Physical Therapist Assistants
Machines can already do 27% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 61%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Physical Therapist Assistants in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 27% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 0% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2033, and 61% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 112,430 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $68,380 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 93% for contact with people.
- Also called: Certified Physical Therapist Assistant (CPTA), Home Care Physical Therapy Assistant, Home Health Physical Therapist Assistant, Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant (LPTA).
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instruct, motivate, safeguard, and assist patients as they practice exercises or functional activities | 27% | 20% to 60% | |
| Document patient information, such as notes on their progress | 14% | 70% to 95% | |
| Administer active or passive manual therapeutic exercises, therapeutic massage, aquatic physical therapy, or heat, light, sound, or electrical modality treatments, such as ultrasound | 12% | 20% to 60% | |
| Instruct patients in proper body mechanics and in ways to improve functional mobility, such as aquatic exercise | 7% | 3% to 30% | |
| Observe 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 | 5% | 47% to 78% | |
| Confer with physical therapy staff or others to discuss and evaluate patient information for planning, modifying, or coordinating treatment | 5% | 30% to 54% | |
| Transport patients to and from treatment areas, lifting and transferring them according to positioning requirements | 4% | 3% to 30% | |
| Clean work area and check and store equipment after treatment | 4% | 20% to 60% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills physical therapist assistants use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Occupational Therapy Aides49% of tasks by 2035 · US median $39,160
- Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians56% of tasks by 2035 · US median $35,450
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists44% of tasks by 2035 · US median $95,480
- Occupational Therapy Assistants49% of tasks by 2035 · US median $72,300
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Physical Therapist Assistants?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2033. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of physical therapist assistants?
Machines can do 27% of the tasks of physical therapist assistants today and 61% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 31-2021.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Physical Therapist Assistants: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/physical-therapist-assistants/