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AI exposure Healthcare support

Will AI replace physical therapist assistants?

Physical Therapist Assistants. US occupation 31-2021.

0.0%

of the time physical therapist assistants spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of physical therapist assistants' working hours go on tasks AI has already started taking off their plate.

Ranked 346 of 756 US occupations. No AI use seen in the work yet, along with 410 other occupations.No handover started yet, along with 410 other occupations.

Average US job 7.7%

Among the least exposed jobs there are.Still waiting for liberation.

What AI already does for physical therapist assistantsWhat physical therapist assistants no longer do alone

O*NET lists 21 tasks for physical therapist assistants. None of them shows meaningful AI use at work yet.

What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human

21 of the 21 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.

  • Administer active or passive manual therapeutic exercises, therapeutic massage, aquatic physical therapy, or heat, light, sound, or electrical modality treatments, such as ultrasound.Core task
  • Assist patients to dress, undress, or put on and remove supportive devices, such as braces, splints, or slings.Core task
  • Attend or conduct continuing education courses, seminars, or in-service activities.Core task
  • Clean work area and check and store equipment after treatment.Core task
  • Communicate with or instruct caregivers or family members on patient therapeutic activities or treatment plans.Core task
  • Confer with physical therapy staff or others to discuss and evaluate patient information for planning, modifying, or coordinating treatment.Core task
Show the other 15
  • Document patient information, such as notes on their progress.Core task
  • Fit patients for orthopedic braces, prostheses, or supportive devices, such as crutches.Core task
  • Instruct patients in proper body mechanics and in ways to improve functional mobility, such as aquatic exercise.Core task
  • Instruct, motivate, safeguard, and assist patients as they practice exercises or functional activities.Core task
  • Measure patients' range-of-joint motion, body parts, or vital signs to determine effects of treatments or for patient evaluations.Core task
  • Monitor operation of equipment and record use of equipment and administration of treatment.Core task
  • 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.Core task
  • Perform clerical duties, such as taking inventory, ordering supplies, answering telephone, taking messages, or filling out forms.Core task
  • Perform postural drainage, percussions, or vibrations or teach deep breathing exercises to treat respiratory conditions.Core task
  • Secure patients into or onto therapy equipment.Core task
  • Train patients in the use of orthopedic braces, prostheses, or supportive devices.Core task
  • Transport patients to and from treatment areas, lifting and transferring them according to positioning requirements.Core task
  • Administer traction to relieve neck or back pain, using intermittent or static traction equipment.
  • Perform therapeutic wound care.
  • Prepare treatment areas and electrotherapy equipment for use by physiotherapists.

How that compares

Among the 16 healthcare support occupations, physical therapist assistants rank 15. The group averages 4.9%, and its most exposed job is Medical Transcriptionists at 63.7%. The average US occupation sits at 7.7%.

All 756 occupations, ranked

Level with 0.0%

  1. 346Petroleum Engineers 0.0%
  2. 346Phlebotomists 0.0%
  3. 346Physical Therapist Aides 0.0%

What this does and does not mean

Exposure is observed use, not a forecast. Anthropic maps work conversations with Claude onto the tasks O*NET lists for each job and asks, of the tasks AI could speed up, which are actually being used for at work. A use that does the task outright counts in full and a use that assists a person counts half. The task scores are averaged into the occupation figure by the share of time spent on each task.

A high figure means AI is already part of how this work gets done. It does not mean anyone has been replaced. Anthropic's own reading of the labour market finds no systematic rise in unemployment among exposed workers so far, and about 14% fewer 22 to 25 year olds starting exposed jobs.No measurable rise in unemployment among exposed workers so far, and about 14% fewer 22 to 25 year olds starting these jobs. Gap years for everyone. Labor market impacts, 5 March 2026.

Task list and titles from O*NET 31.0 by the US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. Scores from the Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Checked 1 November 2026. How the ranking works.