How pay is spread out
The range runs from $77,140 to $135,140. Where a PT works has a clear effect, as the table of employers shows.
Physical therapist salary by state
State medians run from $85,330 in North Dakota to $124,190 in California. All states license physical therapists, and some add a law exam or a background check. Once prices are taken into account, New Mexico comes out on top at about $115,900.
| Compared with the top state | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $124,190 | 26,580 | $112,170 | |
| Alaska | $115,280 | 680 | $112,620 | |
| New Jersey | $112,140 | 9,750 | $103,070 | |
| Nevada | $111,250 | 2,030 | $111,270 | |
| Maryland | $106,890 | 3,940 | $101,840 | |
| New Mexico | $106,880 | 1,330 | $115,910 | |
| Washington | $105,950 | 5,370 | $99,010 | |
| Texas | $105,810 | 21,870 | $109,020 | |
| Illinois | $105,250 | 9,800 | $105,290 | |
| Connecticut | $104,360 | 4,060 | $100,720 | |
| Massachusetts | $103,790 | 6,850 | $98,140 | |
| Oregon | $103,510 | 3,210 | $100,140 | |
| Arizona | $103,220 | 5,170 | $102,530 | |
| Ohio | $103,050 | 10,280 | $111,080 | |
| Georgia | $102,700 | 6,780 | $106,650 | |
| Delaware | $102,050 | 1,260 | $102,250 | |
| Colorado | $102,030 | 5,630 | $99,010 | |
| Minnesota | $102,010 | 5,180 | $103,440 | |
| Wisconsin | $101,840 | 5,580 | $108,230 | |
| Hawaii | $101,700 | 950 | $92,500 | |
| District of Columbia | $101,640 | 610 | $92,480 | |
| Indiana | $101,560 | 6,130 | $108,820 | |
| Virginia | $101,450 | 7,630 | $100,340 | |
| Pennsylvania | $101,380 | 11,710 | $103,900 | |
| South Carolina | $101,330 | 3,930 | $108,090 | |
| Florida | $101,040 | 16,290 | $97,700 | |
| Michigan | $100,900 | 8,630 | $104,870 | |
| Kentucky | $100,710 | 3,390 | $111,700 | |
| New York | $100,660 | 20,940 | $93,270 | |
| Wyoming | $100,400 | 560 | $108,320 | |
| Tennessee | $100,140 | 4,800 | $109,000 | |
| Mississippi | $99,990 | 1,980 | $114,990 | |
| North Carolina | $99,910 | 7,350 | $105,920 | |
| Utah | $99,880 | 2,300 | $101,030 | |
| New Hampshire | $99,850 | 1,960 | $95,860 | |
| Maine | $99,720 | 1,860 | $102,750 | |
| Rhode Island | $99,400 | 1,020 | $97,180 | |
| Missouri | $99,310 | 4,900 | $109,350 | |
| Arkansas | $99,010 | 2,680 | $113,890 | |
| Idaho | $99,000 | 1,030 | $103,670 | |
| Oklahoma | $98,590 | 2,560 | $112,230 | |
| Louisiana | $98,530 | 3,280 | $111,700 | |
| Kansas | $98,290 | 2,660 | $109,130 | |
| Vermont | $97,970 | 760 | $100,010 | |
| Iowa | $97,560 | 2,530 | $111,160 | |
| Alabama | $97,290 | 3,040 | $109,530 | |
| Nebraska | $97,090 | 2,140 | $107,750 | |
| West Virginia | $96,600 | 1,310 | $107,940 | |
| South Dakota | $92,660 | 1,060 | $104,600 | |
| Montana | $91,450 | 1,180 | $96,620 | |
| North Dakota | $85,330 | 830 | $95,920 |
Best-paying cities
The best-paying metro areas are not always the biggest ones: San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA leads at $141,980.
| Metro area | Median | Employed | Cost-adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $141,980 | 3,140 | $122,810 |
| Vallejo, CA | $141,530 | 300 | $130,470 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $140,100 | 290 | $129,980 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $139,000 | 1,460 | $125,880 |
| Napa, CA | $138,540 | 50 | $123,090 |
| Chico, CA | $134,970 | 180 | $133,370 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $131,430 | 1,610 | $123,210 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $128,680 | 310 | $118,270 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $127,460 | 40 | $125,440 |
| Salinas, CA | $127,120 | 190 | $116,580 |
Where the most jobs are
| Metro area | Median | Employed | Cost-adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $107,650 | 21,240 | $95,640 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $108,170 | 9,750 | $95,250 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $105,720 | 7,880 | $102,050 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $105,790 | 6,250 | $103,160 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $107,780 | 6,100 | $104,550 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $103,550 | 5,330 | $95,640 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $100,870 | 4,950 | $88,360 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $107,700 | 4,680 | $109,200 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $102,980 | 4,540 | $94,580 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $103,440 | 4,250 | $103,380 |
Pay by type of employer
Private practices and similar offices employ the most PTs (39%) but pay $97,290. Home health is the highest of the three biggest settings at $114,740, and hospitals sit at $106,890.
| Industry | Median | Employed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners | $97,290 | 103,680 | 39% |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | $106,890 | 61,520 | 23% |
| Home Health Care Services | $114,740 | 30,920 | 12% |
| Offices of Physicians | $102,010 | 17,150 | 6% |
| Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) | $111,740 | 13,390 | 5% |
| Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals | $105,300 | 10,120 | 4% |
What physical therapists do
- 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.
Hourly to annual
Outpatient and home-health jobs sometimes pay per visit instead of per hour. If yours does, work out an hourly equivalent first, then use the 2,080-hour conversion.
How you get there
A Doctor of Physical Therapy is required to enter the field. Programs typically last three years and usually come after a bachelor's degree and science prerequisites.
Typical entry-level education: doctoral or professional degree. Projected job growth, 2025–35: 11.9%, about 13,400 openings a year (BLS Employment Projections).
Compare with similar jobs
Questions people ask
How much do physical therapists make an hour?
The national median was $49.40 an hour in May 2025.
Which setting pays physical therapists the most?
Among the three largest settings, home health care had the highest median at $114,740. Hospitals were at $106,890 and therapists' offices at $97,290.
Which state pays physical therapists the most?
California had the highest median at $124,190, followed by Alaska at $115,280.
General information, not career or financial advice. Pay depends on hours, location and employer. Confirm licensing rules with your state's board.