Physical Therapist Aides
Healthcare Support
Keeps the physical therapy space ready: cleaning and organizing the work area, disinfecting equipment after each session, and changing linens. Under close supervision, they help patients onto equipment, walk or wheel them to treatment areas, and may assist with exercises or simple treatments the therapist assigns. They watch how patients respond, share that with the physical therapy staff, and help coordinate the next steps. Better for people who prefer steady, practical support work—keeping rooms and gear in order while staying close to patients.
Typical education: High School Diploma or GED
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$35'240
Median Wage Market Position
$35'240
What you might do
- Clean treatment areas and disinfect used equipment
- Help patients practice exercises under staff direction
- Wheel patients to and from treatment areas
- Strap patients safely onto therapy equipment
- Change sheets and pillowcases after treatments
- Report patients' responses back to the therapist
Skills that matter
- Disinfecting equipment after each treatment
- Changing linens on beds and tables
- Securing patients onto therapy equipment
- Helping patients walk or use a wheelchair
- Reporting patient responses to the therapist
- Assisting exercises under staff direction
AI & the future of this role
Preparing treatment areas and assisting with basic patient logistics leave more room for workflow software to trim busywork. Direct help during sessions still needs human presence, so the role looks fairly steady even if some support tasks shift.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details