Dental Assistants vs Physical Therapist Aides AI Risk

Job 1

Job 2

Job 1

Job 2

low risk

Dental Assistants

45 shared · 17 different

core competencies

low risk

Physical Therapist Aides

Side-by-Side Comparison

Dental Assistants leads 3–1

Metric	Dental Assistants	Physical Therapist Aides
Risk Score	24.2%	24.3%
Risk Tier	Low Risk	Low Risk
Risk Percentile	17th	17th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)	4 / 15	3 / 15
Median Salary	$47,300	$34,520
Employment	375K	44K

Skill Comparison

Sorted by largest difference

Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards

Therapy and Counseling

Medicine and Dentistry

Performing General Physical Activities

Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge

Getting Information

Interacting With Computers

Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People

English Language

Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information

Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events

Analyzing Data or Information

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Dental Assistants

34%

total discount

Physical Therapist Aides

30%

total discount

Task Risk Comparison

Tasks sorted by AI automation risk — higher means more automatable

Dental Assistants

4 of 15 at risk

86%Record treatment information in patient records.

86%Order and monitor dental supplies and equipment inventory.

82%Take and record medical and dental histories and vital signs of patients.

65%Schedule appointments, prepare bills and receive payment for dental services, complete insurance forms, and maintain records, manually or using computer.

49%Pour, trim, and polish study casts.

Physical Therapist Aides

3 of 15 at risk

87%Schedule patient appointments with physical therapists and coordinate therapists' schedules.

87%Perform clerical duties, such as taking inventory, ordering supplies, answering telephone, taking messages, or filling out forms.

86%Record treatment given and equipment used.

49%Measure patient's range-of-joint motion, body parts, or vital signs to determine effects of treatments or for patient evaluations.

49%Observe patients during treatment to compile and evaluate data on patients' responses and progress and report to physical therapist.

Wage Comparison

Physical Therapist Aides earns -$12,780(-27%) vs Dental Assistants

Dental AssistantsPhysical Therapist Aides

10th

$36,190$24,960

25th

$39,520$29,710

Median

$47,300$34,520

75th

$56,910$38,240

90th

$61,780$46,930

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Dental Assistants2028–2035

Physical Therapist Aides2028–2035

20242030203520402045

Dental Assistants has a longer runway before significant displacement, projected 0 years later than Physical Therapist Aides.

Risk-Adjusted Salary

Salary weighted by displacement risk: salary × (1 − risk%)

Dental Assistants

$35,839

from $47,300

Physical Therapist Aides

$26,139

from $34,520

After adjusting for AI risk, Dental Assistants offers $9,701 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

Unique to Dental

Unique to Physical

Combined Protection Strategy

Regardless of which path you choose, focus on these protective factors

Decision Complexity

Regulatory Barriers

Creativity

Social Intelligence

Dental AssistantsPhysical Therapist Aides

Find transitions from Dental Assistants Find transitions from Physical Therapist Aides