Surgical Assistants vs Physical Therapist Assistants AI Risk

Job 1

Job 2

Job 1

Job 2

low risk

Surgical Assistants

59 shared · 27 different

core competencies

low risk

Physical Therapist Assistants

Side-by-Side Comparison

Surgical Assistants leads 3–2

Metric	Surgical Assistants	Physical Therapist Assistants
Risk Score	19.2%	22.5%
Risk Tier	Low Risk	Low Risk
Risk Percentile	5th	12th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)	4 / 15	1 / 15
Median Salary	$48,790	$65,510
Employment	174K	108K

Skill Comparison

Sorted by largest difference

Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material

Controlling Machines and Processes

Medicine and Dentistry

Assisting and Caring for Others

Handling and Moving Objects

Making Decisions and Solving Problems

Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events

Visual Color Discrimination

Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings

Control Precision

Finger Dexterity

Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Surgical Assistants

36%

total discount

Physical Therapist Assistants

34%

total discount

Task Risk Comparison

Tasks sorted by AI automation risk — higher means more automatable

Surgical Assistants

4 of 15 at risk

86%Determine availability of necessary equipment or supplies for operative procedures.

80%Obtain or inspect sterile or non-sterile surgical equipment, instruments, or supplies.

72%Verify the identity of patient or operative site.

59%Operate sterilizing devices.

47%Prepare and apply sterile wound dressings.

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.

Wage Comparison

Physical Therapist Assistants earns +$16,720(+34%) vs Surgical Assistants

Surgical AssistantsPhysical Therapist Assistants

10th

$37,290$46,020

25th

$40,740$58,240

Median

$48,790$65,510

75th

$62,280$77,270

90th

$81,290$87,630

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Surgical Assistants2028–2035

Physical Therapist Assistants2028–2035

20242030203520402045

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

Risk-Adjusted Salary

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

Surgical Assistants

$39,403

from $48,790

Physical Therapist Assistants

$50,757

from $65,510

After adjusting for AI risk, Physical Therapist Assistants offers $11,354 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

Unique to Surgical

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

Surgical AssistantsPhysical Therapist Assistants

Find transitions from Surgical Assistants Find transitions from Physical Therapist Assistants