Care & Presence
Physical Therapist Assistant
Rehab progress happens in person.
AI Risk Score: 3/10
Score is our body/liability/scarcity rubric, calibrated against public AI-exposure research.
Data last reviewed: 2026-07-21
What you actually do
Deliver therapeutic exercises and mobility interventions under supervision of physical therapists.
Why AI does not easily replace it
Hands-on movement coaching and patient rapport are difficult to automate.
What it pays
$47,000 - $76,000
BLS OOH: Physical Therapist Assistants and Aides (May 2024 pay)
Salary benchmark year: 2025
How to get in
Associate degree + licensure exam and supervised clinical rotations.
Estimated time to entry: ~24 months (path-dependent).
State-by-state training and licensing links
Where demand is growing
Aging and outpatient rehabilitation growth support demand.
Ready to explore?
Compare this career in the full directory, or run the exposure calculator against your current role.
"The moat is not a prompt. It is responsibility in the real world."
AI risk evidence
- Anthropic Economic Index (2025-26): measured AI usage and task coverage by occupation
- IMF, "New Skills and AI Are Reshaping the Future of Work" (Jan 2026): ~40% of global jobs exposed to AI-driven change
- Stanford HAI AI Index Report 2026 (labor chapters)
- Oxford Martin: The Future of Employment (2013), kept for historical grounding