Run the exercises and daily-living practice that physiotherapists and occupational therapists prescribe. A 2-year diploma, hands-on from day one.
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What you earn and what it costs to get there.
Typical
$56,000
Private clinic, new grad
$37,000
Senior hospital assistant
$76,000
Job Bank's national median is $26.85 an hour, about $56,000 a year full time, with a spread of $17.62 to $36.71 an hour. Hospitals and public rehab centres pay on union grids near the top. Private physio clinics pay the least. Alberta's survey puts the average at about $29 an hour.
$18 to $24 an hour
About $37,000 to $50,000 a year full time
Private clinics and some long-term care homes start near minimum wage plus a few dollars. Hospital grids start around $24 to $27.
$33 to $37 an hour
Senior hospital and rehab centre assistants, around $69,000 to $76,000
Reached by climbing a union grid over several years. Some assistants move into equipment, ergonomics or team lead roles for a little more.
Tuition, fees, exams and kit. Not rent, food or travel
Two years of college is the whole qualification, which makes this one of the cheapest health careers to enter. The low end is a lower cost college plus the police check, immunizations and CPR ticket the placement requires. The high end is a pricier program plus uniforms, supplies and a voluntary association membership. There is no licensing exam and no yearly registration fee, but placements are unpaid and that lost income is the real pinch.
No licensing exam, no registration fee. Placements are unpaid, but they are how most people get hired.
Public-sector pension and benefits
Hospital and public long-term care jobs come with a defined-benefit pension and full health coverage.
Predictable hours
Most rehab runs on weekdays. Some hospitals add weekend coverage.
Union protection
Hospital assistants are usually in the same union as other support staff.
Employer-paid training
Lifting, transfers and equipment courses are provided on the job.
The exact path from high school to qualified.
One diploma trains you for both physiotherapy and occupational therapy support.
High school
Grade 12
Grade 12 English plus biology. Some programs ask for a math or science credit.
OTA and PTA (occupational therapist assistant and physiotherapist assistant) diploma
2 years
The combined program is a 2-year college diploma offered across Canada. Look for one accredited by the national OTA and PTA accreditation program, which most employers expect.
Placements
Built into the program
Several unpaid placements in hospitals, rehab centres, long-term care and clinics, usually adding up to hundreds of hours.
First job
Weeks to months
No exam or licence. Apply to hospitals, clinics and care homes; placement sites hire a lot of their own students.
Biology
Anatomy is the core of the program.
Physical education or kinesiology
Movement, exercise and how the body recovers.
English
You chart every session for the therapist.
Psychology
Motivating people through pain and slow progress.
No province licenses rehabilitation assistants. You work under the direction of a registered physiotherapist or occupational therapist, who stays legally responsible for the treatment plan. Assistants do not assess patients or change the plan; they carry it out. Alberta has a voluntary registry through its therapy assistant association, and accredited diplomas are the standard employers use everywhere.
Things you don't need, but that help.
Bridge to physiotherapy or occupational therapy
Many assistants go back for a degree and then the master's needed to become the therapist. The assistant years count for a lot on the application.
Kinesiology degree
Some assistants add a 4-year kinesiology degree to move into exercise-based rehab and private practice.
Specialty courses
Stroke rehab, cardiac rehab, splinting, wheelchair seating. Hospitals pay a little more for them.
Team lead or scheduler
Larger rehab units have lead assistant positions.
Fitness or coaching certifications
Show you can teach exercise safely.
A second language
Rehab is slow, patient work, and speaking a patient's language helps.
Comfort with older adults
Most patients are recovering from strokes, falls and joint replacements.
Volunteer hours in a hospital or care home
Helps with competitive admissions and with getting hired.
Day to day, pros and cons, where you'd work.
Morning: walk a hip replacement patient down the hall with a walker, then run the exercise list the physiotherapist wrote. Help a stroke patient practise dressing and making tea, as the occupational therapist planned. Set up the gym, clean equipment, fit a wheelchair. Afternoon: a group exercise class, then charting each patient's progress so the therapist can adjust the plan. In a private clinic you set up heat and ultrasound and coach exercises between the physio's appointments.
The good
The hard parts
Things people don't tell you.
Canadian colleges train occupational therapist assistants and physiotherapist assistants together in one program. Graduates can work on either side, or both on the same day, which is why the combined diploma is the national standard.
The national OTA and PTA (occupational therapist assistant and physiotherapist assistant) accreditation program is run with the Canadian physiotherapy and occupational therapy associations. It reviews college programs against a national standard, so a diploma from an accredited program is recognized in every province.
Physiotherapy and occupational therapy master's programs are among the hardest health programs to get into. Working as an assistant is one of the most common ways applicants prove they know the field before applying.
Last checked September 2026. Pay figures are typical full-time annual amounts in Canadian dollars, based on Government of Canada Job Bank wage data and published salary grids. They vary by province, employer and experience. Tuition is for domestic students.