Physical Therapist Aides
Healthcare Support Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 31-2022.00
Under close supervision of a physical therapist or physical therapy assistant, perform only delegated, selected, or routine tasks in specific situations. These duties include preparing the patient and the treatment area.
- Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
Low· relative
LowFour relative bandsVery highGroup-level value
Scale, basis and source
Four relative bands (Low / Moderate / High / Very high)
831 detailed occupations in the BLS Employment Projections table. Assigned per National Employment Matrix (NEM) code, so occupations sharing a NEM code carry the same band
- Data source: AnthropicPublished: 2026-03
0.000
0.000Range of values carried here0.745Scale, basis and source
Observed exposure index, 0–1 as published
Mapped onto O*NET tasks
Published per SOC 2018 occupation; every O*NET occupation with the same SOC 2018 code carries this value
- Data source: ILOPublished: 2025
0.15
0.09Range of values carried here0.70Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published
Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published
What kind of figure this source publishes
The BLS category is a relative rank, not an absolute level, and it is not a first-hand measurement: it groups an occupation's percentile ranks across several published studies into four bands. It is not an employment or wage forecast, not a probability of adoption, and it does not separate automation from augmentation.
Task-level exposure
Show 18 hidden tasks19 rated tasks · 4 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (21.1%)
β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.
- Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
- All rated tasks are in the O*NET 31.0 task list.
- Source
- OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
- Release
- gh-main-0471612
- License
- MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI
| Task (O*NET 20.1) | Claude.aiRaw / share % |
|---|---|
Perform clerical duties, such as taking inventory, ordering supplies, answering telephone, taking messages, or filling out forms.31-2022.00 | 0.0018100.0 |
Values in this tab are predicted labels, not observations. Eloundou et al. (2023) published two rating regimes — human raters and GPT-4 — and the β shown here is derived from the GPT-4 rater basis alone; the same task can take a different value under the other regime. The unit and the meaning differ from the observed shares (%) in the other tabs, so do not place them on the same axis.
| Task (O*NET 27.2) | βE1 + 0.5 × E2 |
|---|---|
Record treatment given and equipment used.O*NET Task ID 4279 | 1.0 |
Perform clerical duties, such as taking inventory, ordering supplies, answering telephone, taking messages, or filling out forms.O*NET Task ID 4280 | 1.0 |
Observe patients during treatment to compile and evaluate data on patients' responses and progress and report to physical therapist.O*NET Task ID 4274 | 0.5 |
Schedule patient appointments with physical therapists and coordinate therapists' schedules.O*NET Task ID 15251 | 0.5 |
β = E1 + 0.5 × E2 · E1 = tasks where direct LLM access alone cuts time by at least 50%, E2 = tasks where software built on top of an LLM cuts time by at least 50%. Values take only 0 / 0.5 / 1.0.
Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Anthropic Economic Index, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page
All O*NET 31.0 task statements (19)
All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.
| Task (O*NET 31.0) | Type |
|---|---|
| Clean and organize work area and disinfect equipment after treatment. | Core |
| Observe patients during treatment to compile and evaluate data on patients' responses and progress and report to physical therapist. | Core |
| Instruct, motivate, safeguard, or assist patients practicing exercises or functional activities, under direction of medical staff. | Core |
| Secure patients into or onto therapy equipment. | Core |
| Transport patients to and from treatment areas, using wheelchairs or providing standing support. | Core |
| Confer with physical therapy staff or others to discuss and evaluate patient information for planning, modifying, or coordinating treatment. | Core |
| Perform clerical duties, such as taking inventory, ordering supplies, answering telephone, taking messages, or filling out forms. | Core |
| Maintain equipment or furniture to keep it in good working condition, including performing the assembly or disassembly of equipment or accessories. | Core |
| Administer active or passive manual therapeutic exercises, therapeutic massage, or heat, light, sound, water, or electrical modality treatments, such as ultrasound. | Core |
| Change linens, such as bed sheets and pillow cases. | Core |
| Arrange treatment supplies to keep them in order. | Core |
| Assist patients to dress, undress, or put on and remove supportive devices, such as braces, splints, or slings. | Core |
| Schedule patient appointments with physical therapists and coordinate therapists' schedules. | Core |
| Record treatment given and equipment used. | Supplemental |
| Measure patient's range-of-joint motion, body parts, or vital signs to determine effects of treatments or for patient evaluations. | Supplemental |
| Train patients to use orthopedic braces, prostheses, or supportive devices. | Supplemental |
| Fit patients for orthopedic braces, prostheses, or supportive devices, adjusting fit as needed. | Supplemental |
| Participate in patient care tasks, such as assisting with passing food trays, feeding residents, or bathing residents on bed rest. | Supplemental |
| Administer traction to relieve neck or back pain, using intermittent or static traction equipment. | Supplemental |
0.61/ 3· Robot exposure index
Scale, basis and source
Each physical task is graded 0–3 by the setting in which robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated could do it (0 none · 1 purpose-built robot settings such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line · 2 structured facilities such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port · 3 unstructured settings such as a private home or a construction site), and the grades are averaged by share of working time
Physical tasks among this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks
Anthropic estimated the grades and time shares with Claude Opus 5 using web search, as of 2026.
The robot exposure index is a different measure from the AI exposure figures on this site and cannot be added to or compared with them. It does not measure actual adoption or cost, and 0 also covers occupations with no physical tasks.
Tier of each physical task
Robot environment tiers (E0–E3)
E0 noneDetails
Rated not doable by robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated, even in a purpose-built setting
E1 purpose-built robot settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting built around the machine, such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line
E2 structured facilitiesDetails
Rated doable in a human work facility that an institution keeps to a working standard, such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port
E3 unstructured settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting that no institution keeps to a working standard, such as a private home or a construction site
Only tasks classified as physical are listed; other tasks have no tier in the source.
| Task (O*NET 29.3) | Robot environment tier |
|---|---|
| Clean and organize work area and disinfect equipment after treatment. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Instruct, motivate, safeguard, or assist patients practicing exercises or functional activities, under direction of medical staff. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Secure patients into or onto therapy equipment. | E0 none |
| Transport patients to and from treatment areas, using wheelchairs or providing standing support. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Maintain equipment or furniture to keep it in good working condition, including performing the assembly or disassembly of equipment or accessories. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Administer active or passive manual therapeutic exercises, therapeutic massage, or heat, light, sound, water, or electrical modality treatments, such as ultrasound. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Change linens, such as bed sheets and pillow cases. | E0 none |
| Arrange treatment supplies to keep them in order. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Assist patients to dress, undress, or put on and remove supportive devices, such as braces, splints, or slings. | E0 none |
| Measure patient's range-of-joint motion, body parts, or vital signs to determine effects of treatments or for patient evaluations. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Train patients to use orthopedic braces, prostheses, or supportive devices. | E0 none |
| Fit patients for orthopedic braces, prostheses, or supportive devices, adjusting fit as needed. | E0 none |
| Participate in patient care tasks, such as assisting with passing food trays, feeding residents, or bathing residents on bed rest. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Administer traction to relieve neck or back pain, using intermittent or static traction equipment. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
- Employment, 2025
- 49K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 51K
- Change (2025–35)
- +4%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $35,240
- Typical education needed for entry
- High school diploma or equivalent
Korea classification links (KSCO)
Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.
| KSCO code | KSCO title | Relation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 42902 | 치료사 보조원 | This occupation is narrower | confirmed |
Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)
ILO occupational description
AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.
- ISCO-08 5329Personal Care Workers in Health Services Not Elsewhere Classified
The definition, tasks and examples below are the ILO's description of that unit group, not of this occupation.
This unit group covers providers of routine health and personal care support services not classified elsewhere in Minor Group 532: Personal Care Workers in Health Services. For instance, the group includes occupations such as dental aide, sterilization aide, hospital orderly, medical imaging assistant and pharmacy aide.
Tasks
- In such cases tasks would include -
- (a) cleaning and sterilizing surgical, dental and pharmaceutical instruments, bottles, beakers and other equipment;
- (b) labelling drugs, chemicals and other pharmaceutical preparations and replenishing stock on shelves;
- (c) lifting, turning and moving patients and transporting them in wheelchairs or on moveable beds;
- (d) preparing patients for examination or treatment;
- (e) setting up instrument trays, preparing materials, and assisting dentists or radiographers during procedures;
- (f) exposing diagnostic X-rays.
Example occupations
Dental aide · First-aid attendant · Hospital orderly · Medical imaging assistant · Pharmacy aide · Phlebotomist · Sterilization aide
Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits
ESCO occupational vocabulary
Each entry below is matched to this occupation in the published ESCO-O*NET Crosswalk (version 1, 2022). The match types are that crosswalk's; the wording is AI Changing Work's.
- physiotherapy assistantESCO 3255.4Overlapping, not the same
Physiotherapy assistants work under supervision, within defined contexts using agreed treatment protocols and procedures such as collecting client data and maintaining the equipment required in physiotherapy interventions. The overall responsibility is retained by the delegating professional.
Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)
License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)
ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.
France classification links (ROME)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.
| ROME code | ROME title (French) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| J1404 | Kinésithérapeute | Related, not a match |
Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.
ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)
Spain classification links (CNO-11)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| CNO-11 code | CNO-11 title (Spanish) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 3325 | Ayudantes fisioterapeutas | Related, not a match |
| 5629 | Trabajadores de los cuidados a las personas en servicios de salud no clasificados bajo otros epígrafes | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)
Germany classification links (KldB)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| KldB code | KldB title (German) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 81712 | Berufe in der Physiotherapie - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)
Japan classification links (JSCO)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| JSCO code | JSCO title (Japanese) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 379 | その他の保健医療サービス職業従事者 | This occupation is narrower |
Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)
Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources