PT vs. PTA

Job Duties, Educational Requirements, Pros and Cons, and More Key Differences

尽管他们每天都紧密合作, 物理治疗师(PTs)和物理治疗师助理(pta)有两个截然不同的职业. While both careers focus on helping patients recover from injuries or illnesses, 他们每个人都有自己的责任, degree requirements, and scope of practice.

给所有想从事物理治疗的人, it’s important to understand the different available options and the timeline each role requires. 如果你不确定PT和PTA的区别, you’ve come to the right place.

In this article, bbin宝盈娱乐客户端下载将对这两种职业进行比较, 从他们的日常职责和必要的教育，到每个人的工资潜力和长期工作前景. bbin宝盈娱乐客户端下载甚至会介绍每个职业的优缺点，这样你就可以决定哪个可能最适合你.

寻找成为PTA所需的更多细节? Check out our in-depth guide on 如何成为一名物理治疗师助理.

PT vs. PTA: Definition

What is a PT?

物理治疗师(PTs)是专门帮助患者从各种健康状况(包括骨骼和肌肉损伤)中恢复或管理的bbin大全/bbin白菜平台大全提供者, long-term disabilities, neurological issues, post-surgical recoveries, and more.

PTs have advanced training that qualifies them to assess patients and diagnose health conditions, 独立或与病人的医生合作. 他们的实践范围是为每个病人制定治疗计划，并根据病人的反应进行必要的调整.

What is a PTA?

Physical therapist assistants (PTAs) work under the direction of a physical therapist, and are often at the front lines of implementing a treatment plan developed by their supervising PT. 他们与病人密切合作，帮助他们正确地进行锻炼, 并使用各种治疗技术来帮助恢复活动能力, manage pain, and encourage healing.

虽然物理治疗师助理可以执行许多与物理治疗师相同的治疗任务, the main differences between PTs vs. PTAs come down to scope of practice.

私人助理也是训练有素的提供者，提供实际的病人护理, 但他们无法进行初步评估, design treatment plans, or make changes to a patient’s treatment plan without a supervising PT’s approval.

PT vs. PTA: Duties and Responsibilities

PT Responsibilities

Ultimately, 物理治疗师是在物理治疗环境中对他们所照顾的每一个病人承担责任的人. 除了提供动手治疗, they’re responsible for creating and overseeing the success of the overall treatment plan.

日常PT职责通常包括:

• Conducting initial patient assessments to evaluate their therapeutic needs
• 根据每个病人的病情和目标制定治疗计划
• 通过多种方式提供实际的病人护理
• 根据病人的反应修改治疗计划
• Supervising PTAs and other clinic support staff like aides or administrative workers

PTA Responsibilities

物理治疗师助理总是在理疗师的指导下工作, 并与患者密切合作，提供实际护理. pta不创建或修改治疗计划, 但他们在执行这些目标方面发挥了重要作用, and in monitoring each patient’s progress so the supervising PT can make adjustments as necessary.

日常PTA职责通常包括:

• 按照理疗师的指示执行治疗计划
• Measuring and recording patients’ progress to determine the effectiveness of treatment
• 管理动手护理，如按摩，伸展，或活动工作
• Operating other treatment devices like electrical stimulation or ultrasound equipment
• Supervising and instructing patients as they perform prescribed exercises
• 教育患者和护理人员如何使用适应性设备

PT vs. PTA: Education

Educational Requirements for PTs

成为一名理疗师是一个漫长的过程, 多年的过程需要获得多个大学学位. Most PTs start their education with a bachelor’s degree in a related field like biology, kinesiology, or exercise science, which usually takes around four years.

From there, aspiring PTs will need to enroll in a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program, 通常需要三年才能完成. 这是pt获得高级解剖学知识的地方, physiology, neuroscience, and the many treatment tools available to rehabilitate a huge range of medical conditions.

After earning a DPT degree, physical therapists will need to pass the National Physical Therapy Exam, 试题共225道，最长考试时间为5小时. 通过NPTE考试可以让刚毕业的物理治疗师在他们打算执业的州获得执照.

Many PTs also choose to complete a year-long residency or fellowship after earning their license, which can help them gain experience in specialized fields like orthopedics, sports medicine, women’s health, neurology, and several other fields.

When it’s all said and done, most physical therapists spend around 7-8 years in school before they begin practicing on their own. Becoming a PT can be a lucrative and fulfilling career, but it’s also a major commitment!

Educational Requirements for PTAs

物理治疗师助理没有责任制定治疗计划或监督临床操作. As a result, 他们的教育包括大专学历，主要侧重于特定工作的技能和知识, 除了一些通识教育的要求.

与物理治疗师相比，成为PTA的道路要快得多，也更直接. PTA项目通常持续两年左右, though some accelerated programs may be able to trim a few months off the timeline. (在bbin大全/bbin白菜平台大全，你可以在21个月内获得PTA学位!)

Like physical therapists, 在他们获得执照并开始练习之前，PTA还需要通过PTA版本的NPTE认证考试. The NPTE-PTA includes 180 multiple-choice questions over a maximum of four hours. 公园里当然不能散步, 但它不像给PTs的考试那么紧张和深入.

因为与理疗师相比，pta所需的教育只需要一小部分时间, 对于那些想要从事物理治疗而不需要花几年时间在学校的人来说，这是一个很好的选择.

PT vs. PTA: Salary

How Much Do PTs Make?

It takes a lot of education and commitment to become a physical therapist, 谁的薪酬高于平均水平. According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics在美国，PTs的平均年薪超过10万美元，每小时超过48美元.

Like any career, wages are affected by factors like location, experience, and job market conditions. Physical therapists in the top 10% of earners can bring home up to $130,000 a year or more.

How Much Do PTAs Make?

While physical therapist assistants aren’t paid as highly as physical therapists, PTA is one of the highest-paying healthcare careers available without earning a bachelor’s degree, 并提供了一个过上好日子的机会. BLS data shows the average annual salary* for PTAs is nearly $65,000 per year or over $31 per hour.

The same source shows top-earning PTAs in the upper 10% of their field earn over $85,000 per year. 考虑到成为PTA的时间框架比成为物理治疗师要短得多, PTAs have an excellent balance of short-term career accessibility and long-term earning power.

PT vs. PTA: Job Outlook

PT Job Outlook

随着患者和bbin大全/bbin白菜平台大全提供者寻求康复选择来补充(或取代)药物和手术等其他治疗途径，对物理治疗的需求持续增长. The BLS projects a 19% growth in the employment of physical therapists by the year 2032, which is significantly faster than the average growth rate among all careers.

PTs也有很多机会专攻, which can lead to greater earning potential depending on the demand for their chosen specialty. 有额外的经验和训练, 物理治疗师可以专门治疗癌症患者, athletes, children, or older adults. 他们可能专注于中风或脑外伤患者的康复, people with chronic disabilities, treating women’s health issues, or several other patient populations.

拥有良好的职业稳定性和许多机会，可以找到个人满意的工作, becoming a physical therapist remains a great option for anyone seeking a career in healthcare.

PTA Job Outlook

物理治疗师助理也将从对物理治疗的稳定需求中受益——甚至可能比物理治疗师受益更多. Career projection data from the BLS 数据显示，到2032年，对pta的需求预计将比pts更高，预计就业人数将增长26%. That’s over eight times higher than the average 3% growth rate for all careers.

pta是所有bbin大全/bbin白菜平台大全行业中最受欢迎的职业之一，可以专注于许多与物理治疗师相同的领域. 从急症护理到肿瘤学再到神经学, pediatrics, and cardiovascular care, PTAs can seek out advanced certifications based on their preferred patient population.

对PTA的极高要求，加上完成教育所需的时间相对较短，意味着成为一名PTA是一个实用的职业选择, as well as a rewarding one.

成为PT的利与弊vs. a PTA

选择职业是一个非常个人化的决定, 没有一个答案适合所有人. 如果你强烈考虑从事物理治疗的职业，那么考虑一下你选择的利弊总是明智的.

Physical Therapist	Physical Therapist Assistant
Pros:	Pros:
Higher maximum earning potential	Significantly less time in school
Fulfilling career helping others heal	Fulfilling career helping others heal
Good long-term career outlook	Excellent long-term career outlook
有机会开始你自己的实践	Easier to “leave work at work”
Cons:	Cons:
Requires many years in school	Limits on scope of practice
更多的管理、行政和创业责任	必须在PT的指导下练习吗

在bbin大全/bbin白菜平台大全开始你的PTA生涯

The decision between becoming a PT vs. a PTA can be a tough one, as they’re both rewarding careers with solid earning potential and a great long-term outlook. 考虑一下你的生活方式目标和开始新职业的首选时间表，以及在学校学习7-8年而不是仅仅几年的经济影响.

如果你决定从事家庭教师协会的职业, 当你学习新技能并准备开始你的职业生涯时，选择一个为你的成功而设计的项目是一个主要的优势. In the physical therapist assistant program at Provo College, 你会向经验丰富的专业人士学习, train in skills labs, 并有机会获得职业服务团队的帮助，帮助你完成从教室到诊所的过渡.

Interested in learning more about potential career paths available to PTAs? 点击这里查看bbin宝盈娱乐客户端下载的名单 排名前8位的理疗师助理工作.