BLS physical therapist pay at every level and in every state, home health vs clinic pay, part-time hours and take-home after 2026 tax
Physical therapists earned a median salary of $102,760 in May 2025 ($49.40 an hour), according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which counted 267,330 PTs on payrolls. The middle half earned between $86,160 and $121,160; the top tenth over $135,140.
This is the BLS line for physical therapists (SOC 29-1123) on employers' payrolls. Physical therapist assistants and aides are separate, lower-paid occupations, and self-employed PTs aren't counted. Take-home assumes a single filer with 2026 federal tax and FICA and no state tax.
| Pay level | Hourly | Annual | Monthly | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $37.09 | $77,140 | $6,428 | $63,098 |
| 25th percentile | $41.42 | $86,160 | $7,180 | $69,444 |
| Median | $49.40 | $102,760 | $8,563 | $81,122 |
| 75th percentile | $58.25 | $121,160 | $10,097 | $94,066 |
| 90th percentile | $64.97 | $135,140 | $11,262 | $103,634 |
California PTs earn the most at $124,190, and California also employs the most, 26,580. Alaska ($115,280) and New Jersey ($112,140) follow, and North Dakota is lowest at $85,330. The gap between top and bottom states is smaller than for most jobs here.
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $59.71 | $124,190 | 26,580 |
| Alaska | $55.43 | $115,280 | 680 |
| New Jersey | $53.91 | $112,140 | 9,750 |
| Nevada | $53.48 | $111,250 | 2,030 |
| Maryland | $51.39 | $106,890 | 3,940 |
| New Mexico | $51.38 | $106,880 | 1,330 |
| Washington | $50.94 | $105,950 | 5,370 |
| Texas | $50.87 | $105,810 | 21,870 |
| Illinois | $50.60 | $105,250 | 9,800 |
| Connecticut | $50.17 | $104,360 | 4,060 |
| Massachusetts | $49.90 | $103,790 | 6,850 |
| Oregon | $49.77 | $103,510 | 3,210 |
| Arizona | $49.62 | $103,220 | 5,170 |
| Ohio | $49.54 | $103,050 | 10,280 |
| Georgia | $49.38 | $102,700 | 6,780 |
| Delaware | $49.06 | $102,050 | 1,260 |
| Colorado | $49.05 | $102,030 | 5,630 |
| Minnesota | $49.04 | $102,010 | 5,180 |
| Wisconsin | $48.96 | $101,840 | 5,580 |
| Hawaii | $48.90 | $101,700 | 950 |
| District of Columbia | $48.87 | $101,640 | 610 |
| Indiana | $48.83 | $101,560 | 6,130 |
| Virginia | $48.78 | $101,450 | 7,630 |
| Pennsylvania | $48.74 | $101,380 | 11,710 |
| South Carolina | $48.72 | $101,330 | 3,930 |
| Florida | $48.58 | $101,040 | 16,290 |
| Michigan | $48.51 | $100,900 | 8,630 |
| Kentucky | $48.42 | $100,710 | 3,390 |
| New York | $48.39 | $100,660 | 20,940 |
| Wyoming | $48.27 | $100,400 | 560 |
| Tennessee | $48.15 | $100,140 | 4,800 |
| Mississippi | $48.07 | $99,990 | 1,980 |
| North Carolina | $48.03 | $99,910 | 7,350 |
| Utah | $48.02 | $99,880 | 2,300 |
| New Hampshire | $48.01 | $99,850 | 1,960 |
| Maine | $47.94 | $99,720 | 1,860 |
| Rhode Island | $47.79 | $99,400 | 1,020 |
| Missouri | $47.75 | $99,310 | 4,900 |
| Arkansas | $47.60 | $99,010 | 2,680 |
| Idaho | $47.60 | $99,000 | 1,030 |
| Oklahoma | $47.40 | $98,590 | 2,560 |
| Louisiana | $47.37 | $98,530 | 3,280 |
| Kansas | $47.25 | $98,290 | 2,660 |
| Vermont | $47.10 | $97,970 | 760 |
| Iowa | $46.90 | $97,560 | 2,530 |
| Alabama | $46.77 | $97,290 | 3,040 |
| Nebraska | $46.68 | $97,090 | 2,140 |
| West Virginia | $46.44 | $96,600 | 1,310 |
| South Dakota | $44.55 | $92,660 | 1,060 |
| Montana | $43.97 | $91,450 | 1,180 |
| North Dakota | $41.02 | $85,330 | 830 |
Home health PTs have the highest median ($114,740), then nursing and residential care ($110,460) and hospitals ($106,800). Therapy offices, the biggest employer with 36% of PTs, pay the least of the four, $97,160 (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
| Industry | Median annual wage |
|---|---|
| Home healthcare services | $114,740 |
| Nursing and residential care facilities | $110,460 |
| Hospitals; state, local, and private | $106,800 |
| Offices of physical, occupational and speech therapists, and audiologists | $97,160 |
Most physical therapists work full time and keep normal business hours, though some work evenings or weekends and part-time work is common (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook). Therapy, speech and audiology offices employ 36% of PTs, hospitals 26%, home health 11% and nursing and residential care 6%.
A physical therapist paid a salary of at least $684 a week, in a job that requires the Doctor of Physical Therapy, can be classed as an exempt learned professional (DOL Fact Sheet #17D). PTs paid by the hour are owed time and a half after 40 hours a week.
New physical therapists need a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), a program that typically lasts 3 years after a bachelor's with prerequisites in anatomy, chemistry and physics, and a state license, which includes a qualifying exam and in some states a law exam and background check. An optional residency of about a year, fellowships and board certification in specialties such as orthopedics, sports and geriatrics follow for some (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
More ways to work with your physical therapist pay:
$102,760 a year ($49.40 an hour) at the BLS median for May 2025. The middle half earned $86,160 to $121,160.
California ($59.71 an hour, $124,190 a year), then Alaska and New Jersey; North Dakota pays least among the 51 states where BLS released a figure (BLS, May 2025).
By employer, home health PTs have the highest median in the Occupational Outlook Handbook's industry table and therapy offices the lowest, even though therapy offices employ the most PTs. The figures are in the table on this page.
Hourly PTs do, after 40 hours a week. A PT paid a salary of at least $684 a week in a job requiring the DPT can be treated as an exempt professional (DOL Fact Sheet #17D).
Tax rules, limits and pay data change. Check the current figures with the primary source before acting on them.