Therapy Aides

ANZSCO ID 423314

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
5,400
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
34%
Female Share
86%
Average age
45

Summary

Therapy Aides assist therapists in providing therapy programs and in the direct care of their patients in a variety of health, welfare and community settings.

Also known as: Therapist's Assistant.

Specialisations: Diversional Therapist's Assistant, Occupational Therapist's Assistant, Physiotherapist's Assistant.

Extensive experience or a formal qualification in a related field (like allied health assistance, disability, aged care or leisure and health) is needed to work as a Therapy Aide. Vocational Education and Training (VET) and university are both common study pathways.

Tasks

  • Assists patients with their mobility and communication needs.

  • Assists with rehabilitation exercises, basic treatment and delivers medications.

  • Provides direct support and assistance to therapists.

  • Observes and reports changes in patients' condition, and reports complaints about care.

Characteristics

Job Type
Community And Personal Service Workers
Skill Level
Lower skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
n/a
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • University
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
  • Informal or on-the-job
Interests
  • Practical
  • Analytical
  • Helping
Physical Demand
  • Medium
  • Heavy
  • Very Heavy

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Nursing Support and Personal Care Workers, under the outlook section.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 34% of people employed as Therapy Aides work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 32 percentage points below the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 40 hours per week in their main job. This is 4 hours less than the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.


Industries

Main industries

1
Health Care and Social Assistance
93.3%
2
Public Administration and Safety
3.0%
3
Other Services
1.1%
4
Education and Training
1.1%
5
Other industries
0.8%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

22.3% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

26.6% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

17.0% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

9.4% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

20.3% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

2.6% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.2% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

1.6% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Therapy Aides All Jobs Average
NSW 22.3 31.6
VIC 26.6 25.6
QLD 17.0 20.0
SA 9.4 7.0
WA 20.3 10.8
TAS 2.6 2.0
NT 0.2 1.0
ACT 1.6 1.9


  • Around 43% of Therapy Aides live outside of capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 38%.

    Western Australia has a large share of employment relative to its population size.

    The regions with the largest share of workers are:

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
45
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
86%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Therapy Aides is 45 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 45 to 54 years.

    Females make up 86% of the workforce. This is 38 percentage points above the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Therapy Aides All Jobs Average
15-19 2.0 5.0
20-24 10.9 9.3
25-34 17.1 22.9
35-44 17.6 22.0
45-54 26.7 21.6
55-59 13.8 9.0
60-64 8.6 6.0
65 and Over 3.4 4.2
Median Age 45 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

Extensive experience or a formal qualification in a related field (like allied health assistance, disability, aged care or leisure and health) is needed to work as a Therapy Aide. Vocational Education and Training (VET) and university are both common study pathways.

Visit

  • Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
  • ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Health Industry and Community Services VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Therapy Aides All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 4.8 10.1
Bachelor degree 18.5 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 16.1 11.6
Certificate III/IV 37.6 21.1
Year 12 13.3 18.1
Year 11 3.0 4.8
Year 10 and below 6.6 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Nursing Support and Personal Care Workers who are caring, compassionate, empathetic and physically fit with good people skills.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 57%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 54%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 54%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 54%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 52%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 50%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 50%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 46%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 45%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 45%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 45%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 43%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 43%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 43%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 41%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 41%

    Quality control analysis

    Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.

  • 39%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 39%

    Systems evaluation

    Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

  • 37%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.

  • 36%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 64%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 64%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 50%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 48%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 45%

    Medicine and dentistry

    Diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.

  • 45%

    Therapy and counselling

    Diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.

  • 42%

    Biology

    Plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.

  • 41%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 40%

    Sociology and anthropology

    Group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.

  • 39%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 33%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 33%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 32%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 31%

    Physics

    The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.

  • 31%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 30%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 29%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 28%

    Chemistry

    Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.

  • 24%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 21%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 61%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 61%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 54%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 52%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 52%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 52%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 50%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 48%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 46%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 46%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 46%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 45%

    Trunk strength

    Use your abdominal and lower back muscles a number of times without 'giving out' or fatiguing.

  • 45%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 43%

    Arm-hand steadiness

    Keep your hand or arm steady.

  • 43%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.

  • 43%

    Static strength

    Lift, push, pull, or carry things.

  • 41%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 41%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.

  • 37%

    Manual dexterity

    Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

  • 37%

    Multilimb coordination

    Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 68%

    Helping and caring for others

    Providing personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.

  • 68%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 67%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 62%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 62%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 59%

    Handling and moving objects

    Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.

  • 58%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 58%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 56%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 55%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 55%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 55%

    Doing physically active work

    Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.

  • 53%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 53%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 51%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 50%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 48%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

  • 48%

    Training and teaching others

    Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.

  • 39%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.

  • 35%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 95%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

  • 76%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 57%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 38%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 33%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 24%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 95%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 71%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 71%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 67%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 67%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 48%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 100%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 96%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 95%

    Physically close to people

    Work physically close to other people.

  • 89%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 88%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 87%

    Contact with the public

    Work with customers or the public.

  • 83%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 82%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 81%

    Disease or infection

    Be exposed to disease or infections.

  • 80%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 80%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 79%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 79%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 78%

    Spend time standing

    Spend time standing at work.

  • 77%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 71%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 70%

    Health and safety of others

    Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.

  • 70%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 69%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 66%

    Walking and running

    Spend time walking and running.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 31-2021.00 - Physical Therapist Assistants.


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