Best programs to become a physical therapist assistant
BLS lists an associate's degree as the typical entry-level education for physical therapist assistants. The field of study that leads most directly to this job is Physical Therapy Assistant (IPEDS completions).
1 college program at 360 schools trains physical therapist assistants, graduating 5,489 people a year (IPEDS completions). The job pays a median of $68,380 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About physical therapist assistants
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.
Best programs to study to become a physical therapist assistant
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 51.0806 | 5,489 | 100.0% | 360 | $29,507 | $11,000 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pima Medical Institute - Tucson Tucson, AZ Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 78 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 72% | — | — |
| 2 | Institute of Technology Clovis, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 65 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 73% | $24,518 | — |
| 3 | Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale, FL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 62 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 61% | $35,483 | 97% |
| 4 | CBD College Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 58 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 82% | $20,729 | — |
| 5 | Universal Healthcare Careers College Los Angeles, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 56 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 91% | $33,518 | — |
| 6 | Stanbridge University Irvine, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 49 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 62% | $25,244 | 10% |
| 7 | The College of Health Care Professions - McAllen Campus McAllen, TX Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 49 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 77% | $26,617 | — |
| 8 | Henry Ford College Dearborn, MI Public · 1 feeder program | 45 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 17% | — | — |
| 9 | American Career College - Anaheim Anaheim, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 44 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 70% | $28,590 | — |
| 10 | Houston City College Houston, TX Public · 1 feeder program | 44 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 17% | — | — |
| 11 | GateWay Community College Phoenix, AZ Public · 1 feeder program | 40 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 29% | — | — |
| 12 | American Career College - Ontario Ontario, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 39 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 66% | $31,076 | — |
| 13 | Baker College Owosso, MI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 38 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 36% | $15,493 | 82% |
| 14 | Lake Superior College Duluth, MN Public · 1 feeder program | 38 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 42% | — | — |
| 15 | Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, IN Public · 1 feeder program | 37 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 40% | — | — |
| 16 | Pima Medical Institute - Albuquerque Albuquerque, NM Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 37 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 68% | $19,789 | — |
| 17 | Greenville Technical College Greenville, SC Public · 1 feeder program | 36 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 21% | — | — |
| 18 | Atenas University Manati, PR Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 34 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 42% | $8,957 | — |
| 19 | Fox College Tinley Park, IL Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 34 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 71% | $14,407 | 70% |
| 20 | Pima Medical Institute - Mesa Mesa, AZ Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 33 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 67% | $21,660 | — |
| 21 | South College Knoxville, TN Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 33 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 42% | $20,346 | — |
| 22 | The College of Health Care Professions - San Antonio San Antonio, TX Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 33 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 64% | $27,852 | — |
| 23 | Virginia Western Community College Roanoke, VA Public · 1 feeder program | 33 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 40% | — | — |
| 24 | Herzing University - Orlando Winter Park, FL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 32 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 37% | $20,697 | 94% |
| 25 | SABER College Miami, FL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 31 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 61% | $11,148 | 80% |
| 26 | American College of Healthcare and Technology Riverside, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 29 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 65% | $16,950 | — |
| 27 | Broward College Fort Lauderdale, FL Public · 1 feeder program | 29 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 39% | — | — |
| 28 | Central Penn College Summerdale, PA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 29 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 51% | $19,136 | 18% |
| 29 | Owens Community College Perrysburg, OH Public · 1 feeder program | 29 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 35% | — | — |
| 30 | Miami Dade College Miami, FL Public · 1 feeder program | 28 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 46% | — | — |
| 31 | Arapahoe Community College Littleton, CO Public · 1 feeder program | 27 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 29% | — | — |
| 32 | Northern Virginia Community College Annandale, VA Public · 1 feeder program | 27 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 33% | — | — |
| 33 | Pima Medical Institute - San Marcos San Marcos, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 27 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 71% | $31,880 | — |
| 34 | Whatcom Community College Bellingham, WA Public · 1 feeder program | 27 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 36% | — | — |
| 35 | Carl Albert State College Poteau, OK Public · 1 feeder program | 26 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 43% | — | — |
| 36 | Concorde Career College - San Diego San Diego, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 26 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 76% | $25,970 | 100% |
| 37 | Delgado Community College New Orleans, LA Public · 1 feeder program | 26 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 24% | — | — |
| 38 | Pima Medical Institute - Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 26 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 57% | $23,982 | — |
| 39 | Cerritos College Norwalk, CA Public · 1 feeder program | 25 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 31% | — | — |
| 40 | Hutchinson Community College Hutchinson, KS Public · 1 feeder program | 25 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 53% | — | — |
| 41 | Lone Star College System The Woodlands, TX Public · 1 feeder program | 25 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 21% | — | — |
| 42 | Saint Louis Community College Bridgeton, MO Public · 1 feeder program | 25 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 21% | — | — |
| 43 | Salt Lake Community College Salt Lake City, UT Public · 1 feeder program | 25 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 29% | — | — |
| 44 | Seminole State College of Florida Sanford, FL Public · 1 feeder program | 25 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 41% | — | — |
| 45 | Unitek College Fremont, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 25 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 73% | $27,021 | — |
| 46 | Arkansas State University Jonesboro, AR Public · 1 feeder program | 24 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 55% | — | 82% |
| 47 | Clarkson College Omaha, NE Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 24 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 47% | $17,156 | 78% |
| 48 | Huertas College Caguas, PR Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 24 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 46% | $10,355 | — |
| 49 | Lane Community College Eugene, OR Public · 1 feeder program | 24 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 20% | — | — |
| 50 | Oklahoma City Community College Oklahoma City, OK Public · 1 feeder program | 24 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 27% | — | — |
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
What physical therapist assistants earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $83,110 | 9,400 | 0.71× | 29 | 720 |
| Texas | $78,000 | 10,510 | 1.03× | 31 | 519 |
| Florida | $72,530 | 9,870 | 1.37× | 24 | 425 |
| Ohio | $63,820 | 7,040 | 1.75× | 19 | 239 |
| Illinois | $65,240 | 4,890 | 1.11× | 18 | 232 |
| Michigan | $61,670 | 4,520 | 1.42× | 9 | 182 |
| Arizona | $64,650 | 2,010 | 0.86× | 6 | 180 |
| Oklahoma | $59,480 | 2,380 | 1.93× | 11 | 170 |
| Virginia | $73,760 | 3,370 | 1.13× | 10 | 155 |
| Pennsylvania | $62,580 | 4,270 | 0.97× | 15 | 145 |
| Tennessee | $62,500 | 3,390 | 1.43× | 10 | 134 |
| New York | $64,100 | 3,620 | 0.52× | 12 | 129 |
| Alabama | $61,430 | 2,700 | 1.77× | 8 | 128 |
| North Carolina | $67,540 | 3,280 | 0.92× | 10 | 126 |
| South Carolina | $70,500 | 1,870 | 1.12× | 7 | 121 |
| Missouri | $63,770 | 2,490 | 1.18× | 9 | 103 |
| Maryland | $77,670 | 1,430 | 0.72× | 10 | 96 |
| Colorado | $64,810 | 1,350 | 0.65× | 6 | 95 |
| Minnesota | $66,770 | 1,230 | 0.58× | 5 | 93 |
| Washington | $66,450 | 2,150 | 0.84× | 6 | 89 |
| Mississippi | $61,770 | 1,150 | 1.37× | 7 | 87 |
| Indianamoderate | $65,280 | 2,830 | 1.22× | 4 | 83 |
| Wisconsin | $64,080 | 1,650 | 0.78× | 9 | 74 |
| Georgia | $72,800 | 2,620 | 0.74× | 7 | 73 |
| Kansasmoderate | $64,500 | 1,300 | 1.25× | 4 | 68 |
| Idaho | $61,020 | 560 | 0.90× | 5 | 67 |
| Nebraskamoderate | $61,370 | 980 | 1.33× | 4 | 65 |
| New Mexicomoderate | $62,280 | 700 | 1.11× | 4 | 62 |
| Utahmoderate | $61,980 | 970 | 0.77× | 3 | 62 |
| Arkansasmoderate | $64,520 | 1,620 | 1.72× | 4 | 61 |
| Kentucky | $61,480 | 2,580 | 1.78× | 6 | 59 |
| Iowa | $61,030 | 1,060 | 0.94× | 6 | 58 |
| Louisianamoderate | $65,370 | 1,670 | 1.19× | 4 | 57 |
| Nevadamoderate | $75,520 | 560 | 0.50× | 3 | 52 |
| Massachusetts | $79,460 | 2,640 | 1.00× | 5 | 51 |
| New Jerseymoderate | $78,440 | 1,810 | 0.58× | 4 | 49 |
| Oregonlimited | $73,180 | 890 | 0.63× | 2 | 46 |
| Rhode Islandlimited | $68,640 | 420 | 1.15× | 2 | 38 |
| West Virginiamoderate | $60,430 | 980 | 1.93× | 4 | 37 |
| Connecticutlimited | $75,880 | 980 | 0.80× | 1 | 23 |
| Delawarelimited | $74,610 | 340 | 0.98× | 1 | 18 |
| Wyominglimited | $63,550 | 240 | 1.17× | 1 | 18 |
| South Dakotalimited | $49,310 | 300 | 0.89× | 1 | 17 |
| Hawaiilimited | $67,510 | 250 | 0.56× | 1 | 15 |
| Mainelimited | $66,250 | 410 | 0.88× | 1 | 15 |
| Montanalimited | $62,650 | 250 | 0.67× | 2 | 10 |
| Alaskalimited | $77,640 | 110 | 0.45× | 1 | 7 |
| New Hampshirelimited | $71,440 | 500 | 1.02× | 1 | 5 |
Skills and knowledge
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- 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.
- Secure patients into or onto therapy equipment.
- Confer with physical therapy staff or others to discuss and evaluate patient information for planning, modifying, or coordinating treatment.
- Administer active or passive manual therapeutic exercises, therapeutic massage, aquatic physical therapy, or heat, light, sound, or electrical modality treatments, such as ultrasound.
- Transport patients to and from treatment areas, lifting and transferring them according to positioning requirements.
Skills
- Active Listening4.0
- Speaking3.8
- Monitoring3.8
- Writing3.3
- Critical Thinking3.3
- Reading Comprehension3.3
- Active Learning3.3
- Learning Strategies2.9
Knowledge areas
- Customer and Personal Service4.5
- Therapy and Counseling4.2
- English Language4.2
- Education and Training3.9
- Psychology3.6
- Medicine and Dentistry3.5
Abilities
- Oral Expression4.1
- Oral Comprehension4.0
- Speech Recognition3.9
- Speech Clarity3.9
- Near Vision3.8
- Problem Sensitivity3.8
Core activities
- Assisting and Caring for Others5.0
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.9
- Documenting/Recording Information4.8
- Performing General Physical Activities4.7
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events4.7
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships4.6
How to get in
How to become a physical therapist assistant
- Typical entry education
- Associate's degree
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 1 majors mapped to Physical Therapist Assistants1 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 51.0806Physical Therapy Assistant
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a physical therapist assistant?+
BLS lists an associate's degree as the typical entry-level education for physical therapist assistants. The field of study that leads most directly to this job is Physical Therapy Assistant (IPEDS completions).
Which college majors lead to becoming a physical therapist assistant?+
The field of study that leads most directly to this job is Physical Therapy Assistant (IPEDS completions). In all, the NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 1 program to this job, which graduates about 5,489 people a year.
How much do physical therapist assistants earn?+
The median is $68,380 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $47,750 at the 10th percentile to $89,510 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for physical therapist assistants growing?+
BLS projects a +22.0% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, much faster than average, with roughly 19,800 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
360 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 1 program that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do physical therapist assistants work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA), Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA), Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant (LPTA), Certified Physical Therapist Assistant (CPTA) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 31-2021.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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