Physical Therapy Assistant vs Occupational Therapy Assistant: pay, outlook, education and work, side by side.
Every row comes from one named source and says which career leads on that one dimension. There is no overall score.
Physical Therapy Assistant vs Occupational Therapy Assistant: BLS classifies them as different occupations (SOC 31-2021 and 31-2011). The national median annual wage is $68,380 for physical therapy assistants and $72,300 for occupational therapy assistants (BLS, May 2025). BLS projects national employment to change +23.0% for physical therapy assistants and +21.5% for occupational therapy assistants from 2025 to 2035. Typical entry-level education: Associate's degree vs Associate's degree. Which fits better depends on what you value; the table shows who leads on each dimension, with no overall winner.
Side by side
Data Differences smaller than a stated threshold read “About the same” (pay 5%, growth 2 points, openings 10%, one education level, ORS 10 points, O*NET 0.2).
Pick what matters to you; the matching rows are highlighted. Nothing is combined into a score.
| Dimension · source | Physical Therapy AssistantSOC 31-2021 | Occupational Therapy AssistantSOC 31-2011 | Leads on this dimension |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual wageBLS OEWS, May 2025 (national) | $68,380 | $72,300 | Occupational Therapy Assistant |
| EmploymentBLS OEWS, May 2025 | 112,430 | 51,290 | Not ranked |
| Projected employment change, 2025–35BLS Employment Projections (national) | +23.0% | +21.5% | About the same |
| Projected numeric change in jobs, 2025–35BLS Employment Projections (national) · A count, not a rate: it scales with the size of the occupation. | +26,200 jobs | +11,200 jobs | Not ranked |
| Projected openings (annual average)BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35 | 18,500 a year | 8,100 a year | Physical Therapy Assistant |
| Typical entry-level educationBLS Employment Projections · typical, not a legal requirement | Associate's degree | Associate's degree | About the same |
| Typical work experience in a related occupationBLS Employment Projections | None | None | About the same |
| Typical on-the-job trainingBLS Employment Projections | None | None | Not ranked |
| Pressure level (O*NET, 1–5; lower = less)O*NET® 31.0 work context | 3.50 | 3.71 | Physical Therapy Assistant |
| Social-contact level (O*NET, 1–5)O*NET® 31.0 work context · not ranked: neither direction is better | 4.71 | 4.38 | Not ranked |
| Freedom to make decisions (O*NET, 1–5)O*NET® 31.0 work context | 3.91 | 4.55 | Occupational Therapy Assistant |
| Work styles O*NET rates most importantO*NET® 31.0 work styles (occupation ratings, not a personality test) | Cooperation, Dependability, Empathy | Empathy, Dependability, Cooperation | Not ranked |
Choose based on what matters to you
Data Each line restates a measured difference from the table; nothing here predicts how you will feel about a job.
- a lower-pressure work environment matters (3.50 vs 3.71)
- higher median pay matters most ($72,300 vs $68,380)
- more decision-making freedom matters (4.55 vs 3.91)
Which skills each one leans on
Data O*NET 31.0 skill ratings: level (0–7) and importance.
Skill-profile match: 53% (similarity of the two O*NET skill profiles, importance × level; 100% = identical).
- Quality Control Analysis (+1.2 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Equipment Selection (+1.2 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Repairing (+1.0 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Operations Analysis (+0.9 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Negotiation (+0.9 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Management of Material Resources (+0.6 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Writing (+0.3 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
What each career involves
Data Core tasks from O*NET 31.0.
Physical Therapy Assistant
- 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.
Occupational Therapy Assistant
- Instruct, or assist in instructing, patients and families in home programs, basic living skills, or the care and use of adaptive equipment.
- Maintain and promote a positive attitude toward clients and their treatment programs.
- Report to supervisors, verbally or in writing, on patients' progress, attitudes, and behavior.
- Implement, or assist occupational therapists with implementing, treatment plans designed to help clients function independently.
Largest employing industries
Data Share of all jobs in each occupation, BLS Employment Matrix 2025.
Physical Therapy Assistant
- Ambulatory healthcare services (64.5% of all jobs in this occupation)
- Hospitals; state, local, and private (20.2% of all jobs in this occupation)
- Nursing and residential care facilities (12.0% of all jobs in this occupation)
Occupational Therapy Assistant
- Ambulatory healthcare services (49.5% of all jobs in this occupation)
- Nursing and residential care facilities (21.3% of all jobs in this occupation)
- Hospitals; state, local, and private (17.0% of all jobs in this occupation)
Moving between these careers
Data The comparison shows which; the career-change guides show how.
- Physical Therapy Assistant → Occupational Therapy Assistant: skills to build: Negotiation, Management of Material Resources.
- Occupational Therapy Assistant → Physical Therapy Assistant: skills to build: Quality Control Analysis, Equipment Selection, Repairing.
Go deeper
Physical Therapy Assistant career hub · Physical Therapy Assistant salary · Physical Therapy Assistant how to become
Common questions
Which pays more, Physical Therapy Assistant or Occupational Therapy Assistant?
Which is growing faster?
Which is better?
How this page is built
BLS classifies them as different occupations (SOC 31-2021 and 31-2011). Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025 national median for each occupation's SOC code. Outlook: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 (growth, numeric change and annual openings are separate metrics). Requirements rows: 2025 preliminary BLS Occupational Requirements Survey, shown only when both roles have detailed-occupation estimates. Work environment: O*NET 31.0 work context. This page includes information from the O*NET® 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. TryHired has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Searches this page answers include “physical therapy assistant vs occupational therapy assistant salary”, “occupational therapy assistant vs physical therapy assistant salary” (Ahrefs, U.S.).
- Any one employer's pay, schedule or culture.
- Job security, ease of hiring or work-life balance: these are not measured here.
- Which career you will prefer: the rows describe the occupations, not you.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program, 2025–35 national projections (growth, openings, typical entry-level education and experience).
- O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Requirements Survey, 2025 estimates (preliminary: two of the third wave's samples, collected August 2023 to July 2025; released January 16, 2026), public domain.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program, 2025–35 National Employment Matrix (all jobs, including self-employed).