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AI Job Risk

Occupation baseline · Research consensus

Will AI replace Physical Therapist Assistants?

Lower risk

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

What this score means

Physical Therapist Assistants 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 12 out of 100 it scores 10 points below the Healthcare average of 22. Across the 5 sources behind this baseline, individual estimates run from 5 to 23, 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 Assistants, most central first, showing 12 of 21.

  • 01Instruct, motivate, safeguard, and assist patients as they practice exercises or functional activities.
  • 02Document patient information, such as notes on their progress.
  • 03Observe 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.
  • 04Instruct patients in proper body mechanics and in ways to improve functional mobility, such as aquatic exercise.
  • 05Secure patients into or onto therapy equipment.
  • 06Confer with physical therapy staff or others to discuss and evaluate patient information for planning, modifying, or coordinating treatment.
  • 07Administer active or passive manual therapeutic exercises, therapeutic massage, aquatic physical therapy, or heat, light, sound, or electrical modality treatments, such as ultrasound.
  • 08Transport patients to and from treatment areas, lifting and transferring them according to positioning requirements.
  • 09Clean work area and check and store equipment after treatment.
  • 10Communicate with or instruct caregivers or family members on patient therapeutic activities or treatment plans.
  • 11Measure patients' range-of-joint motion, body parts, or vital signs to determine effects of treatments or for patient evaluations.
  • 12Train patients in the use of orthopedic braces, prostheses, or supportive devices.

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 Assistants 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 Assistants?
Published research puts Physical Therapist Assistants at 12 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 Assistants?
Broadly, yes. Individual estimates for Physical Therapist Assistants run from 5 to 23 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 Assistants by score are Dental Hygienists (12/100), Emergency Medical Technicians (12/100), and Endoscopy Technicians (12/100). Each has its own page with the research behind its number.

Also covers

Certified Physical Therapist Assistant (CPTA) · Home Care Physical Therapy Assistant · Home Health Physical Therapist Assistant · Home Health Physical Therapy Assistant (Home Health PTA) · Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant (LPTA) · Licensed Physical Therapy Assistant · Nursing Facility PTA (Nursing Facility Physical Therapy Assistant) · Outpatient Physical Therapist Assistant and related titles

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