Physical Therapists vs Occupational Therapy Aides AI Risk

Job 1

Job 2

Job 1

Job 2

low risk

Physical Therapists

56 shared · 25 different

core competencies

low risk

Occupational Therapy Aides

Side-by-Side Comparison

Physical Therapists leads 5–0

Metric	Physical Therapists	Occupational Therapy Aides
Risk Score	22.6%	24.2%
Risk Tier	Low Risk	Low Risk
Risk Percentile	12th	17th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)	2 / 15	5 / 15
Median Salary	$101,020	$37,370
Employment	249K	5K

Skill Comparison

Sorted by largest difference

Medicine and Dentistry

Education and Training

Inductive Reasoning

Reading ComprehensionAI-Vulnerable

Therapy and Counseling

Deductive Reasoning

Performing General Physical Activities

Handling and Moving Objects

Written Comprehension

Developing Objectives and Strategies

Written Expression

Developing and Building Teams

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Physical Therapists

37%

total discount

Occupational Therapy Aides

32%

total discount

Task Risk Comparison

Tasks sorted by AI automation risk — higher means more automatable

Physical Therapists

2 of 15 at risk

86%Record prognosis, treatment, response, and progress in patient's chart or enter information into computer.

51%Review physician's referral and patient's medical records to help determine diagnosis and physical therapy treatment required.

49%Identify and document goals, anticipated progress, and plans for reevaluation.

41%Discharge patient from physical therapy when goals or projected outcomes have been attained and provide for appropriate follow-up care or referrals.

40%Instruct patient and family in treatment procedures to be continued at home.

Occupational Therapy Aides

5 of 15 at risk

84%Perform clerical, administrative, and secretarial duties, such as answering phones, restocking and ordering supplies, filling out paperwork, and scheduling appointments.

80%Report to supervisors or therapists, verbally or in writing, on patients' progress, attitudes, attendance, and accomplishments.

78%Assist educational specialists or clinical psychologists in administering situational or diagnostic tests to measure client's abilities or progress.

68%Observe patients' attendance, progress, attitudes, and accomplishments and record and maintain information in client records.

53%Prepare and maintain work area, materials, and equipment and maintain inventory of treatment and educational supplies.

Wage Comparison

Occupational Therapy Aides earns -$63,650(-63%) vs Physical Therapists

Physical TherapistsOccupational Therapy Aides

10th

$74,420$27,970

25th

$83,470$34,840

Median

$101,020$37,370

75th

$117,190$44,190

90th

$132,500$65,580

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Physical Therapists2028–2035

Occupational Therapy Aides2028–2035

20242030203520402045

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

Risk-Adjusted Salary

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

Physical Therapists

$78,240

from $101,020

Occupational Therapy Aides

$28,338

from $37,370

After adjusting for AI risk, Physical Therapists offers $49,902 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

Regulatory Barriers

Fine Manipulation

Creativity

Decision Complexity

Physical TherapistsOccupational Therapy Aides

Find transitions from Physical Therapists Find transitions from Occupational Therapy Aides