Oakland Physical Therapy Aide Jobs Overview
Physical therapy aides (also called PTAs) work under the supervision of licensed physical therapists to help patients recover from injuries and other pain and mobility issues. Additionally, they clean, help move patients, and assist physical therapists with clerical tasks. If you enjoy helping people, then you might consider looking into physical therapy aide jobs.
To be a physical therapy aide, you’ll need to be empathetic, a good communicator, and able to perform physical tasks.
The duties of a physical therapy aide include:
- observing patients before, during, and after physical therapy.
- reporting the status of patients to a physical therapist.
- assisting patients with treatments and exercises.
Most physical therapy aides work for physical therapy offices. However, some work for hospitals, nursing homes, physicians, and home healthcare services. It’s common to work a full-time schedule, but some physical therapy aides work part-time, nights, and weekends.
You can expand your search for healthcare support jobs by checking out these similar positions:
About Working in Oakland, California
If you're considering applying for Oakland jobs, three things you might hear about when you move here are sea monsters, gnomes, and secret staircases. The Oak-ness Monster in Lake Merritt, the only natural saltwater lake located in a city, has remained elusive since its first spotting in the 1940s. Oakland's gnomes are a little easier to find. An anonymous resident has painted and hidden thousands of gnomes all over the city since 2012. While you're looking for a gnome, you might stumble across a secret staircase. Hundreds of shortcut staircases were built a century ago to help streetcar and bus passengers commute from their Oakland jobs to their neighborhoods without having to walk along the city's winding roads.
If you're not in the mood for a scavenger hunt, you can spend a day exploring the banks of Lake Merritt, which includes miles of walking paths, greenspace, and a wildlife refuge. Or you could spend one of Oakland's 260 sunny days a year hiking in Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park just outside downtown Oakland. Ready to explore the Oakland area? You can also try expanding your job search to the suburbs of San Leandro, Alameda, and Berkeley.
Update Your Oakland Physical Therapy Aide Resume
Whether you’re applying for your first physical therapy aide job or looking for a new employer, it’s important to ensure that your resume is written, properly formatted, and up to date. Start with a brief and compelling career summary that proves your value to potential employers. The rest of your resume should contain a list of skills, employment history, education, and any credentials. Check out our resume samples to see how it’s done.
Don’t forget to send a cover letter when you apply. While it’s not always required, employers are often more interested in applicants who have a cover letter than those who don’t. If you’re not sure what to put in your cover letter, this cover letter checklist can put it into perspective. Plus, Monster has a ton of cover letter samples you can refer to as you write.
How Much Do Physical Therapy Aide Jobs Pay in Oakland, California?
Got money on your mind? You should! Make sure you’re getting paid what you’re worth. Our Salary Tools can help you understand what you can expect to make in physical therapy aide jobs in Oakland, California, as well as the skills that can boost your value and what the next steps in your career might be. Right now, the median physical therapy aide pay in Oakland is $16.38 per hour, which is 19% higher than the national average.
Find Your Next Oakland Physical Therapy Aide Job. Monster Can Help Get You Started
Are you prepared for a career in physical therapy aide? If so, set up your profile on Monster for free and begin clicking on those physical therapy aide jobs. When you sign up with us, you’ll receive custom job alerts and expert advice on how to negotiate your salary in Oakland, how to nail your job interview, and more.