How much does a PT make in Idaho?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $93,610 for PTs in Idaho as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $77,980 and the 75th-percentile is $107,450.

What is the real (cost-adjusted) PT salary in Idaho?

After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 92.2 for Idaho), the real-wage equivalent is $101,490 — what the $93,610 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $84,544 to $116,495.

How are Idaho PT salaries calculated on this page?

Nominal wages come from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) — annual employer surveys, May 2026 reference period. Real-wage figures use BEA Regional Price Parities (2023 vintage) to adjust for state-level cost of living. No self-report or jobs-board data is mixed in.

What does the top of the PT pay scale look like in Idaho?

The 90th percentile lands at $122,630. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $107,450.

Why is the BEA RPP for Idaho different from a single CPI number?

BEA splits regional price parity into three components — goods, services, and rents — reweighted to the BEA's national consumption basket. Idaho's overall index of 92.2 reflects rents 86.9, services 68.1, and goods 95.9.

Where does Idaho rank for PT pay?

On nominal BLS wages alone, Idaho ranks among the 51 states and DC by median pay. After the BEA cost-of-living adjustment the ordering changes — high-cost states fall, low-cost states rise. Both rankings are shown in the data table on this page.

Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Idaho?

The BLS median is a calibration anchor, not a ceiling. Use it to validate that an offer is in-band — anything well below the P25 in this state is a flag, anything above the P75 typically requires demonstrable specialty depth, niche credentials, or a high-COL metro within Idaho.

Physical Therapist Pay in Idaho: $94K Median + Purchasing Power (2026)

TL;DR

Idaho pays PTs a BLS median of $93,610 — the more useful number is $101,490, what that paycheck buys after rent and services.
Quartile range $77,980 (bottom 25%) to $107,450 (top 25%); the P10-P90 envelope is $72,180 to $122,630.
Cost of living below the national index lifts real wage by $7,880 over the nominal — a take-home arbitrage that nominal-ranking tables miss.
PT ranking: #48 on the BLS table, #31 once cost of living is in.
Idaho participates in the PT Compact — physical therapists with a Compact Privilege can practice across Idaho without a separate license.

Wage breakdown — Idaho

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$72,180	$78,256
P25 (lower quartile)	$77,980	$84,544
P50 (median)	$93,610	$101,490
P75 (upper quartile)	$107,450	$116,495
P90 (top tier)	$122,630	$132,952
Mean	$93,470	$101,338
Employment	1,170 PTs in Idaho

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	Idaho index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	92.2
Goods	95.9
Services	68.1
Rents	86.9

Idaho sits below the national baseline (RPP 92.2), so nominal pay translates to a higher real wage than the BLS median suggests — particularly visible in rents at 86.9.

After-tax take-home — Idaho (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)

Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (PT)	$93,610	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$11,841	12.6% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$4,516	5.8% flat (2026)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$7,161	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$70,092	74.9% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$75,992	÷ (92.2 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

What the Idaho state-tax burden means for PT take-home

Mid-band state-tax burden at 4.8% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $70,092 (74.9% of gross). After the 92.2 RPP, real take-home is $75,992.

Computed from 2026 IRS federal brackets (Rev. Proc. 2025-32), 2026 state DOR brackets, and 2026 FICA rates. Single filer, standard deduction, no other adjustments. See methodology · tax for limitations (married filers, ITM/SALT itemizers, retirement deferrals, HSA, dependent credits, etc.).

National context

Across the United States, BLS reports a national median of $101,020 for PTs with mean pay of $102,400 and total employment of 248,630. Idaho sits at #48 on nominal pay and #31 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Idaho climbs 17 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.

Licensure — Idaho (PT Compact)

Idaho participates in the Physical Therapy Compact, with effective participation since 2018. PTs and PTAs with a Compact Privilege issued from another member state may practice in Idaho without separately applying for a Idaho license. Idaho Compact Privilege fees are typically $45 per state per 1-year cycle (vs. $200–$400 + 60–90 days for traditional endorsement), making it the dominant pathway for travel PTs and multi-state telehealth practices.

Idaho has been a Compact participant for 8 years as of 2026, putting it among the long-tenured members where the Compact pathway is the established norm at most employers and travel agencies.

Source: ptcompact.org state status — re-synced quarterly. See PT Compact reciprocity hub for the cross-state matrix and changelog for status changes.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a PT make in Idaho?: BLS reports a median annual wage of $93,610 for PTs in Idaho as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $77,980 and the 75th-percentile is $107,450.
What is the real (cost-adjusted) PT salary in Idaho?: After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 92.2 for Idaho), the real-wage equivalent is $101,490 — what the $93,610 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $84,544 to $116,495.
How are Idaho PT salaries calculated on this page?: Nominal wages come from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) — annual employer surveys, May 2026 reference period. Real-wage figures use BEA Regional Price Parities (2023 vintage) to adjust for state-level cost of living. No self-report or jobs-board data is mixed in.
What does the top of the PT pay scale look like in Idaho?: The 90th percentile lands at $122,630. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $107,450.
Why is the BEA RPP for Idaho different from a single CPI number?: BEA splits regional price parity into three components — goods, services, and rents — reweighted to the BEA's national consumption basket. Idaho's overall index of 92.2 reflects rents 86.9, services 68.1, and goods 95.9.
Where does Idaho rank for PT pay?: On nominal BLS wages alone, Idaho ranks among the 51 states and DC by median pay. After the BEA cost-of-living adjustment the ordering changes — high-cost states fall, low-cost states rise. Both rankings are shown in the data table on this page.
Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Idaho?: The BLS median is a calibration anchor, not a ceiling. Use it to validate that an offer is in-band — anything well below the P25 in this state is a flag, anything above the P75 typically requires demonstrable specialty depth, niche credentials, or a high-COL metro within Idaho.

Sources & methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), SOC 29-1123, 2024 reference period.
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities, 2023 vintage (all-items, goods, services, rents).
Real-wage figures = nominal BLS wage ÷ (state RPP / 100).
See the methodology page for full computation details and limitations.

By Marcus Liang · Founder & Editor · Last synced 2026-05-05.

Cross-comparison: see how Idaho PT pay ranks against the other 254 state × occupation pages on the Real Wage Atlas → — four-way ranking by real wage, after-tax take-home, state-tax savings, and cost-of-living arbitrage.