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AI Job Risk

Occupation baseline · Research consensus

Will AI replace Physical Therapist Aides?

Lower risk

Baseline AI displacement risk for Physical Therapist Aides, aggregated from 5 research sources.

What this score means

Physical Therapist Aides is among the least exposed roles in Healthcare. Most of what the job involves still sits outside what current AI can do, even as the tools around it keep changing. At 11 out of 100 it scores 11 points below the Healthcare average of 22. Across the 5 sources behind this baseline, individual estimates run from 5 to 15, so the score is a weighted consensus rather than any single figure.

The number is a consensus estimate for the typical version of the role, built from published academic and industry research scored occupation by occupation. It is not a prediction about any individual. How scoring works

What this job actually involves

Exposure follows the work itself rather than the job title, so it is worth seeing what the role is made of. These are the tasks O*NET records for Physical Therapist Aides, most central first, showing 12 of 19.

  • 01Clean and organize work area and disinfect equipment after treatment.
  • 02Secure patients into or onto therapy equipment.
  • 03Instruct, motivate, safeguard, or assist patients practicing exercises or functional activities, under direction of medical staff.
  • 04Confer with physical therapy staff or others to discuss and evaluate patient information for planning, modifying, or coordinating treatment.
  • 05Observe patients during treatment to compile and evaluate data on patients' responses and progress and report to physical therapist.
  • 06Change linens, such as bed sheets and pillow cases.
  • 07Administer active or passive manual therapeutic exercises, therapeutic massage, or heat, light, sound, water, or electrical modality treatments, such as ultrasound.
  • 08Transport patients to and from treatment areas, using wheelchairs or providing standing support.
  • 09Perform clerical duties, such as taking inventory, ordering supplies, answering telephone, taking messages, or filling out forms.
  • 10Schedule patient appointments with physical therapists and coordinate therapists' schedules.
  • 11Arrange treatment supplies to keep them in order.
  • 12Assist patients to dress, undress, or put on and remove supportive devices, such as braces, splints, or slings.

Task statements from O*NET by the National Center for O*NET Development, used under CC BY 4.0. The tasks are descriptive; the exposure score above is ours.

The research behind this score

This baseline aggregates 5 research sources that scored Physical Therapist Aides for AI and automation exposure. More recent, higher confidence studies carry more weight in the final number.

Common questions

How likely is AI to replace Physical Therapist Aides?
Published research puts Physical Therapist Aides at 11 out of 100 for AI displacement risk, in the lower risk band. The number is a weighted consensus of 5 research sources and describes the typical version of the role, not any individual.
Do researchers agree on the risk for Physical Therapist Aides?
Broadly, yes. Individual estimates for Physical Therapist Aides run from 5 to 15 out of 100 across the 5 sources behind this score, a fairly tight range. More recent and higher confidence studies carry more weight in the final number.
Which healthcare roles face similar AI exposure?
The closest published healthcare roles to Physical Therapist Aides by score are Massage Therapists (11/100), Prosthodontists (11/100), and Dental Hygienists (12/100). Each has its own page with the research behind its number.

Also covers

Outpatient Aide · Outpatient Therapy Aide · PT Attendant (Physical Therapy Attendant) · PT Tech (Physical Therapist Technician) · PT Tech (Physical Therapy Technician) · Physical Therapist Aide (PTA) · Physical Therapy Aide (PTA) · Physiotherapy Aide and related titles

Estimated displacement window

The dated estimate for this role is included in the full personalised report.

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Informational guidance based on published research, not professional career or financial advice. Scores update as new research is ingested.