Radiologic Technicians vs Physical Therapist Aides AI Risk

Job 1

Job 2

Job 1

Job 2

medium risk

Radiologic Technicians

51 shared · 23 different

core competencies

low risk

Physical Therapist Aides

Side-by-Side Comparison

Physical Therapist Aides leads 4–1

Metric	Radiologic Technicians	Physical Therapist Aides
Risk Score	26.0%	24.3%
Risk Tier	Medium Risk	Low Risk
Risk Percentile	22th	17th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)	4 / 15	3 / 15
Median Salary	$48,790	$34,520
Employment	174K	44K

Skill Comparison

Sorted by largest difference

Controlling Machines and Processes

Therapy and Counseling

Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge

Performing General Physical Activities

Thinking Creatively

Operation and Control

Control Precision

Oral Expression

Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work

Near Vision

Written Comprehension

Quality Control Analysis

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Radiologic Technicians

33%

total discount

Physical Therapist Aides

30%

total discount

Task Risk Comparison

Tasks sorted by AI automation risk — higher means more automatable

Radiologic Technicians

4 of 15 at risk

88%Operate digital picture archiving communications systems.

86%Process exposed radiographs using film processors or computer generated methods.

84%Determine patients' x-ray needs by reading requests or instructions from physicians.

51%Make exposures necessary for the requested procedures, rejecting and repeating work that does not meet established standards.

47%Prepare and set up x-ray room for patient.

Physical Therapist Aides

3 of 15 at risk

87%Schedule patient appointments with physical therapists and coordinate therapists' schedules.

87%Perform clerical duties, such as taking inventory, ordering supplies, answering telephone, taking messages, or filling out forms.

86%Record treatment given and equipment used.

49%Measure patient's range-of-joint motion, body parts, or vital signs to determine effects of treatments or for patient evaluations.

49%Observe patients during treatment to compile and evaluate data on patients' responses and progress and report to physical therapist.

Wage Comparison

Physical Therapist Aides earns -$14,270(-29%) vs Radiologic Technicians

Radiologic TechniciansPhysical Therapist Aides

10th

$37,290$24,960

25th

$40,740$29,710

Median

$48,790$34,520

75th

$62,280$38,240

90th

$81,290$46,930

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Radiologic Technicians2028–2035

Physical Therapist Aides2028–2035

20242030203520402045

Physical Therapist Aides has a longer runway before significant displacement, projected 0 years later than Radiologic Technicians.

Risk-Adjusted Salary

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

Radiologic Technicians

$36,105

from $48,790

Physical Therapist Aides

$26,139

from $34,520

After adjusting for AI risk, Radiologic Technicians offers $9,966 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

Unique to Radiologic

Unique to Physical

Combined Protection Strategy

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

Creativity

Decision Complexity

Social Intelligence

Fine Manipulation

Radiologic TechniciansPhysical Therapist Aides

Find transitions from Radiologic Technicians Find transitions from Physical Therapist Aides