Physical therapist assistant salary
2026-09-04 · 8 min read
The PTA median is $68,380 — about $34,380 below the physical therapist median, for a two-year degree against a doctorate. That ratio is the whole career decision.
The median, and the gap
PTA median annual wage
$68,380
114,100 assistant jobs · gap to PT median $34,380
Put the two side by side and the ratio is roughly two thirds of physical therapist pay for a fraction of the training time and debt. For a lot of people that arithmetic is better than it looks on the salary line alone — the PT route carries several more years of tuition and several more years of not earning.
Assistant is not aide
BLS reports the two occupations together and they are frequently confused, including by employers writing job adverts. They are not the same job and they are not the same money: the aide median is $35,240, against $68,380 for the licensed assistant.
Check which one the advert means
An advert offering an assistant title at aide money is either a mistake or a signal about how the employer thinks about the role. Ask which licence they require before the interview, not after.
Pay by setting
| Setting | Median | Against the PTA median |
|---|---|---|
| Home healthcare services | $80,050 | +$11,670 |
| Nursing care facilities | $77,440 | +$9,060 |
| Hospitals | $67,620 | −$760 |
| Offices of physical therapists | $63,080 | −$5,300 |
| Offices of physicians | $62,970 | −$5,410 |
The same ordering as the therapist table: home health and skilled nursing at the top, outpatient offices at the bottom. Home health pays a premium for travel, isolation and an unpredictable schedule, and the premium is real rather than a recruiting number.
Outlook
BLS projects 17% growth for assistants and aides combined over 2025–35 — about 28,200 positions, from a base of 163,200. That is faster than the 12% projected for physical therapists themselves, which reflects where the delivery model is heading rather than any change in the profession’s standing.
The assistant role is growing faster than the role it assists.
Supervision requirements vary by state and by payer, and they are the thing to check before taking a role in a new state — they determine how independently you can actually work. The therapist side of the comparison is in the PT salary guide.
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Physical Therapist Assistants and Aides (May 2025 wage data) — https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physical-therapist-assistants-and-aides.htm. Read 2026-09-04. Physical therapist comparison from BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Physical Therapists (May 2025 wage data).
Sources
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Physical Therapist Assistants and Aides — May 2025 wage data · read 2026-09-04
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Physical Therapists — May 2025 wage data · read 2026-09-04
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Published 2026-09-04 · reviewed 2026-09-04