Physical Therapist Assistant resume example. Plus the keywords recruiters search for.
A physical therapist assistant resume that shows safe, progressing treatment under the PT's plan of care — with the license, setting and treatment keywords outpatient clinics and rehab facilities screen for.
Reviewed by Nazir Elmurodov · Updated
/ The example
Physical Therapist Assistant resume example.
Derek Lawson
Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA), Licensed in North Carolina
Charlotte, NC · derek.lawson@email.com · (704) 555-0128
Summary
Licensed PTA with 4 years in outpatient orthopedics and skilled nursing rehab. I carry out the physical therapist's plan of care, progress patients safely and keep notes the PT can trust.
Experience
Physical Therapist Assistant, Catawba Ridge Physical Therapy · May 2024 – Present
- • Treat 14–18 outpatients a day under the supervising physical therapist's plan of care, mostly post-op knee, shoulder and spine patients
- • Lead therapeutic exercise, neuromuscular re-education, gait training and modalities such as electrical stimulation, ultrasound, heat and ice
- • Write daily notes in WebPT the same day and flag changes in pain or function to the PT before the next visit
- • Raised plan-of-care completion for my patients from 64% to 79% by building clear home exercise programs and calling patients after missed visits
Physical Therapist Assistant, Piedmont Crossing Rehabilitation Center · Aug 2022 – Apr 2024
- • Treated 10–12 residents a day in skilled nursing rehab, focused on transfer training, gait and fall prevention
- • Led patient education for residents, families and CNAs on safe transfers and walker and wheelchair use
- • Documented treatment and functional progress in PointClickCare to meet Medicare documentation requirements
Education & certifications
A.A.S. Physical Therapist Assistant, Sugar Creek Community College (CAPTE-accredited program), 2022 · North Carolina PTA license (passed the NPTE for PTAs) · BLS
Skills
Plan of care · Therapeutic exercise · Neuromuscular re-education · Gait training · Transfer training · Modalities · Fall prevention · Home exercise programs · Patient education · Documentation · WebPT · PointClickCare
Derek Lawson
Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA), Licensed in North Carolina
derek.lawson@email.com · Charlotte, NC
(704) 555-0128
Summary
Licensed PTA with 4 years in outpatient orthopedics and skilled nursing rehab. I carry out the physical therapist's plan of care, progress patients safely and keep notes the PT can trust.
Experience
Physical Therapist Assistant — Catawba Ridge Physical Therapy
May 2024 – Present
• Treat 14–18 outpatients a day under the supervising physical therapist's plan of care, mostly post-op knee, shoulder and spine patients
• Lead therapeutic exercise, neuromuscular re-education, gait training and modalities such as electrical stimulation, ultrasound, heat and ice
• Write daily notes in WebPT the same day and flag changes in pain or function to the PT before the next visit
• Raised plan-of-care completion for my patients from 64% to 79% by building clear home exercise programs and calling patients after missed visits
Physical Therapist Assistant — Piedmont Crossing Rehabilitation Center
Aug 2022 – Apr 2024
• Treated 10–12 residents a day in skilled nursing rehab, focused on transfer training, gait and fall prevention
• Led patient education for residents, families and CNAs on safe transfers and walker and wheelchair use
• Documented treatment and functional progress in PointClickCare to meet Medicare documentation requirements
Education
Sugar Creek Community College (CAPTE-accredited program)
A.A.S. Physical Therapist Assistant · 2022
Certifications
North Carolina PTA license (passed the NPTE for PTAs)
BLS
Skills
Plan of care, Therapeutic exercise, Neuromuscular re-education, Gait training, Transfer training, Modalities, Fall prevention, Home exercise programs, Patient education, Documentation, WebPT, PointClickCare
Why it works
License, program and setting are clear at the top, every bullet works inside the PT's plan of care, and the numbers — caseload and plan-of-care completion — show results a clinic director cares about.
Use this as your starting point
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Start from this exampleSample resume. Names, companies and figures are illustrative.
/ Summary examples
Three summary examples. Pick the one closest to you.
Two or three lines: your level, your field and one result.
- New graduate
New PTA graduate from a CAPTE-accredited program with clinical rotations in outpatient orthopedics, acute care and skilled nursing. Passed the NPTE for PTAs; North Carolina license pending.
- Mid level
Licensed PTA with 4 years in outpatient orthopedics and skilled nursing rehab. I treat 14–18 patients a day and raised plan-of-care completion from 64% to 79%.
- Senior
PTA with 10 years in outpatient and home health who mentors PTA students, leads the clinic's fall prevention classes and handles a full caseload across two locations.
More for other jobs and situations (no experience, career change, senior): resume summary examples.
/ Bullet points
Bullet point examples. From duty to result.
Turn duties into results: what you did, how, and what changed.
Caseload
Instead of: Saw patients
Write: Treated 14–18 outpatients a day under the supervising PT's plan of care
Treatment
Instead of: Did exercises with patients
Write: Led therapeutic exercise, neuromuscular re-education, gait training and modalities for post-op knee, shoulder and spine patients
Retention
Instead of: Helped patients finish therapy
Write: Raised plan-of-care completion from 64% to 79% with clear home exercise programs and missed-visit calls
Communication
Instead of: Talked to the PT
Write: Flagged changes in pain or function to the PT before the next visit and wrote same-day notes in WebPT
Fall prevention
Instead of: Worked with older patients
Write: Treated 10–12 skilled nursing residents a day with a focus on transfer training, gait and fall prevention
Patient education
Instead of: Trained families
Write: Taught residents, families and CNAs safe transfers and walker and wheelchair use
/ Keywords
Keywords and skills for physical therapist assistants.
These come up often in physical therapist assistant job posts. Include only the ones you can back up in an interview, and use the exact wording from the post you're applying to.
- Physical therapist assistant
- Plan of care
- Therapeutic exercise
- Neuromuscular re-education
- Gait training
- Transfer training
- Modalities
- Fall prevention
- Home exercise programs
- Patient education
- Documentation
- WebPT
- PointClickCare
- Outpatient orthopedics
- Skilled nursing
- PTA license
- NPTE
- BLS
/ ATS tips
ATS tips for physical therapist assistants.
Lead with license and program
Put your state PTA license or certification in your headline and your CAPTE-accredited program in education.
Show you work within the plan of care
PTAs carry out the physical therapist's plan. Wording like "under the supervising PT's plan of care" shows you understand the role.
Give setting and caseload
Outpatient, skilled nursing, acute care and home health run very differently. Say where you've worked and how many patients a day you treat.
Name your documentation system
WebPT, PointClickCare and similar systems show up in job posts. Mention same-day notes if you write them.
Use one outcome
Plan-of-care completion, fewer missed visits or functional progress shows the effect of your treatment.
How does your physical therapist assistant resume compare?
Free ATS score, missing keywords and fixes in about 10 seconds.
/ Questions
Physical Therapist Assistant resume FAQ.
Writing the cover letter too? See Derek's cover letter, annotated
What do I need to work as a physical therapist assistant?
You need to graduate from a CAPTE-accredited PTA program and pass the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) for PTAs, which the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy administers. Each state then licenses or certifies PTAs under its own rules.
Should I list the NPTE on my resume?
Your state license or certification is what employers check, so list that first. New graduates waiting on a license can add a line such as "Passed the NPTE for PTAs; license pending."
Can a PTA write evaluations?
No. The physical therapist evaluates the patient and sets the plan of care, and the PTA carries out treatment under the PT's supervision. State rules set the details, so describe your work in those terms.
How should a new graduate list clinical rotations?
List each rotation with the setting, length and the patients you treated, such as post-op orthopedics, stroke rehab or skilled nursing.
How long should a PTA resume be?
One page. Put your license, setting and caseload near the top, then two or three jobs or rotations with treatment and outcome bullets.