Physical therapist assistant pay and outlook
The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook page for this role covers physical therapist assistants and physical therapist aides together. Combined figures are labeled as combined. Assistant-only figures are quoted separately where BLS separates them.
Quoted from official pages checked November 10, 2026. Confirm current requirements, fees, and dates on those sites. This page is not legal advice and does not guarantee eligibility, certification, or licensure.
On its Physical Therapist Assistants and Aides handbook page, checked November 10, 2026, BLS lists these Quick Facts for the combined occupation group:
- 2025 Median Pay: $61,200 per year ($29.42 per hour)
- Number of Jobs, 2025: 163,200
- Job Outlook, 2025–35: 17% (Much faster than average)
- Employment Change, 2025–35: 28,200
That page states: “Physical therapist assistants and aides are supervised by physical therapists to help patients regain movement and manage pain after injuries and illnesses.”
It distinguishes the two jobs: “Physical therapist assistants entering the occupation typically need an associate’s degree from an accredited program and a license or certification. Physical therapist aides usually need a high school diploma or equivalent and on-the-job training.”
BLS reports separate median wages: “The median annual wage for physical therapist aides was $35,240 in May 2025.” “The median annual wage for physical therapist assistants was $68,380 in May 2025.”
It also reports separate 2025 job counts: physical therapist aides held about 49,000 jobs, and physical therapist assistants held about 114,100 jobs.
The outlook sentence on that page is for the combined group: “Overall employment of physical therapist assistants and aides is projected to grow 17 percent from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations. About 24,900 openings for physical therapist assistants and aides are projected each year, on average, over the decade.”
The same page’s employment projections table lists the assistant and aide figures separately (2025 to 2035):
- Physical therapist assistants and aides (combined): 163,200 jobs in 2025; projected 191,300 in 2035; 17 percent; 28,200 jobs
- Physical therapist assistants (assistant only): 114,100 jobs in 2025; projected 140,400 in 2035; 23 percent; 26,200 jobs
- Physical therapist aides (aide only): 49,000 jobs in 2025; projected 51,000 in 2035; 4 percent; 2,000 jobs
BLS notes on that table: “Employment subcategories do not necessarily add to higher categories due to rounding.” The Quick Facts above and the “Overall employment” sentence are the combined assistant-and-aide figures.
This site’s career pages describe the licensed or certified PTA path, not the aide job. Use the official BLS page for aide details, and confirm current figures there. On November 10, 2026, that page showed “Last modified date: August 27, 2026”.
Where assistants and aides work is quoted on PTA work settings. For the therapist-versus-assistant differences BLS and APTA describe, see PT vs PTA.