Physical therapist assistants salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $47,750 | $22.96 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $68,380 | $32.88 |
| Mean (average) | $68,730 | $33.04 |
| 90th percentile | $89,510 | $43.04 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Physical therapist assistants pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 52 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $61,430 | $49,340 | $79,060 | 2,700 | 1.77 |
| Alaska | $77,640 | $65,640 | $87,850 | 110 | 0.45 |
| Arizona | $64,650 | $36,160 | $79,570 | 2,010 | 0.86 |
| Arkansas | $64,520 | $31,540 | $85,280 | 1,620 | 1.72 |
| California | $83,110 | $59,500 | $102,800 | 9,400 | 0.71 |
| Colorado | $64,810 | $48,580 | $89,550 | 1,350 | 0.65 |
| Connecticut | $75,880 | $62,070 | $82,870 | 980 | 0.8 |
| Delaware | $74,610 | $51,750 | $83,510 | 340 | 0.98 |
| District of Columbia | $63,400 | $45,750 | $82,250 | 40 | 0.08 |
| Florida | $72,530 | $58,650 | $81,080 | 9,870 | 1.37 |
| Georgia | $72,800 | $43,400 | $89,600 | 2,620 | 0.74 |
| Hawaii | $67,510 | $49,920 | $74,770 | 250 | 0.56 |
| Idaho | $61,020 | $37,780 | $75,050 | 560 | 0.9 |
| Illinois | $65,240 | $41,600 | $81,890 | 4,890 | 1.11 |
| Indiana | $65,280 | $46,410 | $80,060 | 2,830 | 1.22 |
| Iowa | $61,030 | $45,760 | $74,950 | 1,060 | 0.94 |
| Kansas | $64,500 | $52,520 | $79,550 | 1,300 | 1.25 |
| Kentucky | $61,480 | $27,870 | $79,500 | 2,580 | 1.78 |
| Louisiana | $65,370 | $24,360 | $81,520 | 1,670 | 1.19 |
| Maine | $66,250 | $53,440 | $80,530 | 410 | 0.88 |
| Maryland | $77,670 | $39,260 | $91,570 | 1,430 | 0.72 |
| Massachusetts | $79,460 | $62,030 | $88,280 | 2,640 | 1 |
| Michigan | $61,670 | $35,700 | $78,600 | 4,520 | 1.42 |
| Minnesota | $66,770 | $58,010 | $77,420 | 1,230 | 0.58 |
| Mississippi | $61,770 | $51,720 | $78,830 | 1,150 | 1.37 |
| Missouri | $63,770 | $50,460 | $79,000 | 2,490 | 1.18 |
| Montana | $62,650 | $52,310 | $77,990 | 250 | 0.67 |
| Nebraska | $61,370 | $48,100 | $77,690 | 980 | 1.33 |
| Nevada | $75,520 | $49,140 | $87,930 | 560 | 0.5 |
| New Hampshire | $71,440 | $59,540 | $80,940 | 500 | 1.02 |
| New Jersey | $78,440 | $62,620 | $90,090 | 1,810 | 0.58 |
| New Mexico | $62,280 | $30,470 | $85,040 | 700 | 1.11 |
| New York | $64,100 | $46,350 | $81,000 | 3,620 | 0.52 |
| North Carolina | $67,540 | $56,100 | $80,850 | 3,280 | 0.92 |
| North Dakota | $63,520 | $30,480 | $77,600 | 120 | 0.38 |
| Ohio | $63,820 | $51,280 | $84,130 | 7,040 | 1.75 |
| Oklahoma | $59,480 | $24,960 | $79,860 | 2,380 | 1.93 |
| Oregon | $73,180 | $56,620 | $89,480 | 890 | 0.63 |
| Pennsylvania | $62,580 | $49,610 | $78,010 | 4,270 | 0.97 |
| Puerto Rico | $29,710 | $22,460 | $67,100 | 830 | 1.23 |
| Rhode Island | $68,640 | $58,380 | $76,990 | 420 | 1.15 |
| South Carolina | $70,500 | $47,510 | $88,070 | 1,870 | 1.12 |
| South Dakota | $49,310 | $40,120 | $63,930 | 300 | 0.89 |
| Tennessee | $62,500 | $48,010 | $80,800 | 3,390 | 1.43 |
| Texas | $78,000 | $43,900 | $99,640 | 10,510 | 1.03 |
| Utah | $61,980 | $34,190 | $84,000 | 970 | 0.77 |
| Vermont | $71,600 | $60,580 | $83,250 | 100 | 0.46 |
| Virginia | $73,760 | $54,170 | $93,600 | 3,370 | 1.13 |
| Washington | $66,450 | $36,610 | $93,140 | 2,150 | 0.84 |
| West Virginia | $60,430 | $45,510 | $79,160 | 980 | 1.93 |
| Wisconsin | $64,080 | $51,960 | $77,440 | 1,650 | 0.78 |
| Wyoming | $63,550 | $48,180 | $79,320 | 240 | 1.17 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for physical therapist assistants
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 18,500. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for physical therapist assistants
- Typical entry education
- Associate's degree
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Physical Therapy Assistant CIP 51.0806
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Instruct, motivate, safeguard, and assist patients as they practice exercises or functional activities.
- Document patient information, such as notes on their progress.
- Observe patients during treatments to compile and evaluate data on their responses and progress and provide results to physical therapist in person or through progress notes.
- Instruct patients in proper body mechanics and in ways to improve functional mobility, such as aquatic exercise.
- Secure patients into or onto therapy equipment.
- Confer with physical therapy staff or others to discuss and evaluate patient information for planning, modifying, or coordinating treatment.
- Administer active or passive manual therapeutic exercises, therapeutic massage, aquatic physical therapy, or heat, light, sound, or electrical modality treatments, such as ultrasound.
- Transport patients to and from treatment areas, lifting and transferring them according to positioning requirements.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- eClinicalWorks EHR software (hot technology)
- Arena Health Systems Phys-X
- Beaver Creek Software The THERAPIST
- Billing software
- BioEx Systems Exercise Pro
- Bookkeeping software
- Client caseload management software
- Eazy Application Systems QuickEMR
- Email software
Transferable skills for career changers: Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation, Coordination, Instructing, Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making.
Common job titles: Certified Physical Therapist Assistant (CPTA), Home Care Physical Therapy Assistant, Home Health Physical Therapist Assistant, Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant (LPTA), Licensed Physical Therapy Assistant, Outpatient Physical Therapist Assistant, Per Diem Physical Therapist Assistant (Per Diem PTA), Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA), Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA).
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do physical therapist assistants make?
The national median annual wage for physical therapist assistants was $68,380 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $47,750 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $89,510. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do physical therapist assistants need?
BLS lists associate's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is physical therapist assistants a growing career?
BLS projects employment of physical therapist assistants to change +23.0% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 18,500 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay physical therapist assistants the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were California ($83,110), Massachusetts ($79,460), New Jersey ($78,440). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.