AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 31-2022.00
Will AI replace Physical Therapist Aides?
Physical Therapist Aides: AI can already handle 2 of 19 tasks; the work mostly needs an efficient-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 19 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Physical Therapist Aides, from most to least exposed. 2 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Observe patients during treatment to compile and evaluate data on patients' responses and progress and report to physical therapist. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Confer with physical therapy staff or others to discuss and evaluate patient information for planning, modifying, or coordinating treatment. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Schedule patient appointments with physical therapists and coordinate therapists' schedules. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Instruct, motivate, safeguard, or assist patients practicing exercises or functional activities, under direction of medical staff. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Train patients to use orthopedic braces, prostheses, or supportive devices. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Clean and organize work area and disinfect equipment after treatment. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Secure patients into or onto therapy equipment. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Administer active or passive manual therapeutic exercises, therapeutic massage, or heat, light, sound, water, or electrical modality treatments, such as ultrasound. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Change linens, such as bed sheets and pillow cases. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Record treatment given and equipment used. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Transport patients to and from treatment areas, using wheelchairs or providing standing support. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Measure patient's range-of-joint motion, body parts, or vital signs to determine effects of treatments or for patient evaluations. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Perform clerical duties, such as taking inventory, ordering supplies, answering telephone, taking messages, or filling out forms. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Arrange treatment supplies to keep them in order. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Administer traction to relieve neck or back pain, using intermittent or static traction equipment. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Assist patients to dress, undress, or put on and remove supportive devices, such as braces, splints, or slings. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Fit patients for orthopedic braces, prostheses, or supportive devices, adjusting fit as needed. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Participate in patient care tasks, such as assisting with passing food trays, feeding residents, or bathing residents on bed rest. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Maintain equipment or furniture to keep it in good working condition, including performing the assembly or disassembly of equipment or accessories. | Estimated | Efficient |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 19 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 19 of 19. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.
The model tier this role needs
An efficient-tier model or lower covers 89% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 100% of the work is something AI can address at some tier.
Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.
Wages, employment and outlook
- US employment
- 48,150
- Median annual wage
- $35,240
- Middle half of earners
- $30,410 to $38,810
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- +2.8%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.
Adjacent roles
The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.
- Physical Therapist Assistants 81% skill overlap, about 7 months to move Exposure35
- Occupational Therapy Aides 80% skill overlap, about 7 months to move Exposure31
- Physical Therapists 74% skill overlap, about 9 months to move Exposure63
- Psychiatric Aides 65% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure29
- Personal Care Aides 64% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure43
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Physical Therapist Aides and AI
Will AI replace Physical Therapist Aides?
AI already handles 2 of the 19 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 36 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by +2.8% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Physical Therapist Aides?
36 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 0 of the 19 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 19 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Physical Therapist Aides tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Observe patients during treatment to compile and evaluate data on patients' responses and progress and report to physical therapist; Confer with physical therapy staff or others to discuss and evaluate patient information for planning, modifying, or coordinating treatment. They are the tasks that reach 60 or more.
What AI model tier does this role need?
An efficient-tier model or lower covers 89% of the role's importance-weighted task work. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.
How many people work as Physical Therapist Aides, and what do they earn?
48,150 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $35,240 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +2.8% from 2024 to 2034.
How to cite
Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.
JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Physical Therapist Aides. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/physical-therapist-aides
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