Physical Therapists vs Occupational Therapy Assistants AI Risk

Job 1

Job 2

Job 1

Job 2

low risk

Physical Therapists

70 shared · 11 different

core competencies

medium risk

Occupational Therapy Assistants

Side-by-Side Comparison

Physical Therapists leads 5–0

Metric	Physical Therapists	Occupational Therapy Assistants
Risk Score	22.6%	26.7%
Risk Tier	Low Risk	Medium Risk
Risk Percentile	12th	24th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)	2 / 15	3 / 15
Median Salary	$101,020	$68,340
Employment	249K	48K

Skill Comparison

Sorted by largest difference

Biology

Medicine and Dentistry

Handling and Moving Objects

Inductive Reasoning

Deductive Reasoning

Developing and Building Teams

Reading ComprehensionAI-Vulnerable

Critical ThinkingAI-Augmented

Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others

Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events

Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Physical Therapists

37%

total discount

Occupational Therapy Assistants

34%

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 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 -$32,680(-32%) vs Physical Therapists

Physical TherapistsOccupational Therapy Assistants

10th

$74,420$49,070

25th

$83,470$59,950

Median

$101,020$68,340

75th

$117,190$77,340

90th

$132,500$86,930

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Physical Therapists2028–2035

Occupational Therapy Assistants2028–2035

20242030203520402045

Physical Therapists 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 Therapists

$78,240

from $101,020

Occupational Therapy Assistants

$50,093

from $68,340

After adjusting for AI risk, Physical Therapists offers $28,147 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

Decision Complexity

Creativity

Physical TherapistsOccupational Therapy Assistants

Find transitions from Physical Therapists Find transitions from Occupational Therapy Assistants