Active Listening
80/100Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Health care / federal career guide
SOC 31-2021
Physical Therapist Assistants career data
Wages, employment, skills, and education-program connections for community-college planning.
- Median annual wage
- $68,380
- National OEWS, May 2025
- National employment
- 112,430
- Estimated jobs, not projected openings
- 10th–90th percentile
- $47,750–$89,510
- National annual wage range
- Mapped program classes
- 1
- Official CIP–SOC crosswalk records
Occupation definition
What this occupation covers
Assist physical therapists in providing physical therapy treatments and procedures. May, in accordance with state laws, assist in the development of treatment plans, carry out routine functions, document the progress of treatment, and modify specific treatments in accordance with patient status and within the scope of treatment plans established by a physical therapist. Generally requires formal training.
Decision prompt
Can the college show how classroom, lab, and clinical evidence build toward practice readiness?
Curriculum evidence
High-importance O*NET® skills
Importance scores are normalized to a 0–100 planning scale from the active O*NET® database importance records.
Social Perceptiveness
75/100Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Monitoring
75/100Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Speaking
75/100Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Writing
65/100Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Knowledge
Knowledge areas to review
Technology
Tools named in O*NET® data
Program connections
Education programs mapped to this occupation
The NCES crosswalk connects SOC 31-2021 with 1 CIP classification. These mappings support exploration; they do not promise employment or licensure.
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