Physical Therapist Assistants vs Occupational Therapy Assistants AI Risk

Job 1

Job 2

Job 1

Job 2

low risk

Physical Therapist Assistants

69 shared · 12 different

core competencies

medium risk

Occupational Therapy Assistants

Side-by-Side Comparison

Physical Therapist Assistants leads 4–1

Metric	Physical Therapist Assistants	Occupational Therapy Assistants
Risk Score	22.5%	26.7%
Risk Tier	Low Risk	Medium Risk
Risk Percentile	12th	24th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)	1 / 15	3 / 15
Median Salary	$65,510	$68,340
Employment	108K	48K

Skill Comparison

Sorted by largest difference

Therapy and Counseling

Performing for or Working Directly with the Public

Scheduling Work and Activities

Education and Training

Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge

Psychology

Written Expression

Assisting and Caring for Others

Trunk Strength

Developing and Building Teams

WritingAI-Augmented

Performing General Physical Activities

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Physical Therapist Assistants

34%

total discount

Occupational Therapy Assistants

34%

total discount

Task Risk Comparison

Tasks sorted by AI automation risk — higher means more automatable

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.

Occupational Therapy Assistants

3 of 15 at risk

86%Report to supervisors, verbally or in writing, on patients' progress, attitudes, and behavior.

84%Observe and record patients' progress, attitudes, and behavior and maintain this information in client records.

74%Attend continuing education classes.

47%Select therapy activities to fit patients' needs and capabilities.

45%Alter treatment programs to obtain better results if treatment is not having the intended effect.

Wage Comparison

Occupational Therapy Assistants earns +$2,830(+4%) vs Physical Therapist Assistants

Physical Therapist AssistantsOccupational Therapy Assistants

10th

$46,020$49,070

25th

$58,240$59,950

Median

$65,510$68,340

75th

$77,270$77,340

90th

$87,630$86,930

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Physical Therapist Assistants2028–2035

Occupational Therapy Assistants2028–2035

20242030203520402045

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

Risk-Adjusted Salary

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

Physical Therapist Assistants

$50,757

from $65,510

Occupational Therapy Assistants

$50,093

from $68,340

After adjusting for AI risk, Physical Therapist Assistants offers $664 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

Unique to Physical

Unique to Occupational

Combined Protection Strategy

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

Social Intelligence

Creativity

Regulatory Barriers

Fine Manipulation

Physical Therapist AssistantsOccupational Therapy Assistants

Find transitions from Physical Therapist Assistants Find transitions from Occupational Therapy Assistants