $83,848 | 100 |
| Stockton-Lodi MSA (San Joaquin County) | $83,735 | 180 |
| North Coast Region (Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, and Mendocino Counties) | $82,388 | 70 |
| Visalia MSA (Tulare County) | $82,120 | 140 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties) | $81,575 | 1,390 |
| Bakersfield-Delano MSA (Kern County) | $81,349 | 290 |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region (Colusa, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Plumas, Sierra, Siskiyou, Tehama, and Trinity Counties) | $81,184 | 100 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA (Ventura County) | $80,948 | 290 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles MSA (San Luis Obispo County) | $80,722 | 130 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) | $78,298 | 5,350 |
| Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD (Orange County) | $78,292 | 2,090 |
| Fresno MSA (Fresno and Madera Counties) | $78,140 | 420 |
| Yuba City MSA (Sutter and Yuba Counties) | $77,328 | 70 |
Similar work
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, names these as occupations involving work similar to this one — its own reading of the job, not a grouping by code. They keep O*NET's order, and only those California publishes a projection for are shown.
| The job this trains for | Typical pay in California | Projected openings | Projected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical Therapist Aides | $39,301 | 12,050 | +20.3% |
| Occupational Therapy Assistants | $83,841 | 6,200 | +32.4% |
| Psychiatric Technicians | $50,516 | 16,680 | +27.5% |
| Respiratory Therapists | $107,754 | 14,350 | +22.2% |
| Recreational Therapists | $100,918 | 1,870 | +15.8% |
| Radiation Therapists | $171,109 | 1,000 | +11.8% |
Leads to — 13
Physical Therapy Aide
East Los Angeles Skills Center - LAUSD · Los Angeles · $1,600
Sports Therapy Aide
West Valley Occupational Center - LAUSD · Woodland Hills · $1,499
Physical Therapy Aide
West Valley Occupational Center - LAUSD · Woodland Hills · $1,617
Physical Therapy Aide
Bassett Adult School · La Puente · $2,450
Physical Therapy Aide
Mt. San Antonio College · Walnut · $55
Physical Therapist, Rehabilitation & Geriatric Aide
Universal Healthcare Careers College · Los Angeles · $15,195
Certified Physical Therapy Aide (GES 189) (Voucher Included)
Loyola Marymount University - LMU Extension · Los Angeles · $2,889
Physical Therapist Assistant Program
College of the Sequoias · Visalia · $5,622
Associate of Science in Physical Therapist Assistant
Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts · San Jose · $54,081
Massage Therapist and Physical Therapy Aide
American College of Healthcare and Technology · Riverside · $12,995
Kinesiology: AS degree Sports Medicine /Athletic Training
Diablo Valley College · Pleasant Hill · $4,712
Physical Therapist Assistant
Institute of Technology · Clovis · $37,034
Physical Therapist Assistant- BC
Kern Community College District · Bakersfield · $7,500