Physical therapist assistant job description templates for PT clinics: 6 licensed PTA variants with supervision, scope, and pay notes. Free DOCX.
TL;DR
A physical therapist assistant job description has to state four things the generic versions skip: an active state PTA license and the number, the supervision level your state board requires, an explicit scope line saying the PTA does not evaluate or write the plan of care, and non-exempt hourly classification. Six downloadable templates below.
Most physical therapist assistant job descriptions on the internet were written by people who have never run a clinic schedule. They list treatment duties, add a line about a positive attitude, and skip the three things that actually matter to a practice owner: the license, the supervision level, and the scope line that keeps the assistant inside the plan of care.
Those three omissions are expensive. A physical therapist assistant (PTA) hired without a verified license is a board complaint waiting to happen. A posting that promises more autonomy than your state allows produces a bad first month. A job description that never mentions the plan of care sets up an assistant to drift into evaluation territory, the fastest route to a payer audit finding.
If you are hiring an assistant for your clinic, my advice is to settle those three before you write a single duty. At FirstHR we write hiring templates for small employers who do not have an HR department, and physical therapy clinics are one of the clearest cases.
The six templates below cover outpatient orthopedic, home health, skilled nursing, pediatric, PRN (as-needed) coverage, and new graduate hires, each with the license and supervision language written in rather than left to chance.
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A physical therapist assistant delivers treatment under the direction and supervision of a licensed physical therapist (PT), inside a plan of care the PT has already written. The assistant progresses the patient within that plan and reports back. The evaluation, the plan, the re-evaluation, and the discharge stay with the physical therapist.
That division is not a clinic preference. The Medicare Benefit Policy Manual says PTAs may not provide evaluative or assessment services, make clinical judgments, or take responsibility for the service, and state practice acts say the same thing in their own words. Writing it into the job description protects both the assistant and the practice.
Clinics and job boards often write the title as physical therapy assistant, which names the same licensed role as physical therapist assistant. A physical therapy aide is a different job, unlicensed and not permitted to deliver skilled treatment, so keep the two out of a single posting.
Never delegate these
What the PT keeps
The initial evaluation, the plan of care, every re-evaluation, any change to the plan, and the discharge. Medicare policy bars assistants from evaluative work and from taking responsibility for the service. State practice acts put these tasks with the licensed physical therapist, and no clinic workflow moves them.
The treatment itself
What the PTA delivers
Therapeutic exercise, manual techniques, gait and balance training, modalities, patient and caregiver education, objective measurement, and documentation, all inside the plan of care the PT wrote.
Not the same job
What the aide does
A physical therapy aide is unlicensed support: room turnover, equipment setup, transport, and clerical work. Aides do not deliver skilled treatment. Writing one posting for both roles is how clinics end up with a scope problem.
Verify it yourself
What the license proves
An associate degree from a program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), a passing score on the national PTA exam, and whatever your state adds on top. Check the number in the state board database before the first patient, then track the renewal date.
Tip
Write the Scope Line Into the Posting, Not the Handbook
The single most useful sentence in a PTA job description is the one that says what the role does not include: no initial evaluation, no re-evaluation, no changes to the plan of care, no discharge decision. Candidates read it as a sign of a well-run clinic rather than a restriction. Auditors and boards read it as evidence that your practice understood the scope before the first treatment, not after a complaint. It takes one line and it belongs above the qualifications, not buried in an onboarding document.
What Belongs in a PTA Posting
A good PTA posting does four jobs: it sells the clinic, it filters applicants who cannot be hired, it protects the practice legally, and it closes the candidate. Most clinic postings do only the first. Here is the full inventory.
What candidates read first
Setting: outpatient, home health, facility, or pediatric
Caseload and visit length, stated as a number
Schedule, weekend rotation, and travel radius
Hourly rate or a good-faith range
What filters the applicant pool
CAPTE-accredited associate degree
Active state license or certification, number required
BLS/CPR and required health screenings
Background check and any registry clearance
What protects the clinic
Supervision level and who the supervising PT is
Explicit scope line: no evaluation, no plan of care
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) status stated as non-exempt
Equal opportunity statement and essential functions
What closes the hire
Continuing education (CEU) allowance and license renewal reimbursement
Documentation time built into the schedule
Mentorship for new graduates
A named person to apply to and a real timeline
The most common omission is the caseload. Assistants want to know visits per day, treatment slot length, whether documentation time is scheduled or expected after hours, and how many locations they cover. Vagueness there reads as a clinic that has not decided, and experienced candidates skip it.
6 PTA Job Description Templates to Download
Download all six as one file or copy them individually. Each follows the same structure: clinic overview, position summary, key responsibilities, required qualifications, a supervision and scope note, an equal opportunity statement, and how to apply. The bracketed fields are the only parts you change.
Download All 6 PTA Job Description Templates
Outpatient orthopedic, home health, skilled nursing, pediatric, PRN, and new graduate. All in one download.
Outpatient Orthopedic· The standard clinic role
The general outpatient PTA posting, with caseload, documentation deadlines, modifier duties, and the supervision note written in.
The standard private practice role, with caseload, same-day documentation, correct modifier use, and the supervision note built in. If you are also hiring the therapist who supervises this position, use the physical therapist job description templates.
Reports to: [Clinic Director / Supervising Physical Therapist]
Employment type: Full-time
FLSA status: Non-exempt (hourly, overtime-eligible; see classification note)
Compensation: $ per hour
ABOUT [CLINIC NAME]
[Clinic Name] is an outpatient orthopedic and sports physical therapy practice in
[City, State]. We treat [post-operative, spine, sports, and work-injury] cases in
a [one-on-one / small group] model with a typical caseload of [number] visits per
day and [length] treatment slots.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Physical Therapist Assistant delivers physical therapy interventions under
the direction and supervision of a licensed physical therapist, following the
plan of care the PT establishes. The PTA progresses patients within that plan,
documents every visit, and communicates changes back to the supervising PT.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Deliver therapeutic exercise, manual techniques, gait training, and modalities
as written in the plan of care
•Instruct patients and families in home exercise programs and safe body
mechanics
•Measure and record objective progress within the parameters the PT sets
•Document treatment, time, and patient response in [EMR] on the day of service
•Report changes in patient status to the supervising PT and request a
re-evaluation when the plan no longer fits
•Apply the correct billing modifier for services you furnish, per our policy
•Clean, set up, and maintain treatment areas and equipment
•Take part in [weekly] chart review and clinical rounds
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•Associate degree from a CAPTE-accredited physical therapist assistant program
•Current [State] PTA license or certification in good standing (license number
required before the first patient contact)
•Passed the National Physical Therapy Examination for PTAs
•Current BLS/CPR certification
•Must clear a criminal background check and any required registry checks
•Comfortable with [EMR name] and daily documentation deadlines
SUPERVISION AND SCOPE NOTE (read before posting)
A PTA works under the direction and supervision of a licensed physical
therapist. The PTA does not perform the initial evaluation, does not perform
re-evaluations, does not establish or change the plan of care, and does not
discharge the patient. State practice acts differ on the required level of
supervision (general, direct, or on-site) and on the number of assistants one PT
may supervise, so confirm the rule with your state physical therapy board and
write it into this posting. Medicare rules for outpatient therapy carry their own
supervision and billing-modifier requirements. This is general information, not
legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Clinic Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $ per hour, [benefits summary], [CEU allowance],
[license renewal reimbursement]
To apply, email with your resume and license number.
Template 2: Home Health PTA
For a home caseload: territory, visit volume, mileage, point-of-care documentation, supervisory visit intervals, and compensable travel between patients.
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Template 3: Skilled Nursing and Post-Acute PTA
For a facility caseload, with treatment minute accuracy, interdisciplinary care planning, and the staff screening facilities require. Pair it with the occupational therapy assistant templates if you staff a full rehab team.
[Facility Name] is a [number]-bed skilled nursing and post-acute rehabilitation
facility in [City, State]. We are hiring a licensed PTA to treat short-stay
rehabilitation and long-term care residents alongside our occupational and speech
therapy team.
POSITION SUMMARY
The PTA delivers skilled physical therapy interventions to residents under the
plan of care established by the supervising physical therapist, records treatment
minutes accurately, and contributes observations to the interdisciplinary team.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Treat an assigned resident caseload according to the PT plan of care
•Deliver gait, balance, transfer, strengthening, and functional mobility
training
•Record treatment minutes and mode accurately on the day of service
•Train nursing staff and families on restorative and safe-handling techniques
•Report changes in resident status and any refusal of therapy to the PT
•Contribute to care plan meetings and discharge planning discussions
•Follow facility infection control, safety, and abuse-reporting procedures
•Keep the therapy gym and equipment clean and in working order
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•Associate degree from a CAPTE-accredited PTA program
•Current [State] PTA license or certification in good standing
•Experience with a geriatric caseload preferred
•Current BLS/CPR certification and required health screenings
•Must clear a criminal background check and the abuse registry checks required
for facility staff
•Accurate, timely documentation habits
SUPERVISION AND SCOPE NOTE
The PTA treats within a plan of care the supervising physical therapist
establishes and may not evaluate, re-evaluate, alter the plan, or discharge.
Documentation of treatment minutes drives payment and survey exposure in
post-acute settings, so accuracy is a job requirement, not an administrative
preference. Confirm your state supervision level, the supervision ratio your
board allows, and the staff screening your facility type requires before you
post. This is general information, not legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Facility Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $ per hour, [shift differential], [benefits summary],
[CEU allowance]
To apply, email with your resume and license number.
Template 4: Pediatric PTA
For a pediatric caseload in a clinic, school, or early intervention setting, with caregiver coaching, equipment fitting, and the clearance work that comes with treating minors.
[Practice Name] serves children from [age range] with [developmental delay,
torticollis, cerebral palsy, post-surgical, and sports] needs in a [clinic /
school / early intervention / home] setting. We are hiring a licensed PTA who
can treat children and coach the adults around them.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Pediatric PTA delivers play-based physical therapy interventions under the
plan of care written by the supervising physical therapist, tracks progress
toward functional goals, and partners with parents, teachers, and caregivers so
the program continues between visits.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Treat an assigned pediatric caseload within the PT plan of care
•Use play-based, developmentally appropriate activities to reach functional
goals
•Train parents, caregivers, and [school staff] on home and classroom programs
•Fit and monitor [orthotics, adaptive equipment, gait trainers] as directed
•Document each session and progress toward goals on the day of service
•Communicate status changes to the supervising PT and to the care team
•Coordinate with [early intervention, school IEP teams, physicians] as needed
•Keep the treatment space safe, clean, and set up for the next child
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•Associate degree from a CAPTE-accredited PTA program
•Current [State] PTA license or certification in good standing
•Pediatric experience preferred; comfort with [age range] required
•Current pediatric BLS/CPR certification
•Must clear a criminal background check, fingerprinting, and child abuse
registry checks as required for work with minors
•Patience, energy, and clear communication with families
SUPERVISION AND SCOPE NOTE
The supervising physical therapist evaluates, writes and updates the plan of
care, and discharges. The PTA treats within that plan. Pediatric work in schools
and early intervention adds a second rulebook: program eligibility, service
authorization, and documentation requirements come from the education or
early intervention agency, not from your clinic. Anyone with unsupervised access
to minors needs clearance completed before the first session, not during the
first week. This is general information, not legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Practice Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $ per hour, [benefits summary], [CEU allowance for
pediatric coursework]
To apply, email with your resume and license number.
Template 5: PRN / Per Diem PTA
For your coverage pool, with the shift commitment, the cancellation policy, and a plain warning that PRN status does not make someone an independent contractor.
PRN / Per Diem PTA Job Description
PHYSICAL THERAPIST ASSISTANT JOB DESCRIPTION (PRN / PER DIEM)
Clinic or facility: ([City, State])
Reports to: [Clinic Director / Scheduling Coordinator]
Employment type: PRN / per diem, no guaranteed hours
To apply, email with your resume and expected license
date.
The License Check You Cannot Skip
All states require physical therapist assistants to be licensed or certified, and licensure typically requires graduation from an accredited program plus a passing score on a qualifying examination. The accredited associate degree normally runs about two years and includes anatomy, physiology, and kinesiology coursework alongside supervised clinical work.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, some states add an examination on the state laws governing physical therapy practice, a criminal background check, and a minimum age of eighteen, and assistants may also need continuing education courses to keep the license. Physical therapy aides, by contrast, are not licensed in any state, which is exactly why the two roles need separate postings.
Credential item
How to handle it in the posting and at offer stage
Associate degree
Require graduation from a CAPTE-accredited PTA program and ask for the transcript or diploma
National PTA examination
Require a passing score; for new graduates, ask for the scheduled exam date
State license or certification
Require an active credential and the license number itself, not a screenshot
Verification
Check the number in your state board database yourself before the start date
Renewal date
Record the expiration against the employee record and set the reminder in advance
Continuing education
State your CEU allowance and check whether your board ties renewal to completed coursework
BLS/CPR
Require current certification and track its expiration the same way
Background check
State that employment is contingent on clearance, completed before the first patient
Verification is the step small clinics skip, usually because the candidate seems obviously qualified and the schedule is short-staffed. Do it anyway, at offer stage, in the board database.
Supervision Rules That Shape the Role
Supervision of a PTA comes from two independent rulebooks, and the stricter one governs. Your state practice act sets the baseline level and often caps how many assistants one physical therapist may supervise. Medicare sets its own requirement for outpatient therapy billed to Part B.
The federal side moved in a direction that helps small practices. In the CY 2025 Medicare physician fee schedule final rule, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized a regulatory change allowing general supervision of physical therapist assistants by physical therapists in private practice for all applicable physical therapy services, aligning private practice with the general supervision standard already applied at institutional providers.
State rule
The state board sets the supervision level
Every state licenses or certifies physical therapist assistants, and every state defines how closely a PT must supervise one. The vocabulary is fairly consistent (general supervision, direct supervision, on-site supervision), but which level applies where differs by state, and so does the limit on how many assistants one physical therapist may supervise at once. Some states also restrict what a PTA may do at all in specific settings. That variation is why a job description copied from another state is a liability: it can promise a candidate an autonomy level your board does not allow, or staff your schedule at a ratio you cannot legally run. Look up the current rule at your own state physical therapy board and write the level into the posting.
Medicare rule
Medicare added its own supervision layer
For outpatient therapy billed to Medicare Part B, this layer sits on top of your state rule, and the stricter of the two governs. The CY 2025 move to general supervision in private practice was a real operational change for small clinics: it removed the requirement that the supervising PT be physically present in the office suite for every PTA-delivered service. It does not remove your state rule, and it does not change the scope line. The physical therapist still evaluates, still writes the plan of care, and still handles re-evaluation and discharge.
Federal law
PTA-delivered services are paid at a reduced rate
Section 53107 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 added section 1834(v) to the Social Security Act. It requires Medicare to pay for outpatient therapy services furnished in whole or in part by a physical therapist assistant at 85 percent of the otherwise applicable Part B payment amount (the normal rate), effective for services furnished on or after January 1, 2022. Claims have carried the CQ modifier identifying PTA-furnished services since January 1, 2020, and CMS applies a de minimis standard: the modifier attaches when the PTA furnishes more than 10 percent of a service, with specific exceptions CMS spelled out in the CY 2022 rulemaking. None of that is a reason to avoid hiring a PTA. It is a reason to model the staffing math honestly and to make correct modifier use an explicit job responsibility in the posting.
Warning
A Posting Copied Across State Lines Is a Compliance Problem
Supervision levels, supervision ratios, and setting-specific restrictions on PTA practice are state law, and they differ enough that a job description written for one state can misstate the rules in the next one. If you open a second location, or hire remotely for a home health territory that crosses a border, pull the current rule from each state physical therapy board before you post. The same applies to the license itself: a credential in one state does not authorize practice in another unless that state recognizes it.
What to Pay a PTA
Physical therapist assistant pay tracks the practice setting as closely as it tracks geography. Home health and skilled nursing pay well above outpatient clinic rates nationally, which means a private practice competes against employers with a structurally higher pay band.
By the numbers
National PTA Wage Data
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey (May 2025), physical therapist assistants had a national median hourly wage of $32.88 and a mean annual wage of $68,730 across about 112,430 jobs, while physical therapy aides had a median hourly wage of $16.94 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 release). The lowest ten percent of PTAs earned under $47,750 a year and the highest ten percent above $89,510, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Setting
Median annual wage (BLS, May 2025)
What it means for an outpatient clinic
Home healthcare services
$80,050
The top of the market; expect to lose candidates to it on rate alone
Skilled nursing facilities
$77,440
Post-acute pays a premium for caseload intensity and documentation load
Hospitals, state, local, and private
$67,620
Benefits and schedule stability compete alongside the rate
Offices of physical, occupational and speech therapists, and audiologists
$63,080
The outpatient clinic band; compete on schedule, mentorship, and CEUs
Offices of physicians
$62,970
Closest comparable to a private practice band
Demand is the other half of the pricing picture. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of physical therapist assistants to grow 23 percent from 2025 to 2035, from about 114,100 jobs to about 140,400, against 3 percent growth across all occupations.
Against that demand, a small clinic should publish a rate or a good-faith range where pay transparency laws apply, and compete on what an outpatient clinic can genuinely offer: predictable hours, scheduled documentation time, a CEU allowance, license renewal reimbursement, and a supervising therapist who teaches.
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Classify a physical therapist assistant as non-exempt: hourly, with overtime past forty hours in a workweek. The learned professional exemption is written around advanced knowledge customarily acquired by a prolonged course of specialized intellectual instruction, and the standard PTA credential is an accredited associate degree.
The federal regulation on learned professionals makes the reasoning explicit in the health care context: licensed practical nurses and other similar health care employees generally do not qualify as exempt learned professionals because possession of a specialized advanced academic degree is not a standard prerequisite for entry into those occupations.
A physical therapist, by contrast, enters the profession through a doctoral degree. That puts the role on the other side of the same line, which is why the two jobs get different classification treatment under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
The practical consequences are ordinary and easy to get wrong in a busy clinic. Track hours for real, including documentation completed after the last patient. Pay overtime when the week runs long. Treat mandatory in-services and required training as hours worked. And never label a PRN assistant an independent contractor while setting the schedule, the location, the rate, and the clinical procedures.
Hiring a PTA Without an HR Department
Clinic hiring fails in predictable places: the posting gets written at the end of a treating day, license verification is a screenshot in an inbox, and onboarding paperwork has no owner. Each has a fix that costs less than the problem.
The clinic owner treats patients all day and writes the posting at night
In a small private practice the person hiring the PTA is usually a practicing physical therapist with a full caseload. The posting gets written after the last patient, usually by pasting an old one and changing the setting. That is how a clinic ends up advertising a supervision level its state board does not permit, or omitting the license verification step that should gate the start date. A fixed template solves it: the scope line, the supervision line, the classification line, and the screening line stay constant, and the only parts you rewrite each time are the setting, the caseload, and the rate.
License verification happens once and renewal tracking never happens at all
A PTA license is not a one-time check. It has an issue date, an expiration date, continuing education requirements attached to renewal, and a state board database where the current status can be confirmed. It is common to verify once at hire, save a screenshot, and then discover a lapse when a payer audit or a board notice arrives. The fix is boring and effective: verify the number in the board database yourself at offer stage, store the credential against the employee record with the expiration date attached, and set your own reminder rather than relying on the employee to raise it.
Onboarding a clinical hire means a stack of documents nobody owns
A new PTA generates more paperwork than almost any other small-clinic hire: signed offer, license and exam documentation, BLS/CPR card, immunization and health screening records, background check and registry clearances, HIPAA and compliance acknowledgments, electronic medical record (EMR) access, billing and modifier training, and the policy sign-offs your payers expect to see during an audit. FirstHR was built for exactly that pile. The onboarding wizard runs the same sequence for every clinical hire, e-signature handles the offer and the acknowledgments, document management stores credentials with renewal dates attached, and training modules cover compliance orientation before the first patient. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Once the offer is signed, the work becomes a repeatable onboarding checklist: credentials verified and stored, compliance acknowledgments signed, EMR and billing training completed, and the first patient scheduled only after all of it clears.
Clinics that hire more than one clinical role a year should run the same sequence for every hire, including the medical assistant and front office positions that carry their own screening requirements. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
1A PTA job description needs four things generic templates skip: the license requirement with a number, the supervision level, an explicit scope line, and non-exempt classification.
2The physical therapist keeps the evaluation, the plan of care, every re-evaluation, and the discharge; the PTA treats within the plan and reports changes back.
3All states license or certify physical therapist assistants, and the standard credential is a CAPTE-accredited associate degree plus a passing national examination score.
4In the CY 2025 fee schedule final rule CMS finalized general supervision of PTAs by physical therapists in private practice, but state practice act rules still apply and the stricter rule governs.
5Medicare pays outpatient therapy furnished in whole or in part by a PTA at 85 percent of the otherwise applicable Part B amount, identified by the CQ modifier under a 10 percent de minimis standard.
6The Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025) puts the national PTA median hourly wage at $32.88 and projects 23 percent employment growth from 2025 to 2035, so postings without a published rate lose good candidates.
Good to know
Keep PTA Credentials Current Between Audits
Clinical hires arrive with credentials that expire. FirstHR runs the same onboarding sequence for every new PTA, with e-signature for the offer and compliance acknowledgments, document storage for license copies, exam results, and immunization records, and renewal dates tracked so nothing lapses quietly between audits. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a physical therapist assistant do?
A physical therapist assistant (PTA) carries out the treatment side of patient care. Working under the direction and supervision of a licensed physical therapist, the PTA follows the plan of care the therapist has already set and moves the patient forward inside it. Typical work includes therapeutic exercise, manual techniques, gait and balance training, modalities, teaching patients and caregivers, recording objective measurements, and charting every visit the same day. Just as important for the posting is what a PTA leaves to the therapist: the initial evaluation, any re-evaluation, writing or changing the plan of care, and the discharge decision. Medicare policy and state practice acts both keep those functions with the physical therapist. A PTA is also a different job from a physical therapy aide, who has no license and does not deliver skilled treatment.
What qualifications does a physical therapist assistant need?
Every state requires a physical therapist assistant to hold a license or certification before practicing. The usual route is an associate degree from a program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, followed by a passing score on the national PTA licensure examination. The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook reports that some states also require an exam on their physical therapy laws, a criminal background check, and a minimum age of eighteen, and that assistants may also need continuing education courses to keep the license. In your posting, ask for the associate degree, an active license or certification in your state, the license number itself, and current Basic Life Support or CPR certification. Look the number up in the state board database at offer stage instead of relying on a document the candidate hands you.
Does a PTA have to be supervised by a physical therapist?
Yes. A physical therapist assistant may work only under the direction and supervision of a licensed physical therapist, and two separate rulebooks decide how closely. The state practice act sets the baseline: it names the level (general, direct, or on-site supervision) and frequently caps how many assistants a single physical therapist can oversee. For outpatient therapy billed to Medicare Part B, Medicare adds a second layer. In the CY 2025 physician fee schedule final rule, CMS finalized a change that lets physical therapists in private practice supervise PTAs under general supervision for all applicable physical therapy services, which matches the standard institutional providers already used. When the state and Medicare rules differ, follow the stricter one. Name the supervising physical therapist and the supervision level in your job description.
How much does a physical therapist assistant make?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey (May 2025), the national median for physical therapist assistants was $32.88 an hour, or $68,380 a year, and the mean annual wage was $68,730 for roughly 112,430 employed PTAs. The bottom tenth of the occupation earned less than $47,750 and the top tenth more than $89,510. Setting matters more than most clinic owners expect. In the same survey the median annual wage reached $80,050 in home healthcare services and $77,440 in skilled nursing facilities, against $63,080 in offices of physical, occupational and speech therapists and audiologists. If you run an outpatient clinic, you are competing against home health and post-acute rates, so benchmark locally and publish a good-faith range where pay transparency law requires one.
Is a physical therapist assistant exempt or non-exempt?
Treat a physical therapist assistant as non-exempt, meaning hourly and entitled to overtime past forty hours in a workweek, unless a wage and hour attorney tells you otherwise for your specific facts. The reason is the learned professional exemption under the Fair Labor Standards Act, which requires advanced knowledge customarily acquired through a prolonged course of specialized intellectual instruction. The federal regulation says licensed practical nurses and similar health care employees generally fall outside it, because a specialized advanced academic degree is not a standard requirement for entering those occupations. The standard PTA credential is an associate degree, which lands on the same side of that line. In practice that means tracking hours accurately, paying overtime, counting required training and mandatory meetings as work time, and never treating a PRN assistant as an independent contractor.
Is it hard to hire a physical therapist assistant?
It is competitive, and the demand data explains why. The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects PTA employment to rise 23 percent between 2025 and 2035, reaching about 140,400 jobs from about 114,100, while employment across all occupations grows 3 percent. That means clinics are hiring from a pool that has options, and a vague posting loses to a specific one. Three things move a candidate. First, publish the rate: postings without pay get skipped. Second, describe the caseload and the documentation time honestly, because assistants leave clinics where the schedule assumes documentation happens for free. Third, move quickly, since a strong PTA is usually in more than one process at once. Speed is one of the few advantages a small clinic has.
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