Healthcare Support
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.
Also called: Physical Therapist Aide (PTA), Physical Therapy Aide (PTA), PT Attendant (Physical Therapy Attendant), PT Tech (Physical Therapist Technician), PT Tech (Physical Therapy Technician), Rehabilitation Aide
- Median pay in Greater Boston
- $37,440
- $18.00/hr
- Jobs in Greater Boston
- 840
- Massachusetts 2024–2034
- −5.4%
- 70 openings a year
- Typical U.S. entry requirement
- High school diploma or equivalent
- plus Short-term on-the-job training
Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.
Pay range in Greater Boston
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $35,480 | $37,170 | $37,440 | $41,520 | $49,950 |
10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.
What you’d do
- Clean and organize work area and disinfect equipment after treatment.
- Secure patients into or onto therapy equipment.
- Instruct, motivate, safeguard, or assist patients practicing exercises or functional activities, under direction of medical staff.
- Confer with physical therapy staff or others to discuss and evaluate patient information for planning, modifying, or coordinating treatment.
- Observe patients during treatment to compile and evaluate data on patients' responses and progress and report to physical therapist.
- Change linens, such as bed sheets and pillow cases.
AI and this job
AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.
Lower exposure28 of 100
The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:
- AIOE 21
- Language-model AIOE 30
- GPTs-are-GPTs 32
Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)
AI exposure is lower for this job, and observed AI use is little or none so far. AI tools might help with notes on patient progress, but cleaning, setting up equipment, and helping patients exercise are hands-on tasks. Federal projections also expect insurance payment limits to reduce demand for aides, so exploring related roles may help.
Likely to change
- Compiling notes on patient progress
- Sharing patient information with staff
Still relies on people
- Helping patients safely practice exercises
- Setting up equipment and cleaning treatment areas
What federal projections say
“Demand change - share decreases as payer restrictions in the reimbursement of services provided by physical therapist aides dampens demand for the occupation.”
Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.
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Training near Boston
College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).
No college programs near Boston map to this job. Many people enter through on-the-job training or apprenticeship.
Talk to a career coach at the Office of Workforce Development about apprenticeships and City partner programs.
Related occupations
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