Physician Assistants vs Physical Therapists AI Risk

Job 1

Job 2

Job 1

Job 2

medium risk

Physician Assistants

70 shared · 19 different

core competencies

low risk

Physical Therapists

Side-by-Side Comparison

Physical Therapists leads 4–1

Metric	Physician Assistants	Physical Therapists
Risk Score	27.9%	22.6%
Risk Tier	Medium Risk	Low Risk
Risk Percentile	29th	12th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)	4 / 12	2 / 15
Median Salary	$133,260	$101,020
Employment	156K	249K

Skill Comparison

Sorted by largest difference

Handling and Moving Objects

Performing General Physical Activities

Processing Information

Medicine and Dentistry

Making Decisions and Solving Problems

Biology

Getting Information

Developing and Building Teams

Analyzing Data or Information

Chemistry

Assisting and Caring for Others

Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Physician Assistants

37%

total discount

Physical Therapists

37%

total discount

Task Risk Comparison

Tasks sorted by AI automation risk — higher means more automatable

Physician Assistants

4 of 12 at risk

86%Order medical and laboratory supplies and equipment.

74%Administer or order diagnostic tests, such as x-ray, electrocardiogram, and laboratory tests.

64%Obtain, compile and record patient medical data, including health history, progress notes and results of physical examination.

54%Make tentative diagnoses and decisions about management and treatment of patients.

50%Interpret diagnostic test results for deviations from normal.

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.

Wage Comparison

Physical Therapists earns -$32,240(-24%) vs Physician Assistants

Physician AssistantsPhysical Therapists

10th

$95,240$74,420

25th

$113,770$83,470

Median

$133,260$101,020

75th

$160,160$117,190

90th

$182,200$132,500

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Physician Assistants2028–2035

Physical Therapists2028–2035

20242030203520402045

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

Risk-Adjusted Salary

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

Physician Assistants

$96,147

from $133,260

Physical Therapists

$78,240

from $101,020

After adjusting for AI risk, Physician Assistants offers $17,907 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

Unique to Physician

Unique to Physical

Combined Protection Strategy

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

Fine Manipulation

Decision Complexity

Social Intelligence

Regulatory Barriers

Physician AssistantsPhysical Therapists

Find transitions from Physician Assistants Find transitions from Physical Therapists