View Alert

Statewide occupation search

Sort your search results or select and compare details of two occupations. Find out if an occupation is in demand or not in demand in your local area, at Learn about an occupation.

Print

Physical Therapist Aides

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.
Related: Occupational Therapy Aides  Occupational Therapy Assistants  Physical Therapist Assistants  Psychiatric Aides  Psychiatric Technicians 
Industries: Health & Counseling 

  • Summary

  • Details

    • Work Activities

    • Arrange treatment supplies to keep them in order.
    • Change linens, such as bed sheets and pillow cases.
    • Measure patient's range-of-joint motion, body parts, or vital signs to determine effects of treatments or for patient evaluations.
    • Fit patients for orthopedic braces, prostheses, or supportive devices, adjusting fit as needed.
    • Clean and organize work area and disinfect equipment after treatment.
    • Administer active or passive manual therapeutic exercises, therapeutic massage, or heat, light, sound, water, or electrical modality treatments, such as ultrasound.
    • Instruct, motivate, safeguard, or assist patients practicing exercises or functional activities, under direction of medical staff.
    • Record treatment given and equipment used.
    • Observe patients during treatment to compile and evaluate data on patients' responses and progress and report to physical therapist.
    • Secure patients into or onto therapy equipment.
    • Participate in patient care tasks, such as assisting with passing food trays, feeding residents, or bathing residents on bed rest.
    • Transport patients to and from treatment areas, using wheelchairs or providing standing support.
    • Confer with physical therapy staff or others to discuss and evaluate patient information for planning, modifying, or coordinating treatment.
    • Train patients to use orthopedic braces, prostheses, or supportive devices.
    • Assist patients to dress, undress, or put on and remove supportive devices, such as braces, splints, or slings.
    • Maintain equipment or furniture to keep it in good working condition, including performing the assembly or disassembly of equipment or accessories.
    • Maintain equipment or furniture to keep it in good working condition, including performing the assembly or disassembly of equipment or accessories.
    • Administer traction to relieve neck or back pain, using intermittent or static traction equipment.
    • Schedule patient appointments with physical therapists and coordinate therapists' schedules.
    • Clean and organize work area and disinfect equipment after treatment.
    • Instruct, motivate, safeguard, or assist patients practicing exercises or functional activities, under direction of medical staff.
    • Perform clerical duties, such as taking inventory, ordering supplies, answering telephone, taking messages, or filling out forms.
    • Perform clerical duties, such as taking inventory, ordering supplies, answering telephone, taking messages, or filling out forms.

    Skills

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

    Abilities

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

    Knowledge

    • 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.
    • 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.
    • Transportation
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • Mechanical
      • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • Computers and Electronics
      • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
    • Fine Arts
      • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
    • History and Archeology
      • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
    • Telecommunications
      • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • Sociology and Anthropology
      • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
    • 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.
    • Economics and Accounting
      • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
    • Law and Government
      • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • Design
      • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
    • Production and Processing
      • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • Mathematics
      • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • Food Production
      • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

    Education

    Education
    High school diploma or equivalent
    Work Experience
    No work experience
    Training
    Less than 1 month on-the-job training
    Education and Training Opportunities

    Pay

    Washington Annual Salary
    37730/yr
    Washington Hourly Wage
    18.14/hr

    Washington Employment Trends

    Currently Employed
    880
    Yearly Projected Openings
    140

    Personality

    Social: People interested in this work like activities that include helping people, teaching, and talking. They do well at jobs that need:
    • Empathy
    • Cooperation
    • Dependability
    • Attention to Detail
    • Optimism
    • Social Orientation

    Tools

    • Blood pressure cuff kits
    • Canes
    • Clinical hydraulic lifts
    • Crutches
    • Electronic blood pressure units
    • Electrotherapy combination units
    • Full body immersion hydrotherapy baths or tanks
    • Gait belts for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Lower extremity prosthetic devices
    • Notebook computers
    • Orthopedic splint systems
    • Orthotics or foot care products
    • Parallel bars for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Personal computers
    • Therapeutic heating or cooling pads or compresses or packs
    • Ultrasonic therapy apparatus or supplies
    • Upper extremity prosthetic devices
    • Vascular or compression apparel or support
    • Walkers or rollators
    • Wheelchairs

    Technology

    • Calendar and scheduling software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Medical software
    • Office suite software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Find Physical Therapist Aides jobs Education and Training for Physical Therapist Aides
Powered by Monster and You
Privacy policy | Terms of use | Equal opportunity, complaint and discrimination information | Contact us
WorkSource Products and Services Complaint Information | Federal USDOL and other funding
SecureAccess Washington | A proud partner of the American job center network | Access Washington
© 2026 WorkSource