Medical Equipment Preparers vs Physical Therapist Aides: $48K vs $35K Median Pay

Medical Equipment Preparers vs Physical Therapist Aides: what changes?

Consider Medical Equipment Preparers if you want to prepare, sterilize, install, or clean laboratory or healthcare equipment. Consider Physical Therapist Aides if you would rather under close supervision of a physical therapist or physical therapy assistant, perform only delegated, selected, or routine tasks in specific situations. Both list high school diploma or equivalent; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Medical Equipment Preparers and Physical Therapist Aides. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Medical Equipment Preparers

National median pay (2025): $47,700
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Operate and maintain steam autoclaves, keeping records of loads completed, items in loads, and maintenance procedures performed.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 10,700

Know before you choose

The work can involve real occupational hazards. Training, protective equipment, and routine safety discipline matter every day.

See the full Medical Equipment Preparers brief

Physical Therapist Aides

National median pay (2025): $35,240
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Clean and organize work area and disinfect equipment after treatment.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 6,400

Know before you choose

The work routinely happens in close physical proximity to other people; personal space is limited.

See the full Physical Therapist Aides brief

How the national numbers differ

Medical Equipment Preparers has the edge on projected growth

Medical Equipment Preparers is at 10.8% projected growth, compared with 4% projected growth for Physical Therapist Aides.

Medical Equipment Preparers has the edge on median pay

Medical Equipment Preparers is at $47,700, compared with $35,240 for Physical Therapist Aides.

Medical Equipment Preparers has the edge on annual openings

Medical Equipment Preparers is at 10,700 annual openings, compared with 6,400 annual openings for Physical Therapist Aides.

62.6/ 100

Medical Equipment Preparers

45.6/ 100

Physical Therapist Aides

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Medical Equipment Preparers vs Physical Therapist Aides

Dimension	Medical Equipment Preparers	Physical Therapist Aides
Median pay (2025)	$47,700	$35,240
Pay percentile	25.4 percentile	2.6 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	10.8%	4%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	10,700	6,400
2025 employment	79,900	49,000
How you qualify	High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing	High school diploma or equivalent; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 2	Job Zone 2
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.	One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Medical Equipment Preparers brief Read Physical Therapist Aides brief

Medical Equipment Preparers vs Physical Therapist Aides: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Medical Equipment Preparers

Physical Therapist Aides

How the national numbers differ

Medical Equipment Preparers has the edge on projected growth

Medical Equipment Preparers has the edge on median pay

Medical Equipment Preparers has the edge on annual openings

Medical Equipment Preparers vs Physical Therapist Aides

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