Physical Therapist Assistants
Healthcare Support · SOC 31-2021
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 31-2021 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 0.0%
- Low · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 59/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $68,380
- H-1B offered wage $75,338; LCAs are filings.
- Projected openings
- 16,500
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +22.0%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- 3
- FY2025 certified LCAs; 24,274 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
Transition context
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
AI could do ~15.4% of this role but only ~0% is currently done with AI — a large capability-vs-adoption gap.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
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.
Common titles: Certified Physical Therapist Assistant (CPTA), Home Care Physical Therapy Assistant, Home Health Physical Therapist Assistant, Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant (LPTA), Licensed Physical Therapy Assistant, Outpatient Physical Therapist Assistant
Representative Tasks
- •Instruct, motivate, safeguard, and assist patients as they practice exercises or functional activities.
- •Document patient information, such as notes on their progress.
- •Observe patients during treatments to compile and evaluate data on their responses and progress and provide results to physical therapist in person or through progress notes.
- •Instruct patients in proper body mechanics and in ways to improve functional mobility, such as aquatic exercise.
- •Secure patients into or onto therapy equipment.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Engage patients in exercises or activities.
- •Document client health or progress.
- •Encourage patients during therapeutic activities.
- •Record patient medical histories.
- •Communicate patient status to other health practitioners.
Tools & Technologies
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 0.0% | 1.9% |
| Outlook | Bright ↗ | 69% Bright |
| Median Salary | $68,380 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 100/100 | N/A |