Occupation Profile

Physical Therapist Assistants

(SOC Code : 31-2021)

in California

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.

Employers are usually looking for candidates with a Associate degree .

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Occupational Wages

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Area	Year	Period	Hourly Mean	Hourly by Percentile
				25th	Median	75th
California	2012	1st Qtr	$27.83	$24.08	$28.19	$33.00

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Occupational Projections of Employment (also called "Outlook" or "Demand")

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Area	Estimated Year-Projected Year	Employment		Employment Change		Annual Avg Openings
		Estimated	Projected	Number	Percent
California	2010 - 2020	4,600	6,000	1,400	30.4	210

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Job Openings from JobCentral National Labor Exchange

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Within miles of Zip Code.

Possible Licenses Required and Issuing Authority

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License Title

License Authority

Physical Therapist Assistant

Department of Consumer Affairs
Physical Therapy Board of California
Applications and Licensing Services Unit
www.ptbc.ca.gov

About Licenses

Industries Employing This Occupation (click on Industry Title to View Employers List)

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Industry Title

Number of Employers in State of California

Percent of Total
Employment for Occupation in State of California

Offices of Other Health Practitioners

38,883

43.3%

General Medical and Surgical Hospitals

1,393

27.5%

Nursing Care Facilities

2,386

7.4%

Employment Services

6,297

5.7%

Home Health Care Services

3,702

4.8%

Offices of Physicians

62,928

4.5%

Other Hospitals

120

1.6%

Residential Mental Health Facilities

1.2%

About Staffing Patterns

Training Programs (click on title for more information)

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Program Title

Physical Therapy Technician/Assistant.

About Training & Apprenticeships

About This Occupation (from O*NET - The Occupation Information Network)

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Top Tasks (Specific duties and responsibilities of this job.)

Instruct, motivate, safeguard, and assist patients as they practice exercises or functional activities.

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.

Confer with physical therapy staff or others to discuss and evaluate patient information for planning, modifying, or coordinating treatment.

Transport patients to and from treatment areas, lifting and transferring them according to positioning requirements.

Secure patients into or onto therapy equipment.

Administer active or passive manual therapeutic exercises, therapeutic massage, aquatic physical therapy, or heat, light, sound, or electrical modality treatments, such as ultrasound.

Communicate with or instruct caregivers or family members on patient therapeutic activities or treatment plans.

Measure patients` range-of-joint motion, body parts, or vital signs to determine effects of treatments or for patient evaluations.

Monitor operation of equipment and record use of equipment and administration of treatment.

Fit patients for orthopedic braces, prostheses, or supportive devices, such as crutches.

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Top Skills used in this Job

Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others` reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others` actions.

Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.

Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.

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Data for Tasks not available.

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Top Work Values (Aspects of this job that create satisfaction.)

Relationships - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.

Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.

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Top Interests (The types of activities someone in this job would like.)

Social - Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

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