What does a Rehabilitation Technician do?
A rehabilitation technician is responsible for assisting therapists and other medical personnel on supporting the patients in their daily activities and physical therapy sessions. Rehabilitation technicians provide high-quality care services for the patients by administering medications, accompanying them on medical appointments, and ensuring the cleanliness and orderliness of all equipment and facilities to prevent hazards within the premises. They may also perform administrative and clerical duties such as updating patients' information on the database, writing reports, processing payments for medical procedures, and maintaining medical charts for reference.
Rehabilitation technician responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real rehabilitation technician resumes:
- Manage organization and cleanliness of therapy room and equipment.
- Record vital signs and assist patients in performing their ADL's as directed by medical or nursing staff.
- Assist patients with neurological conditions with different mobility training, ADL training, and strengthening exercises.
- Assist with the modification of therapy plans, assist with manual stretching and traction of patients.
- Prepare patients for electrical stimulation, mechanical traction, and ultrasounds.
- Assist in operating a physical therapy facility by helping patients improve their movement, stamina, coordination, and intellectual capacity.
- Med certify, cpr, and first aid.
- Assist patients and physical therapists while using equipment such as walkers, practice stairs, parallel bars, and weights.
- Maintain patient privacy and confidentiality according to HIPAA standards.
- Maintain confidentiality of documents by following HIPAA rules and regulations to protect resident privacy.
- Communicate effectively with vendors, staff, community rehabilitation providers and employers to expedite services for new and existing consumers.
- Assist physical and occupational therapists providing inpatient care and therapy to rehabilitate patients to become as independent as possible upon discharge.
- Maintain rehabilitation equipment and supplies by checking inventory, fulfilling supply orders, completing equipment requests, and performing preventive maintenance.
- Apply and remove braces and splints.
- Treat patients using cryotherapy and thermotherapy.
Rehabilitation technician skills and personality traits
We calculated that 23% of Rehabilitation Technicians are proficient in Patients, Rehabilitation, and Physical Therapy. They’re also known for soft skills such as Dexterity, Physical stamina, and Communication skills.
We break down the percentage of Rehabilitation Technicians that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Patients, 23%
Assisted physical and occupational therapists providing inpatient care and therapy to rehabilitate patients to become as independent as possible upon discharge.
- Rehabilitation, 18%
Provided an excellent customer experience for our patients entering into the outpatient setting for physical therapy at Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation.
- Physical Therapy, 12%
Prepared patients for physical therapy treatment by welcoming, comforting, providing and/or assisted patient into physical therapy apparel or apertures.
- CPR, 9%
Attended to facility MDS, UR and triple check meetings.CPR Certified through American Red Cross 7/17-7/19
- Customer Service, 5%
Maintain excellent patient relations and customer service.
- Occupational Therapy, 4%
Assist with Physical and Occupational Therapy treatments, including management of non-clinical paperwork.
Common skills that a rehabilitation technician uses to do their job include "patients," "rehabilitation," and "physical therapy." You can find details on the most important rehabilitation technician responsibilities below.
Dexterity. One of the key soft skills for a rehabilitation technician to have is dexterity. You can see how this relates to what rehabilitation technicians do because "physical therapist assistants should be comfortable using their hands to provide manual therapy and therapeutic exercises." Additionally, a rehabilitation technician resume shows how rehabilitation technicians use dexterity: "perform lifts & transfers and clerical tasks e.g. "
Physical stamina. Another essential skill to perform rehabilitation technician duties is physical stamina. Rehabilitation technicians responsibilities require that "physical therapist assistants and aides are frequently on their feet and moving as they work with their patients." Rehabilitation technicians also use physical stamina in their role according to a real resume snippet: "showed that ability to follow the basic physical therapy techniques need to improve that patient's movement, stamina and coordination. "
Compassion. While "compassion" is last on this skills list, don't underestimate its importance to rehabilitation technician responsibilities. Much of what a rehabilitation technician does relies on this skill, seeing as "physical therapist assistants and aides should enjoy helping people." Here is a resume example of how this skill is used in the everyday duties of rehabilitation technicians: "treated patients with physical, developmental and cognitive deficits with e care, patience and compassion. "
The three companies that hire the most rehabilitation technicians are:
- Kindred Healthcare42 rehabilitation technicians jobs
- AAscension Michigan15 rehabilitation technicians jobs
- MMy Florida Regional Mls11 rehabilitation technicians jobs
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Compare different rehabilitation technicians
Rehabilitation technician vs. Exercise physiologist
An exercise physiologist is a health professional who analyzes the fitness of patients to help them improve their health or maintain good health. Exercise physiologists are required to help patients with heart diseases and other chronic conditions such as diabetes or pulmonary disease to regain their health. Certified exercise physiologists must administer exercise stress tests in health and unhealthy populations. They also assist both amateur and professional athletes in helping them boost their performance in sports.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a rehabilitation technician are more likely to require skills like "occupational therapy," "rehabilitation services," "direct supervision," and "patient treatment." On the other hand, a job as an exercise physiologist requires skills like "cardiac rehabilitation," "acls," "patient care," and "ekg." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Exercise physiologists really shine in the health care industry with an average salary of $51,650. Comparatively, rehabilitation technicians tend to make the most money in the health care industry with an average salary of $30,968.The education levels that exercise physiologists earn slightly differ from rehabilitation technicians. In particular, exercise physiologists are 14.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a rehabilitation technician. Additionally, they're 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Rehabilitation technician vs. Respiratory therapy assistant
Physical therapists are health care professionals who diagnose and treat patients with health conditions and limited ability to move and perform daily activities. They help in restoring physical function and mobility and teach how to properly use therapeutic exercise techniques. They also help promote overall wellness and encourage healthier and more active lifestyles. They design a recovery plan unique for every patient, provide treatment and therapy to help improve and manage their condition. They provide care to all kinds of individuals, from newborns to people at the end of their life.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real rehabilitation technician resumes. While rehabilitation technician responsibilities can utilize skills like "rehabilitation," "physical therapy," "customer service," and "occupational therapy," respiratory therapy assistants use skills like "respiratory therapy," "o2," "oxygen tanks," and "intubation."
In general, respiratory therapy assistants achieve similar levels of education than rehabilitation technicians. They're 5.0% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Rehabilitation technician vs. Physical therapist
An occupational therapist specializes in treating patients who are recovering from illnesses or disabilities to help them adapt and overcome the physical and mental difficulties they face in their daily lives. The responsibilities of an occupational therapist revolve around examining a patient's medical history and conducting different kinds of assessments to determine what type of treatment a patient should receive. Furthermore, an occupational therapist must build rapport with a patient to make them feel at ease and coordinate with their guardian or family to discuss the recommended ways to help the patient adjust and recuperate.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, rehabilitation technicians are more likely to have skills like "cpr," "customer service," "rehabilitation services," and "direct supervision." But a physical therapist is more likely to have skills like "home health," "quality care," "treatment programs," and "snf."
Physical therapists earn the best pay in the professional industry, where they command an average salary of $74,879. Rehabilitation technicians earn the highest pay from the health care industry, with an average salary of $30,968.When it comes to education, physical therapists tend to earn higher degree levels compared to rehabilitation technicians. In fact, they're 8.3% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 16.3% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Rehabilitation technician vs. Occupational therapist
Types of rehabilitation technician
Updated January 8, 2025
