Occupational Therapists vs Physical Therapist Assistants AI Risk

Job 1

Job 2

Job 1

Job 2

low risk

Occupational Therapists

50 shared · 35 different

core competencies

low risk

Physical Therapist Assistants

Side-by-Side Comparison

Physical Therapist Assistants leads 4–1

Metric	Occupational Therapists	Physical Therapist Assistants
Risk Score	23.9%	22.5%
Risk Tier	Low Risk	Low Risk
Risk Percentile	16th	12th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)	3 / 15	1 / 15
Median Salary	$98,340	$65,510
Employment	152K	108K

Skill Comparison

Sorted by largest difference

Therapy and Counseling

Psychology

Education and Training

Sociology and Anthropology

Making Decisions and Solving Problems

Performing for or Working Directly with the Public

Developing Objectives and Strategies

Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates

Developing and Building Teams

WritingAI-Augmented

Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others

Performing Administrative Activities

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Occupational Therapists

39%

total discount

Physical Therapist Assistants

34%

total discount

Task Risk Comparison

Tasks sorted by AI automation risk — higher means more automatable

Occupational Therapists

3 of 15 at risk

61%Complete and maintain necessary records.

57%Select activities that will help individuals learn work and life-management skills within limits of their mental or physical capabilities.

51%Conduct research in occupational therapy.

47%Evaluate patients' progress and prepare reports that detail progress.

47%Lay out materials such as puzzles, scissors and eating utensils for use in therapy, and clean and repair these tools after therapy sessions.

Physical Therapist Assistants

1 of 15 at risk

86%Document patient information, such as notes on their progress.

43%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.

43%Clean work area and check and store equipment after treatment.

42%Instruct, motivate, safeguard, and assist patients as they practice exercises or functional activities.

39%Secure patients into or onto therapy equipment.

Wage Comparison

Physical Therapist Assistants earns -$32,830(-33%) vs Occupational Therapists

Occupational TherapistsPhysical Therapist Assistants

10th

$67,090$46,020

25th

$80,490$58,240

Median

$98,340$65,510

75th

$110,460$77,270

90th

$129,830$87,630

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Occupational Therapists2028–2035

Physical Therapist Assistants2028–2035

20242030203520402045

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

Risk-Adjusted Salary

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

Occupational Therapists

$74,856

from $98,340

Physical Therapist Assistants

$50,757

from $65,510

After adjusting for AI risk, Occupational Therapists offers $24,099 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

Unique to Occupational

Unique to Physical

Combined Protection Strategy

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

Creativity

Decision Complexity

Social Intelligence

Regulatory Barriers

Occupational TherapistsPhysical Therapist Assistants

Find transitions from Occupational Therapists Find transitions from Physical Therapist Assistants