- National median: $101,020/yr (BLS OES May 2024). P25–P75: $83,470–$117,190; P90 $132,500; mean $102,400.
- Highest-paying states (gross median): CA $123,300, AK $108,640, NJ $106,310, NV $105,170, OR $104,430.
- Setting matters more than license: home-health PT median ~$112K vs school-based PT ~$84K.
- PT Compact (40+ states) lets licensed PTs work in member states without a new license — unlocks travel-PT pay premiums of 20–60%.
- Real take-home inverts the gross ranking: low-RPP states sweep — LA ($113,360 real), WV ($112,916), OK ($111,885), MS ($111,854), AR ($111,554). PT wages don't compress proportionally with RPP, so low-cost-of-living states deliver outsized real income.
Where the spread is.
The same job, fifty-one wages.
Sorted by real P50 descending. Real wage is the BLS nominal P50 divided by the state's BEA RPP — the dollar that buys the same basket as the national average. Each row links to the full state page.
| Rank | ST | State | Real P50 | Nom. P50 | Distribution P10–P90 | RPP | Emp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | LA | Louisiana | $113,360▲13% | $100,550 | 88.7 | 3K | |
| 02 | WV | West Virginia | $112,916▲12% | $101,210 | 89.6 | 1K | |
| 03 | OK | Oklahoma | $111,885▲13% | $99,220 | 88.7 | 2K | |
| 04 | MS | Mississippi | $111,854▲15% | $97,080 | 86.8 | 2K | |
| 05 | AR | Arkansas | $111,554▲15% | $96,840 | 86.8 | 3K | |
| 06 | NM | New Mexico | $111,155▲10% | $101,130 | 91 | 1K | |
| 07 | WY | Wyoming | $110,463▲9% | $101,130 | 91.6 | 1K | |
| 08 | KS | Kansas | $109,935▲11% | $98,840 | 89.9 | 3K | |
| · · · · · 38 states omitted · · · · · | |||||||
| 47 | WA | Washington | $94,251▼8% | $102,140 | 108.4 | 5K | |
| 48 | NH | New Hampshire | $92,226▼5% | $97,200 | 105.4 | 2K | |
| 49 | NY | New York | $92,200▼7% | $99,430 | 107.8 | 16K | |
| 50 | HI | Hawaii | $91,830▼9% | $100,740 | 109.7 | 1K | |
| 51 | DC | District of Columbia | $91,010▼10% | $100,760 | 110.7 | 1K | |
| RPP source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2023 release. P10–P90 from BLS OEWS May 2024. | Real P50 = Nominal P50 × (100 / RPP) | ||||||
Physical Therapist Salary at a Glance (BLS OEWS public API v2, May 2024)
Of the ~248,630 physical therapists employed in the United States, the May 2024 OES release puts the annual median wage at $101,020 and the annual mean at $102,400. The middle 50% earn $83,470 to $117,190. The bottom decile (P10) is $74,420; the top decile (P90) is $132,500.
That distribution sits noticeably above other allied-health roles (occupational therapy median ~$98K, speech-language pathology ~$89K) and squarely between RN ($86K median) and PA ($130K median). PT is one of the few healthcare careers where a clinical doctorate is required but the median wage caps below $110K — a known DPT-ROI complaint, addressed in the DPT ROI section.
Wage distribution
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| P10 | $74,420 | $35.78 |
| P25 | $83,470 | $40.13 |
| P50 (median) | $101,020 | $48.57 |
| P75 | $117,190 | $56.34 |
| P90 | $132,500 | $63.70 |
| Mean | $102,400 | $49.23 |
Source: BLS OES 29-1123, May 2024 release. Last synced 2026-05-05.
Physical Therapist Salary by State
State-level pay differs by ~$30K between the highest and lowest mean. But headline gross is misleading: California and New Jersey lead nominal wage but lose 8–13% of gross to state income tax. The real picture, after BEA Regional Price Parity adjustment, is the opposite of what most state-pay rankings show.
Top 5 — Nominal Median (P50)
| State | P50 | RPP | Real P50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA | $123,300 | 112.2 | $109,898 |
| AK | $108,640 | 103.3 | $105,172 |
| NJ | $106,310 | 108.9 | $97,585 |
| NV | $105,170 | 97.9 | $107,469 |
| OR | $104,430 | 104.8 | $99,636 |
Top 5 — Real Take-Home (RPP-Adjusted)
| State | P50 | RPP | Real P50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| LA | $100,550 | 88.7 | $113,360 |
| WV | $101,210 | 89.6 | $112,916 |
| OK | $99,220 | 88.7 | $111,885 |
| MS | $97,080 | 86.8 | $111,854 |
| AR | $96,840 | 86.8 | $111,554 |
BLS OES 29-1123 state-level + BEA RPP 2023. Real P50 = nominal P50 ÷ (RPP/100). State income tax not reflected — see narrative.
The PT real-wage inversion: Low-cost states (LA, WV, OK, MS, AR) sweep real-take-home top 5 — because PT wages don't drop proportionally to RPP in those markets. A PT in LA earns nominal $100,550 (real $113,360), beating CA's $123,300 nominal (real $109,898) by $3K of real take-home — before state tax. After CA's 9.3% top bracket, the gap widens further. Run your own state-vs-state comparison →
The PT Compact (covered below) makes this geography flexible: a PT licensed in any compact state can take a privilege in any other compact state in 1–3 weeks, so you can chase the low-RPP arbitrage on travel contracts without permanent relocation.
PT Salary by Setting (Where You Work Matters More Than Where You Live)
The ~$30K spread across PT settings often exceeds the spread across states. Same license, very different paycheck.
| Setting | Annual mean | What drives it | Lifestyle trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home health services | ~$112,830 | Per-visit billing, mileage stipend, evening visits | Driving 30–60K mi/yr; productivity quotas |
| Skilled nursing facilities (SNF) | ~$104,170 | Medicare Part A reimbursement; aging population demand | Documentation-heavy; productivity expectations 90%+ |
| Hospitals (general medical/surgical) | ~$97,540 | Acute-care complexity; full benefits | Weekends/holidays in rotation; multi-specialty |
| Outpatient ortho clinic | ~$94,860 | Volume-based productivity | 14–20 patients/day expected; documentation creep |
| Physician's offices | ~$94,200 | Embedded MSK referral pipeline | Tied to physician schedule |
| Schools (K–12) | ~$84,030 | Pediatric specialty; school-year-only | Summers off; pension; lower wage |
The career-pay graph for many PTs is: start at a high-volume outpatient ortho clinic near $83,470 → burn out at year 3 → jump to home-health for $25K raise → go contractor (travel PT) for another $30K. The DPT degree is the same; the setting choice does the wage work.
Travel PT and the PT Compact
Travel PT — short contracts (8–13 weeks) at facilities with staffing gaps — historically required a separate state license per assignment. Application takes 4–12 weeks, costs $150–400 per state, and locks PTs into one geography. The PT Compact changes that.
As of 2026, 40+ states are PT Compact members. A PT licensed in any one member state can apply for a "compact privilege" in any other member state for ~$45–65 — usually approved in 1–3 weeks. This is the operational unlock that makes travel PT viable as a permanent career, not a one-off.
Typical travel PT economics:
- Hourly rate: $50–85/hr (vs $45–55 staff)
- Weekly stipend (housing + per diem, untaxed if duplicating expenses): $1,200–2,000/wk
- Annualized gross: $120K–$180K (no benefits, no PTO)
- True net advantage over staff: 20–40% after benefits gap and license fees
See full state list, fee schedule, and step-by-step privilege application in our PT Compact States 2026 guide.
DPT ROI: Is the Doctorate Worth It?
The Doctor of Physical Therapy is the only entry-level PT degree accredited by CAPTE since 2016 — meaning you have no choice. The MPT-grandfathered route is closed to new graduates. The real question is which DPT program, not whether to do one.
Cost ranges (3-year DPT, 2026 estimates)
- In-state public (e.g., U. of Iowa, U. of Florida, UNC): $50K–$80K total tuition
- Out-of-state public: $90K–$130K
- Private programs (e.g., USC, Northwestern, NYU): $130K–$185K
- Add living expenses ~$60K–$90K over 3 years (varies by city)
ROI math at typical assumptions
Take a private DPT graduate with $200K total cost (tuition + living, mostly federal grad PLUS at ~8%), starting salary near $83,470 (P25), median career P50 $101,020. Standard 10-year repayment puts monthly debt service near $2,400. That's roughly 35% of post-tax income for the first 5 years.
The Public Service Loan Forgiveness pathway (10 years at non-profit / hospital / public health) makes the math viable for most graduates of expensive private programs — without PSLF, private DPT is borderline.
For in-state public graduates ($60K total, $50K starting), payback is faster: ~5–7 years to break even on the degree vs alternative bachelor-only career path.
Run the case study yourself in our career-change ROI calculator (input: target = PT, current = bachelor's, tuition = $X).
Career Trajectory and Specialty Pivots
PT pay tops out earlier than most clinical careers — by year 8–10, most staff PTs hit a wage ceiling near P75 ($117,190). Beyond that, real wage growth comes from structural moves, not raises:
- ABPTS Specialty Certification (orthopedic, neuro, pediatric, geriatric, sports, women's health, cardiopulmonary, oncology, EVDT) — 10–15% wage premium + access to advanced practice settings
- Travel PT — see above; 20–40% real net premium
- Cash-pay practice (private practice, insurance-out) — $130–250/hr possible if patient pipeline solid; high marketing burden
- Concierge / executive PT — $200–500/hr; usually contractor + small clinic side
- Academic / research — DPT/PhD or DPT + tenure-track; pay flat at $100–130K but flexibility/benefits high
- Industry (medtech, rehab tech, insurance medical review) — $130–180K, rare but growing
Compare PT to Adjacent Careers
- PA vs NP — if you're considering mid-level provider track instead of DPT, compare investment and authority
- OT / SLP — same allied-health tier, different median wage ($98K / $89K) and demand profile
- Chiropractor — overlapping MSK scope, very different reimbursement model
Methodology & Data Sources
Wage figures: BLS OES 29-1123 (May 2024 release, fetched via the BLS OEWS public API v2, May 2024; next release May 2026). Real-wage adjustment: BEA Regional Price Parities, BEA Regional Price Parities (SARPP), 2023. State income tax rates: state-by-state filing-single estimate at $100K AGI (2025 brackets). PT Compact membership: PT Compact Commission, synced 2026-05-04. DPT cost ranges: APTA program directory + program financial-aid disclosures. Last synced: 2026-05-05.
All figures in this article are sourced from federal datasets, not Glassdoor / ZipRecruiter / Indeed self-report aggregations. Self-reported wages systematically inflate by 8–18% (BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation comparison). When numbers diverge, BLS OES is authoritative.
FAQ
- What is the national median physical therapist salary in 2026?
- Per BLS OES (May 2024 release, the most recent), the national median annual wage for physical therapists (SOC 29-1123) is $101,020, with a mean of $102,400. The middle 50% earn between $83,470 (P25) and $117,190 (P75); top 10% reach $132,500. Total employment: 248,630 PTs nationally. Updates from BLS land each May.
- Which state pays physical therapists the most?
- CA has the highest annual median ($123,300), followed by AK ($108,640), NJ ($106,310), NV ($105,170), and OR ($104,430). But real take-home after state tax and BEA Regional Price Parity inverts the ranking — low-RPP southern states sweep the real-wage top: LA ($113,360 real), WV ($112,916), OK ($111,885), MS ($111,854), AR ($111,554). PT wages don't compress proportionally with RPP, so $90K nominal in MS often outearns $123K nominal in CA on take-home.
- Does setting (outpatient vs hospital vs SNF vs home health) change PT pay?
- Significantly. Home-health PT pays the highest mean (~$112K) because of mileage + per-visit billing. SNF/long-term care is next (~$104K). Hospital PT runs $96–98K. Outpatient orthopedic clinic, the most common setting, is ~$94–96K. School-based PT pays the least (~$84K) but has summers off — the lifestyle premium can outweigh the wage gap.
- Is becoming a physical therapist worth it given DPT cost?
- DPT total cost runs $80K–$150K (in-state public ≈ $50–80K; private programs ≈ $120–180K) over 3 years post-bachelor. Median PT entry salary ~$80K, mid-career P50 $101,020. Break-even on DPT debt typically 8–12 years. The ROI improves substantially in PT Compact + travel PT / home-health pathways, where contractor rates push gross to $120–160K.
- What is the PT Compact and how does it affect salary?
- The PT Compact lets a PT licensed in one member state apply for a "compact privilege" and practice in any other member state without a new license — fee usually $45–65 per state. As of 2026 it covers 40+ states. The career impact: travel PT becomes viable (3-month contracts at $2,000–3,500/wk), and you can chase higher-paying states without a 6-month relicensure delay.
- How does travel PT pay compare to staff PT?
- Travel PT contractors typically gross $2,000–$3,500/week (≈ $100K–$180K annualized) vs staff PT $102,400 mean. The premium is real but offset by zero benefits, housing logistics, license fees, and tax complexity (multi-state filing). Net advantage is usually 20–40% over staff once benefits and housing stipends are netted.
- DPT vs MPT — does the degree matter for pay?
- Since 2016 the DPT is the only entry-level PT degree accredited by CAPTE. MPT-grandfathered PTs earn the same hourly rate at staff jobs but face limits in academic/clinical-specialist tracks. New grads should not consider MPT — it is not an option.
- What is the BLS job outlook for physical therapists?
- BLS projects 14% employment growth 2023–2033 — much faster than average. Driver: aging population + chronic conditions (diabetes, obesity) requiring rehab. Specialty growth concentrates in geriatrics, neurology, and home health.