Physical therapists salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $77,140 | $37.09 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $102,760 | $49.40 |
| Mean (average) | $105,280 | $50.62 |
| 90th percentile | $135,140 | $64.97 |
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 therapists 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 | $97,290 | $74,770 | $133,710 | 3,040 | 0.84 |
| Alaska | $115,280 | $97,950 | $133,690 | 680 | 1.22 |
| Arizona | $103,220 | $81,560 | $134,050 | 5,170 | 0.93 |
| Arkansas | $99,010 | $73,050 | $127,210 | 2,680 | 1.2 |
| California | $124,190 | $85,580 | $163,960 | 26,580 | 0.85 |
| Colorado | $102,030 | $76,460 | $132,010 | 5,630 | 1.14 |
| Connecticut | $104,360 | $82,110 | $127,150 | 4,060 | 1.39 |
| Delaware | $102,050 | $79,930 | $136,350 | 1,260 | 1.51 |
| District of Columbia | $101,640 | $85,620 | $129,470 | 610 | 0.5 |
| Florida | $101,040 | $73,630 | $122,880 | 16,290 | 0.95 |
| Georgia | $102,700 | $78,580 | $130,630 | 6,780 | 0.81 |
| Hawaii | $101,700 | $78,630 | $123,280 | 950 | 0.88 |
| Idaho | $99,000 | $74,570 | $122,100 | 1,030 | 0.7 |
| Illinois | $105,250 | $83,000 | $140,410 | 9,800 | 0.93 |
| Indiana | $101,560 | $76,960 | $125,390 | 6,130 | 1.11 |
| Iowa | $97,560 | $73,780 | $120,730 | 2,530 | 0.95 |
| Kansas | $98,290 | $72,290 | $122,130 | 2,660 | 1.07 |
| Kentucky | $100,710 | $73,900 | $126,920 | 3,390 | 0.98 |
| Louisiana | $98,530 | $60,150 | $127,640 | 3,280 | 0.99 |
| Maine | $99,720 | $78,020 | $121,030 | 1,860 | 1.69 |
| Maryland | $106,890 | $79,990 | $138,630 | 3,940 | 0.83 |
| Massachusetts | $103,790 | $82,760 | $130,220 | 6,850 | 1.09 |
| Michigan | $100,900 | $79,600 | $123,980 | 8,630 | 1.14 |
| Minnesota | $102,010 | $83,570 | $121,340 | 5,180 | 1.02 |
| Mississippi | $99,990 | $73,700 | $121,740 | 1,980 | 0.99 |
| Missouri | $99,310 | $76,110 | $124,530 | 4,900 | 0.97 |
| Montana | $91,450 | $78,490 | $115,540 | 1,180 | 1.35 |
| Nebraska | $97,090 | $77,540 | $120,190 | 2,140 | 1.22 |
| Nevada | $111,250 | $86,260 | $190,620 | 2,030 | 0.76 |
| New Hampshire | $99,850 | $76,180 | $122,560 | 1,960 | 1.67 |
| New Jersey | $112,140 | $84,640 | $140,040 | 9,750 | 1.32 |
| New Mexico | $106,880 | $77,260 | $146,400 | 1,330 | 0.89 |
| New York | $100,660 | $73,580 | $136,120 | 20,940 | 1.26 |
| North Carolina | $99,910 | $78,020 | $125,940 | 7,350 | 0.86 |
| North Dakota | $85,330 | $75,290 | $113,600 | 830 | 1.12 |
| Ohio | $103,050 | $79,070 | $126,060 | 10,280 | 1.08 |
| Oklahoma | $98,590 | $68,330 | $128,000 | 2,560 | 0.87 |
| Oregon | $103,510 | $79,440 | $133,950 | 3,210 | 0.95 |
| Pennsylvania | $101,380 | $76,960 | $127,060 | 11,710 | 1.12 |
| Puerto Rico | $60,250 | $23,180 | $91,790 | 570 | 0.36 |
| Rhode Island | $99,400 | $80,770 | $125,390 | 1,020 | 1.18 |
| South Carolina | $101,330 | $72,810 | $123,480 | 3,930 | 0.99 |
| South Dakota | $92,660 | $77,890 | $107,870 | 1,060 | 1.35 |
| Tennessee | $100,140 | $67,280 | $127,500 | 4,800 | 0.85 |
| Texas | $105,810 | $76,600 | $139,050 | 21,870 | 0.9 |
| Utah | $99,880 | $66,160 | $136,970 | 2,300 | 0.77 |
| Vermont | $97,970 | $75,040 | $115,860 | 760 | 1.45 |
| Virginia | $101,450 | $75,720 | $132,860 | 7,630 | 1.08 |
| Washington | $105,950 | $78,300 | $137,560 | 5,370 | 0.88 |
| West Virginia | $96,600 | $73,130 | $126,380 | 1,310 | 1.08 |
| Wisconsin | $101,840 | $80,740 | $124,640 | 5,580 | 1.1 |
| Wyoming | $100,400 | $75,900 | $125,930 | 560 | 1.15 |
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 therapists
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 13,400. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 4.2%.
- 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 therapists
- Typical entry education
- Doctoral or professional degree
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law 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/Therapist CIP 51.2308
- Kinesiotherapy/Kinesiotherapist CIP 51.2311
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical 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.
Technology skills
- MEDITECH software (hot technology)
- Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- eClinicalWorks EHR software (hot technology)
- Advantage Software Physical Therapy Advantage
- Biometrics video game software
- Cedaron Dexter Evaluation & Impairment Rating
- Clinicient Insight
- Exercise routine creation software
- Hands On Technology TheraWriter.PT
- MediGraph
- Medical condition coding software
- Medical procedure coding software
- Patient charting software
Transferable skills for career changers: Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation, Judgment and Decision Making, Time Management, Instructing, Complex Problem Solving.
Common job titles: Acute Care PT (Acute Care Physical Therapist), Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), Home Care Physical Therapist (Home Care PT), Inpatient Physical Therapist (Inpatient PT), Outpatient Physical Therapist (Outpatient PT), Pediatric Physical Therapist (Pediatric PT), Registered Physical Therapist (RPT), Therapist.
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 therapists make?
The national median annual wage for physical therapists was $102,760 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $77,140 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $135,140. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do physical therapists need?
BLS lists doctoral or professional 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 therapists a growing career?
BLS projects employment of physical therapists to change +11.9% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 13,400 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay physical therapists the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were California ($124,190), Alaska ($115,280), New Jersey ($112,140). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.