29 Series · SOC 29-1123

Physical Therapists Salary

National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).

$102,760
Median / year
+1.7%
2024→2025
$135,140
Top 10% earn
+10.9%
Growth '24–'34
267,330
Estimated US jobs

Physical Therapists earn a median of $102,760 per year.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $102,760, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $77,140 (10th percentile) to $135,140 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 267,330 estimated jobs in covered establishments. The highest published state median in this ranking is California ($124,190).

29 Series · Source: BLS OEWS Compare with another job →
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The pay verdict

Physical Therapists earn a median of $102,760, putting them among the better-paid US occupations and higher than 85% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Healthcare Practitioners and Technical, it ranks #34 of 71 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 10.9% by 2034.

$102,760
Median annual wage
Top 15%
of 825 US occupations with published wages
#34 of 71
in Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
1.8×
90th-to-10th pay spread

Highest-paying state: California at $124,190. Typical entry-level education: Doctoral or professional degree.

Observed pay change

What changed, BLS OEWS 2019–2025

May 2019 → May 2025
  • The published national median for Physical Therapists moved from $89,440 in May 2019 to $102,760 in May 2025 (+14.9%).
  • Across the 749 occupations priced in both releases under SOC-2018, the median occupation changed +24.5%.
  • Physical Therapists sits -9.6 pp behind that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.

Physical Therapists (SOC 29-1123) has a national median of $102,760 per year in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 release. The published 10th-to-90th-percentile boundaries run from $77,140 to $135,140, and the published mean is $105,280. Those summary statistics describe the estimated distribution; their difference alone does not identify its cause. OEWS estimates 267,330 jobs in covered establishments nationally. WageDex has published rows for 52 state or territory areas and 523 metropolitan or nonmetropolitan wage areas. The published national median moved from $101,020 in the May 2024 OEWS release to $102,760 in May 2025, a rise of $1,740 (+1.7%). This is a change between two BLS survey estimates, not an inflation-adjusted same-worker pay raise.

BLS Employment Projections forecast a +10.9% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which we classify as much faster than average relative to the all-occupations baseline of 3.1%. About 13,200 openings are projected per year from growth, occupational transfers, and labor-force exits. BLS assigns Doctoral or professional degree as typical education needed for entry. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific fatality and injury rate for this role in the current release. The safety panel below shows its broad Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations SOC-group context and is not an occupation-level measurement or ranking.

Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. California pays the highest state median at $124,190, which is +21% above the national figure. The highest published metropolitan-area median in this ranking is San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA at $141,980. The observed difference does not identify its cause. Pair the national median with the state and metropolitan-area rows below while keeping the geography and statistic consistent. OEWS includes tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses, but not employer benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, or nonproduction bonuses. See our methodology for the sourcing and calculation details.

BLS OEWS May 2025 267,330 jobs Median $102,760/yr

Median Salary

$102,760

per year

Median Hourly

$49.40/hr

per hour

Mean Salary

$105,280

average

Employment

267,330

jobs nationwide

How does this pay compare nationally?

Where Physical Therapists pay sits nationally

Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median

$102,760 Top 15% higher than 85% of 825 US occupations

$0–$20,000: 0 US occupations (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 98 US occupations (12%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 298 US occupations (36%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 209 US occupations (25%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 82 US occupations (10%). Below this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 58 US occupations (7%). This entry sits in this band. $120,000–$140,000: 32 US occupations (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 14 US occupations (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 9 US occupations (1%). Above this entry. $180,000 and above: 25 US occupations (3%). Above this entry. This job $0 $180,000+ every BLS occupation, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
Band Count Share
$0–$20,000 0 US occupations 0%
$20,000–$40,000 98 US occupations 12%
$40,000–$60,000 298 US occupations 36%
$60,000–$80,000 209 US occupations 25%
$80,000–$100,000 82 US occupations 10%
$100,000–$120,000 (this entry) 58 US occupations 7%
$120,000–$140,000 32 US occupations 4%
$140,000–$160,000 14 US occupations 2%
$160,000–$180,000 9 US occupations 1%
$180,000 and above 25 US occupations 3%

$102,760 · 85th percentile of 825 US occupations

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025

Does this job pay well and grow?

Each dot is a 29-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Physical Therapists; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).

Among 24 29-series occupations with growth data, Physical Therapists sits on the faster-growing side at +10.9% growth and $102,760 median pay. Scatter plot of 24 data points. $0$50000$100000$150000$200000$250000$300000 0%10%20%30%40%50% Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) Median annual wage Registered Nurses - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 4.9% · Median annual wage: $97550Licensed Practical a… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 2.6% · Median annual wage: $64400Pharmacy Technicians - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 6.4% · Median annual wage: $45750Physicians, All Other - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 2.5% · Median annual wage: $265930Clinical Laboratory … - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 1.7% · Median annual wage: $62930Nurse Practitioners - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 40.1% · Median annual wage: $132300Pharmacists - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 4.6% · Median annual wage: $140910Physical Therapists - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 10.9% · Median annual wage: $102760Radiologic Technolog… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 4.3% · Median annual wage: $80110Dental Hygienists - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 7% · Median annual wage: $98100Medical Records Spec… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 7.1% · Median annual wage: $51140Speech-Language Path… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 15% · Median annual wage: $97870Health Technologists… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 5.2% · Median annual wage: $50290Emergency Medical Te… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 5.1% · Median annual wage: $44470Occupational Therapi… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 13.8% · Median annual wage: $100330Physician Assistants - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 20.4% · Median annual wage: $135880Psychiatric Technici… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 20% · Median annual wage: $45130Respiratory Therapists - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 12.1% · Median annual wage: $82280Veterinary Technolog… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 9.1% · Median annual wage: $47380Dentists, General - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 4.1% · Median annual wage: $170950Surgical Technologists - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 4.5% · Median annual wage: $64650Family Medicine Phys… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 2.7% · Median annual wage: $244180Paramedics - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 5% · Median annual wage: $60600Diagnostic Medical S… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 13% · Median annual wage: $96590
Among 24 29-series occupations with growth data, Physical Therapists sits on the faster-growing side at +10.9% growth and $102,760 median pay.
Read the chart as text
  • Registered Nurses: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.9%, Median annual wage $97550
  • Licensed Practical a…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 2.6%, Median annual wage $64400
  • Pharmacy Technicians: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 6.4%, Median annual wage $45750
  • Physicians, All Other: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 2.5%, Median annual wage $265930
  • Clinical Laboratory …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.7%, Median annual wage $62930
  • Nurse Practitioners: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 40.1%, Median annual wage $132300
  • Pharmacists: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.6%, Median annual wage $140910
  • Physical Therapists: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 10.9%, Median annual wage $102760
  • Radiologic Technolog…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.3%, Median annual wage $80110
  • Dental Hygienists: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 7%, Median annual wage $98100
  • Medical Records Spec…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 7.1%, Median annual wage $51140
  • Speech-Language Path…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 15%, Median annual wage $97870
  • Health Technologists…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 5.2%, Median annual wage $50290
  • Emergency Medical Te…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 5.1%, Median annual wage $44470
  • Occupational Therapi…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 13.8%, Median annual wage $100330
  • Physician Assistants: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 20.4%, Median annual wage $135880
  • Psychiatric Technici…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 20%, Median annual wage $45130
  • Respiratory Therapists: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 12.1%, Median annual wage $82280
  • Veterinary Technolog…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 9.1%, Median annual wage $47380
  • Dentists, General: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.1%, Median annual wage $170950
  • Surgical Technologists: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.5%, Median annual wage $64650
  • Family Medicine Phys…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 2.7%, Median annual wage $244180
  • Paramedics: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 5%, Median annual wage $60600
  • Diagnostic Medical S…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 13%, Median annual wage $96590

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).

Job Outlook (2024–2034)

Projected Growth

+10.9%

Much faster than average

Annual Openings

13,200

per year (projected)

Employment Change

+29,300

267,200 (2024) → 296,400 (2034)

Typical Education

Doctoral or professional degree

Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034

Workplace Safety

All safety ratings →
Group

Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations context

Broad SOC context, not an occupation grade

Fatality Rate

0.7/100K

Injury Rate

1.5/100

Danger Index

6.4/100

Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023

Career Intelligence

Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Physical Therapists roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.

Top Skills

Reading Comprehension 4.0
Active Listening 4.0
Speaking 4.0
Critical Thinking 4.0
Social Perceptiveness 4.0
Service Orientation 4.0
Writing 3.9
Monitoring 3.9
Judgment and Decision Making 3.8
Time Management 3.6

Knowledge Areas

Customer and Personal Service 4.6
Therapy and Counseling 4.6
Medicine and Dentistry 4.6
Psychology 4.1
Education and Training 4.0
English Language 4.0
Biology 3.7
Administration and Management 3.2
Physics 3.2
Sociology and Anthropology 3.1

Key Tasks

  • Plan, prepare, or carry out individually designed programs of physical treatment to maintain, improve, or restore physical functioning, alleviate pain, or prevent physical dysfunction in patients.
  • Perform and document an initial exam, evaluating data to identify problems and determine a diagnosis prior to intervention.
  • Record prognosis, treatment, response, and progress in patient's chart or enter information into computer.
  • Instruct patient and family in treatment procedures to be continued at home.
  • Evaluate effects of treatment at various stages and adjust treatments to achieve maximum benefit.
  • Confer with the patient, medical practitioners, or appropriate others to plan, implement, or assess the intervention program.
  • Administer manual exercises, massage, or traction to help relieve pain, increase patient strength, or decrease or prevent deformity or crippling.
  • Obtain patients' informed consent to proposed interventions.
  • Test and measure patient's strength, motor development and function, sensory perception, functional capacity, or respiratory or circulatory efficiency and record data.
  • Direct, supervise, assess, and communicate with supportive personnel.

Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.

Salary Range

Annual Salary Distribution

10th$77,140
25th$86,160
Median$102,760
75th$121,160
90th$135,140

Hourly Rate Distribution

10th$37.09
25th$41.42
Median$49.40
75th$58.25
90th$64.97

Physical Therapists pay history, 2015–2025

Published national median across 11 BLS OEWS releases. Nominal dollars, not inflation-adjusted.

$80,000$85,000$90,000$95,000$100,000$105,000 20152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 National median - 2015: $84,020National median - 2016: $85,400National median - 2017: $86,850National median - 2018: $87,930National median - 2019: $89,440National median - 2020: $91,010National median - 2021: $95,620National median - 2022: $97,720National median - 2023: $99,710National median - 2024: $101,020National median - 2025: $102,760$102,760
National median annual wage for Physical Therapists, May 2015 to May 2025 OEWS releases
Read the chart as text
Period National median
2015 $84,020
2016 $85,400
2017 $86,850
2018 $87,930
2019 $89,440
2020 $91,010
2021 $95,620
2022 $97,720
2023 $99,710
2024 $101,020
2025 $102,760

2015 median

$84,020

2025 median

$102,760

2019–2025 change (same SOC)

+$13,320 (+14.9%)

Avg/year (same SOC)

+2.3%

Published national median annual wage and estimated employment for Physical Therapists by OEWS release year
Release Median Change Estimated jobs
May 2015 $84,020 First banked release 209,690
May 2016 $85,400 +1.6% 216,920
May 2017 $86,850 +1.7% 225,420
May 2018 $87,930 +1.2% 228,600
May 2019 $89,440 Classification break 233,350
May 2020 $91,010 +1.8% 220,870
May 2021 $95,620 +5.1% 225,350
May 2022 $97,720 +2.2% 229,740
May 2023 $99,710 +2.0% 240,820
May 2024 $101,020 +1.3% 248,630
May 2025 $102,760 +1.7% 267,330

Across the 11 releases WageDex holds for this occupation, the published national median went from $84,020 in May 2015 to $102,760 in May 2025. Within the SOC-2018 classification (2019–2025), the like-for-like change averages +2.3% per year in nominal terms. Within the same SOC classification, estimated employment went from 233,350 in May 2019 to 267,330 in May 2025.

Each figure is a separate BLS survey estimate, so a change between releases reflects the estimated occupation-wide median in each year. It is not the raise any individual worker received, and it is not adjusted for inflation. Years where BLS did not publish an annual median for this occupation are omitted rather than filled in. This span also crosses a classification change: releases before May 2019 use the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification and later releases use the 2018 SOC, so figures either side of that boundary are not strictly like-for-like. Headline change rates on this page use only the same-classification subset.

Salary by State

View all 52 states →
# State Median Salary vs National
1 California $124,190 +21% above national
2 Alaska $115,280 +12% above national
3 New Jersey $112,140 +9% above national
4 Nevada $111,250 +8% above national
5 Maryland $106,890 +4% above national
6 New Mexico $106,880 +4% above national
7 Washington $105,950 +3% above national
8 Texas $105,810 +3% above national
9 Illinois $105,250 +2% above national
10 Connecticut $104,360 +2% above national
11 Massachusetts $103,790 +1% above national
12 Oregon $103,510 +1% above national
13 Arizona $103,220 same as national
14 Ohio $103,050 same as national
15 Georgia $102,700 same as national
16 Delaware $102,050 1% below national
17 Colorado $102,030 1% below national
18 Minnesota $102,010 1% below national
19 Wisconsin $101,840 1% below national
20 Hawaii $101,700 1% below national
21 District of Columbia $101,640 1% below national
22 Indiana $101,560 1% below national
23 Virginia $101,450 1% below national
24 Pennsylvania $101,380 1% below national
25 South Carolina $101,330 1% below national
26 Florida $101,040 2% below national
27 Michigan $100,900 2% below national
28 Kentucky $100,710 2% below national
29 New York $100,660 2% below national
30 Wyoming $100,400 2% below national
31 Tennessee $100,140 3% below national
32 Mississippi $99,990 3% below national
33 North Carolina $99,910 3% below national
34 Utah $99,880 3% below national
35 New Hampshire $99,850 3% below national
36 Maine $99,720 3% below national
37 Rhode Island $99,400 3% below national
38 Missouri $99,310 3% below national
39 Arkansas $99,010 4% below national
40 Idaho $99,000 4% below national
41 Oklahoma $98,590 4% below national
42 Louisiana $98,530 4% below national
43 Kansas $98,290 4% below national
44 Vermont $97,970 5% below national
45 Iowa $97,560 5% below national
46 Alabama $97,290 5% below national
47 Nebraska $97,090 6% below national
48 West Virginia $96,600 6% below national
49 South Dakota $92,660 10% below national
50 Montana $91,450 11% below national
51 North Dakota $85,330 17% below national
52 Puerto Rico $60,250 41% below national

Salary by Metro Area

View all 389 metro areas →
# Metro Area Median Salary vs National
1 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $141,980 +38% above national
2 Vallejo, CA $141,530 +38% above national
3 Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA $140,100 +36% above national
4 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $139,000 +35% above national
5 Napa, CA $138,540 +35% above national
6 Chico, CA $134,970 +31% above national
7 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $131,430 +28% above national
8 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA $128,680 +25% above national
9 Hanford-Corcoran, CA $127,460 +24% above national
10 Salinas, CA $127,120 +24% above national
11 Modesto, CA $126,600 +23% above national
12 Merced, CA $126,000 +23% above national
13 Decatur, IL $125,600 +22% above national
14 Bakersfield-Delano, CA $125,490 +22% above national
15 Santa Fe, NM $124,870 +22% above national
16 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA $124,790 +21% above national
17 Stockton-Lodi, CA $124,260 +21% above national
18 Fresno, CA $123,820 +20% above national
19 Carson City, NV $120,810 +18% above national
20 Las Cruces, NM $120,350 +17% above national
21 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $120,110 +17% above national
22 Midland, TX $118,450 +15% above national
23 El Centro, CA $116,950 +14% above national
24 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA $116,770 +14% above national
25 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV $116,480 +13% above national
26 Springfield, IL $115,990 +13% above national
27 Walla Walla, WA $115,740 +13% above national
28 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA $114,980 +12% above national
29 Longview, TX $113,980 +11% above national
30 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $113,850 +11% above national
31 Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX $113,700 +11% above national
32 Fairbanks-College, AK $113,570 +11% above national
33 Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA $113,510 +10% above national
34 Enid, OK $113,190 +10% above national
35 Anchorage, AK $112,590 +10% above national
36 Spartanburg, SC $111,860 +9% above national
37 Lexington Park, MD $111,780 +9% above national
38 Sherman-Denison, TX $110,750 +8% above national
39 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA $110,620 +8% above national
40 Amarillo, TX $109,800 +7% above national
41 Dalton, GA $109,710 +7% above national
42 Odessa, TX $109,690 +7% above national
43 Albany, OR $108,720 +6% above national
44 Tyler, TX $108,380 +5% above national
45 Trenton-Princeton, NJ $108,280 +5% above national
46 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $108,170 +5% above national
47 Florence, SC $108,160 +5% above national
48 Barnstable Town, MA $108,110 +5% above national
49 Redding, CA $107,980 +5% above national
50 Longview-Kelso, WA $107,810 +5% above national
51 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX $107,780 +5% above national
52 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX $107,700 +5% above national
53 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $107,650 +5% above national
54 Kennewick-Richland, WA $107,350 +4% above national
55 Salisbury, MD $107,290 +4% above national
56 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $107,290 +4% above national
57 Ann Arbor, MI $106,980 +4% above national
58 Reno, NV $106,840 +4% above national
59 Gadsden, AL $106,720 +4% above national
60 Yuba City, CA $106,600 +4% above national
61 Grants Pass, OR $106,550 +4% above national
62 Tuscaloosa, AL $106,450 +4% above national
63 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $106,250 +3% above national
64 Corpus Christi, TX $106,080 +3% above national
65 Niles, MI $106,020 +3% above national
66 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX $106,010 +3% above national
67 Yakima, WA $105,950 +3% above national
68 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD $105,810 +3% above national
69 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $105,790 +3% above national
70 Pittsfield, MA $105,750 +3% above national
71 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $105,720 +3% above national
72 Texarkana, TX-AR $105,580 +3% above national
73 Naples-Marco Island, FL $105,440 +3% above national
74 Vineland, NJ $105,360 +3% above national
75 Williamsport, PA $105,340 +3% above national
76 Port St. Lucie, FL $105,240 +2% above national
77 Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT $105,230 +2% above national
78 Visalia, CA $105,210 +2% above national
79 Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT $105,160 +2% above national
80 Columbus, OH $105,130 +2% above national
81 Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ $105,050 +2% above national
82 Springfield, OH $104,870 +2% above national
83 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $104,750 +2% above national
84 Toledo, OH $104,750 +2% above national
85 College Station-Bryan, TX $104,580 +2% above national
86 Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR $104,500 +2% above national
87 Macon-Bibb County, GA $104,500 +2% above national
88 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ $104,350 +2% above national
89 Elizabethtown, KY $104,280 +1% above national
90 Sheboygan, WI $104,110 +1% above national
91 Cleveland, OH $104,030 +1% above national
92 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL $104,020 +1% above national
93 Jackson, MI $104,000 +1% above national
94 Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ $104,000 +1% above national
95 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX $103,980 +1% above national
96 Battle Creek, MI $103,920 +1% above national
97 Gettysburg, PA $103,890 +1% above national
98 Salt Lake City-Murray, UT $103,840 +1% above national
99 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX $103,810 +1% above national
100 Worcester, MA $103,790 +1% above national
101 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN $103,770 +1% above national
102 Charleston, WV $103,760 +1% above national
103 Saginaw, MI $103,760 +1% above national
104 Rome, GA $103,710 +1% above national
105 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX $103,630 +1% above national
106 Springfield, MA $103,570 +1% above national
107 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $103,550 +1% above national
108 Albuquerque, NM $103,510 +1% above national
109 Homosassa Springs, FL $103,510 +1% above national
110 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $103,440 +1% above national
111 Eugene-Springfield, OR $103,440 +1% above national
112 Alexandria, LA $103,380 +1% above national
113 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN $103,380 +1% above national
114 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH $103,330 +1% above national
115 Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ $103,330 +1% above national
116 Brunswick-St. Simons, GA $103,260 same as national
117 Lancaster, PA $103,240 same as national
118 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $103,220 same as national
119 San Angelo, TX $103,070 same as national
120 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI $103,030 same as national
121 Rocky Mount, NC $103,030 same as national
122 Jackson, MS $103,000 same as national
123 New Haven, CT $103,000 same as national
124 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $102,980 same as national
125 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $102,970 same as national
126 Manchester-Nashua, NH $102,960 same as national
127 Reading, PA $102,950 same as national
128 Abilene, TX $102,920 same as national
129 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN $102,890 same as national
130 Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT $102,880 same as national
131 Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA $102,840 same as national
132 Portland-South Portland, ME $102,820 same as national
133 Madison, WI $102,810 same as national
134 Bloomington, IN $102,750 same as national
135 Akron, OH $102,700 same as national
136 Richmond, VA $102,700 same as national
137 Winchester, VA-WV $102,670 same as national
138 Waterbury-Shelton, CT $102,590 same as national
139 Victoria, TX $102,520 same as national
140 Monroe, MI $102,510 same as national
141 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC $102,480 same as national
142 Lynchburg, VA $102,450 same as national
143 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI $102,450 same as national
144 Boulder, CO $102,430 same as national
145 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL $102,430 same as national
146 Tucson, AZ $102,420 same as national
147 Charlottesville, VA $102,400 same as national
148 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $102,340 same as national
149 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN $102,260 same as national
150 Sandusky, OH $102,210 1% below national
151 El Paso, TX $102,190 1% below national
152 York-Hanover, PA $102,170 1% below national
153 Grand Junction, CO $102,160 1% below national
154 Lebanon, PA $102,020 1% below national
155 Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA $101,980 1% below national
156 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC $101,950 1% below national
157 Appleton, WI $101,920 1% below national
158 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL $101,870 1% below national
159 Gulfport-Biloxi, MS $101,870 1% below national
160 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA $101,860 1% below national
161 Cheyenne, WY $101,760 1% below national
162 Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA $101,750 1% below national
163 Muncie, IN $101,710 1% below national
164 Urban Honolulu, HI $101,700 1% below national
165 Kahului-Wailuku, HI $101,650 1% below national
166 Traverse City, MI $101,640 1% below national
167 Athens-Clarke County, GA $101,570 1% below national
168 Charleston-North Charleston, SC $101,550 1% below national
169 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL $101,530 1% below national
170 Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ $101,430 1% below national
171 Rockford, IL $101,340 1% below national
172 Lubbock, TX $101,310 1% below national
173 Ithaca, NY $101,290 1% below national
174 Kansas City, MO-KS $101,270 1% below national
175 Winston-Salem, NC $101,270 1% below national
176 Mankato, MN $101,260 1% below national
177 Burlington, NC $101,120 2% below national
178 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $101,060 2% below national
179 Punta Gorda, FL $101,030 2% below national
180 Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC $101,020 2% below national
181 Savannah, GA $100,920 2% below national
182 Wheeling, WV-OH $100,920 2% below national
183 Elkhart-Goshen, IN $100,890 2% below national
184 Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL $100,890 2% below national
185 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL $100,870 2% below national
186 Tulsa, OK $100,840 2% below national
187 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $100,840 2% below national
188 Janesville-Beloit, WI $100,830 2% below national
189 Harrisonburg, VA $100,820 2% below national
190 Flagstaff, AZ $100,690 2% below national
191 Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV $100,620 2% below national
192 St. Louis, MO-IL $100,600 2% below national
193 New Orleans-Metairie, LA $100,530 2% below national
194 Sumter, SC $100,520 2% below national
195 Cape Girardeau, MO-IL $100,420 2% below national
196 Waco, TX $100,390 2% below national
197 Sioux City, IA-NE-SD $100,380 2% below national
198 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN $100,310 2% below national
199 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA $100,290 2% below national
200 Chambersburg, PA $100,260 2% below national
201 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC $100,240 2% below national
202 Shreveport-Bossier City, LA $100,230 2% below national
203 Greeley, CO $100,170 3% below national
204 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA $100,160 3% below national
205 Jacksonville, FL $100,150 3% below national
206 Joplin, MO-KS $100,150 3% below national
207 Rochester, MN $100,140 3% below national
208 Fond du Lac, WI $100,130 3% below national
209 Boise City, ID $100,120 3% below national
210 Fayetteville, NC $100,120 3% below national
211 Oshkosh-Neenah, WI $100,050 3% below national
212 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL $100,040 3% below national
213 Jonesboro, AR $100,010 3% below national
214 Memphis, TN-MS-AR $100,000 3% below national
215 Canton-Massillon, OH $99,980 3% below national
216 Salem, OR $99,970 3% below national
217 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR $99,940 3% below national
218 Wausau, WI $99,910 3% below national
219 Raleigh-Cary, NC $99,900 3% below national
220 Green Bay, WI $99,850 3% below national
221 Columbia, SC $99,840 3% below national
222 Dubuque, IA $99,840 3% below national
223 Bend, OR $99,800 3% below national
224 Lincoln, NE $99,780 3% below national
225 Kankakee, IL $99,770 3% below national
226 Huntsville, AL $99,760 3% below national
227 Oklahoma City, OK $99,730 3% below national
228 Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI $99,710 3% below national
229 Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA $99,690 3% below national
230 Binghamton, NY $99,670 3% below national
231 Omaha, NE-IA $99,630 3% below national
232 Lawrence, KS $99,620 3% below national
233 Wildwood-The Villages, FL $99,610 3% below national
234 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA $99,520 3% below national
235 Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL $99,500 3% below national
236 Asheville, NC $99,480 3% below national
237 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL $99,410 3% below national
238 St. George, UT $99,340 3% below national
239 Paducah, KY-IL $99,330 3% below national
240 Greensboro-High Point, NC $99,320 3% below national
241 Lansing-East Lansing, MI $99,310 3% below national
242 St. Joseph, MO-KS $99,310 3% below national
243 Pueblo, CO $99,250 3% below national
244 Burlington-South Burlington, VT $99,230 3% below national
245 Ogden, UT $99,170 3% below national
246 Kenosha, WI $99,160 4% below national
247 Chattanooga, TN-GA $99,120 4% below national
248 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI $99,100 4% below national
249 Laredo, TX $99,000 4% below national
250 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL $98,990 4% below national
251 State College, PA $98,970 4% below national
252 Hammond, LA $98,930 4% below national
253 Baton Rouge, LA $98,920 4% below national
254 Casper, WY $98,880 4% below national
255 Corvallis, OR $98,870 4% below national
256 Peoria, IL $98,860 4% below national
257 Yuma, AZ $98,790 4% below national
258 Roanoke, VA $98,770 4% below national
259 Wilmington, NC $98,770 4% below national
260 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL $98,740 4% below national
261 Fort Smith, AR-OK $98,730 4% below national
262 Gainesville, FL $98,700 4% below national
263 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA $98,690 4% below national
264 St. Cloud, MN $98,660 4% below national
265 Eau Claire, WI $98,610 4% below national
266 Lawton, OK $98,590 4% below national
267 Anniston-Oxford, AL $98,520 4% below national
268 Medford, OR $98,500 4% below national
269 Fort Wayne, IN $98,450 4% below national
270 Michigan City-La Porte, IN $98,420 4% below national
271 Sebring, FL $98,370 4% below national
272 Kokomo, IN $98,350 4% below national
273 Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL $98,340 4% below national
274 Columbus, GA-AL $98,300 4% below national
275 Lewiston-Auburn, ME $98,300 4% below national
276 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI $98,270 4% below national
277 Dover, DE $98,260 4% below national
278 Farmington, NM $98,260 4% below national
279 Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH $98,220 4% below national
280 Albany, GA $98,190 4% below national
281 Killeen-Temple, TX $98,120 5% below national
282 Jefferson City, MO $98,070 5% below national
283 Greenville, NC $98,020 5% below national
284 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI $97,920 5% below national
285 Colorado Springs, CO $97,900 5% below national
286 Lima, OH $97,880 5% below national
287 Johnstown, PA $97,870 5% below national
288 Champaign-Urbana, IL $97,840 5% below national
289 Logan, UT-ID $97,830 5% below national
290 Clarksville, TN-KY $97,810 5% below national
291 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $97,790 5% below national
292 Birmingham, AL $97,750 5% below national
293 Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA $97,750 5% below national
294 Pittsburgh, PA $97,750 5% below national
295 Altoona, PA $97,710 5% below national
296 Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI $97,710 5% below national
297 Decatur, AL $97,600 5% below national
298 Hattiesburg, MS $97,580 5% below national
299 Topeka, KS $97,570 5% below national
300 La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN $97,550 5% below national
301 Bozeman, MT $97,400 5% below national
302 Wichita, KS $97,400 5% below national
303 Springfield, MO $97,270 5% below national
304 Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC $97,260 5% below national
305 Hot Springs, AR $97,260 5% below national
306 Bloomington, IL $97,250 5% below national
307 Youngstown-Warren, OH $97,210 5% below national
308 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA $97,180 5% below national
309 Morristown, TN $97,150 5% below national
310 Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY $97,110 5% below national
311 Manhattan, KS $97,110 5% below national
312 Valdosta, GA $97,050 6% below national
313 Billings, MT $97,020 6% below national
314 Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT $96,960 6% below national
315 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC $96,940 6% below national
316 Evansville, IN $96,820 6% below national
317 Duluth, MN-WI $96,690 6% below national
318 Johnson City, TN $96,660 6% below national
319 Jackson, TN $96,610 6% below national
320 Bellingham, WA $96,450 6% below national
321 Columbus, IN $96,400 6% below national
322 Montgomery, AL $96,360 6% below national
323 Tallahassee, FL $96,180 6% below national
324 Glens Falls, NY $96,170 6% below national
325 Parkersburg-Vienna, WV $96,170 6% below national
326 Monroe, LA $96,140 6% below national
327 Knoxville, TN $96,110 6% below national
328 Morgantown, WV $96,010 7% below national
329 Beckley, WV $95,970 7% below national
330 Flint, MI $95,960 7% below national
331 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY $95,800 7% below national
332 Mansfield, OH $95,560 7% below national
333 Dothan, AL $95,460 7% below national
334 Coeur d'Alene, ID $95,310 7% below national
335 Jacksonville, NC $95,190 7% below national
336 Erie, PA $94,830 8% below national
337 Terre Haute, IN $94,760 8% below national
338 Lexington-Fayette, KY $94,710 8% below national
339 Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH $94,550 8% below national
340 Cedar Rapids, IA $94,520 8% below national
341 Bangor, ME $94,510 8% below national
342 Iowa City, IA $94,480 8% below national
343 Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC $94,400 8% below national
344 Mobile, AL $94,280 8% below national
345 Ocala, FL $94,130 8% below national
346 Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL $94,120 8% below national
347 Rapid City, SD $94,120 8% below national
348 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY $94,020 9% below national
349 Bay City, MI $93,450 9% below national
350 Wichita Falls, TX $93,250 9% below national
351 Twin Falls, ID $93,090 9% below national
352 Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL $92,690 10% below national
353 Midland, MI $92,620 10% below national
354 Idaho Falls, ID $92,110 10% below national
355 Syracuse, NY $92,080 10% below national
356 Gainesville, GA $92,030 10% below national
357 Bowling Green, KY $91,590 11% below national
358 Sioux Falls, SD-MN $91,470 11% below national
359 Kingston, NY $91,460 11% below national
360 Ames, IA $90,610 12% below national
361 Goldsboro, NC $89,210 13% below national
362 Lake Charles, LA $88,900 13% below national
363 Grand Forks, ND-MN $88,670 14% below national
364 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY $87,200 15% below national
365 Grand Island, NE $87,080 15% below national
366 Fort Collins-Loveland, CO $86,840 15% below national
367 Elmira, NY $86,680 16% below national
368 Auburn-Opelika, AL $86,120 16% below national
369 Utica-Rome, NY $85,930 16% below national
370 Warner Robins, GA $85,590 17% below national
371 Fargo, ND-MN $85,330 17% below national
372 Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL $84,750 18% below national
373 Helena, MT $84,390 18% below national
374 Lafayette, LA $84,340 18% below national
375 Missoula, MT $83,970 18% below national
376 Columbia, MO $83,320 19% below national
377 Bismarck, ND $83,280 19% below national
378 Owensboro, KY $83,270 19% below national
379 Rochester, NY $83,070 19% below national
380 Pocatello, ID $82,680 20% below national
381 Great Falls, MT $81,960 20% below national
382 Cleveland, TN $79,230 23% below national
383 Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA $78,320 24% below national
384 Minot, ND $78,180 24% below national
385 San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR $60,990 41% below national
386 Mayaguez, PR $59,540 42% below national
387 Aguadilla, PR $59,340 42% below national
388 Ponce, PR $58,820 43% below national
389 Arecibo, PR $44,860 56% below national

Same SOC major group

Other detailed occupations in SOC major group 29 (Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations) - category peers, not a pay match.

Showing 5 of 70 detailed occupations BLS assigns to this SOC major group.

Nationwide occupations with similar pay or employment scale

Two OEWS peer sets outside this SOC major group (Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations). Same-category cards above stay inside the group; these neighborhoods are cross-group nearest neighbors on national median pay ($102,760 here) and reported employment (267,330 jobs here).

Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS national median annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude occupations already listed in the pay column so the two link sets stay distinct.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Physical Therapists make?
The median annual salary for Physical Therapists is $102,760 ($49.40/hour). The salary range spans from $77,140 at the 10th percentile to $135,140 at the 90th percentile.
Where does Physical Therapists pay rank nationally?
At a published national median of $102,760, Physical Therapists pay is higher than 85% of the 825 detailed occupations with a published BLS annual median in the May 2025 OEWS release. This compares occupation-level medians, not individual workers, job offers, or this occupation's own worker pay-percentile range.
What state pays Physical Therapists the most?
California pays the highest median salary for Physical Therapists at $124,190/year, which is +21% above the national median.
What education do Physical Therapists need?
BLS assigns Physical Therapists to Doctoral or professional degree for typical education needed for entry.
Does BLS publish a safety rate for Physical Therapists?
BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific fatality and injury rate for Physical Therapists in this release. WageDex shows the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations SOC-group rate only as broad context and does not rank it as this occupation's measured rate.
Is Physical Therapists a good career?
Employment for Physical Therapists is projected to grow 10.9% from 2024 to 2034, which is much faster than average. About 13,200 openings are projected each year.
How does Physical Therapists pay vary by state?
Physical Therapists salaries vary significantly by state. The highest-paying state is California at $124,190/year, while Puerto Rico pays the least at $60,250/year. BLS data covers 52 states and territories.
Which metro areas pay the most for Physical Therapists?
The highest published metropolitan-area median in this ranking is San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA at $141,980/year. BLS reports a median for 389 metropolitan areas for this occupation. The ranking does not establish why values differ.

What to do with this data

How to use Physical Therapists pay figures in a real decision

  • The 75th-percentile wage is about $121,160/year. Treat it as the upper-quartile market boundary, not an automatic target for experience alone; role scope, location, industry, credentials, performance, and employer context still need separate evidence. Salary calculator
  • Location moves pay significantly: California leads at $124,190/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
  • Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs

These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.

Data as of May 2025. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 annual release. Employment projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024–2034. Data reflects cross-industry estimates for all ownership types.

These are survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. See how to use them.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Occupation wages use BLS OEWS May 2025; outlook uses BLS Employment Projections for 2024–2034; safety, skills, knowledge, and task panels identify their BLS or O*NET sources in context. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.