Occupation Profile

Physical Therapist Aides

(SOC Code : 31-2022)

in California

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.

Employers usually expect an employee in this occupation to be able to do the job after Short-term on-the-job training .

Occupational Wages

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Area	Year	Period	Hourly Mean	Hourly by Percentile
				25th	Median	75th
California	2012	1st Qtr	$13.39	$10.47	$12.58	$15.27

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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	6,400	8,300	1,900	29.7	300

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Job Openings from JobCentral National Labor Exchange

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Enter a Zip Code Find a Zip code in California

Within miles of Zip Code.

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

68.3%

General Medical and Surgical Hospitals

1,393

14.4%

Offices of Physicians

62,928

7.3%

Nursing Care Facilities

2,386

3.4%

Individual and Family Services

18,414

2.0%

Other Hospitals

120

1.1%

About Staffing Patterns

Data for Training Programs not available.

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.)

Clean and organize work area and disinfect equipment after treatment.

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

Instruct, motivate, safeguard, or assist patients practicing exercises or functional activities, under direction of medical staff.

Record treatment given and equipment used.

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.

Secure patients into or onto therapy equipment.

Change linens, such as bed sheets and pillow cases.

Transport patients to and from treatment areas, using wheelchairs or providing standing support.

Arrange treatment supplies to keep them in order.

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Top Skills used in this Job

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.

Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others` actions.

Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.

Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

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

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

Time Management - Managing one`s own time and the time of others.

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

Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.

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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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Alternate Titles

Occupational Therapy Aides; Physical Therapy Aides; Rehab Therapy Aides; Rehabilitation Aides; and Rehabilitation Technicians