Physical Therapist · Illinois · SOC 29-1123
Physical Therapists in Illinois: 2026 Salary, Real Wage, and Cost-Adjusted Pay
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2024 reference period · BEA Regional Price Parity 2023 vintage · Last synced 2026-05-05.
TL;DR
- Illinois pays PTs a BLS median of $103,380 — the more useful number is $104,686, what that paycheck buys after rent and services.
- State ranks #9 nationally on nominal wage, #24 on real (RPP-adjusted) wage.
- Mid-band cost of living: real and nominal wage are within a few percent of each other.
- Wage envelope: $82,590 (P10) to $140,670 (P90), with quartiles at $96,140 and $119,250.
- PT Compact participation in Illinois lowers the cost and timeline of multi-state work for licensed PTs.
Wage breakdown — Illinois
| Percentile | Nominal (BLS) | Real (BEA RPP-adjusted) |
|---|---|---|
| P10 (entry tier) | $82,590 | $83,634 |
| P25 (lower quartile) | $96,140 | $97,355 |
| P50 (median) | $103,380 | $104,686 |
| P75 (upper quartile) | $119,250 | $120,757 |
| P90 (top tier) | $140,670 | $142,448 |
| Mean | $107,980 | $109,345 |
| Employment | 10,390 PTs in Illinois | |
Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity
| Component | Illinois index (US = 100) |
|---|---|
| All-items RPP | 98.8 |
| Goods | 101.6 |
| Services | 80.4 |
| Rents | 92.4 |
Illinois's overall RPP (98.8) is close to the national 100 baseline; nominal and real wage move roughly together.
After-tax take-home — Illinois (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)
Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median
| Layer | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gross BLS P50 (PT) | $103,380 | nominal median |
| Federal income tax | −$13,991 | 13.5% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied |
| State income tax | −$5,117 | 4.95% flat (2026) |
| FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%) | −$7,909 | SS capped at $183,600 wage base |
| Take-home (after-tax) | $76,364 | 73.9% of gross |
| Real take-home (RPP-adjusted) | $77,329 | ÷ (98.8 / 100) BEA cost-of-living |
What the Illinois state-tax burden means for PT take-home
Mid-band state-tax burden at 5.0% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $76,364 (73.9% of gross). After the 98.8 RPP, real take-home is $77,329.
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. Illinois sits at #9 on nominal pay and #24 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Illinois falls 15 positions — the cost premium eats into the headline wage.
Licensure — Illinois (PT Compact)
Illinois 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 Illinois without separately applying for a Illinois license. Illinois 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.
Illinois 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 Illinois?
- BLS reports a median annual wage of $103,380 for PTs in Illinois as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $96,140 and the 75th-percentile is $119,250.
- How many PTs does Illinois employ?
- BLS OES counts 10,390 PTs employed in Illinois in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.
- How wide is the wage spread in Illinois?
- P10 to P90 spans $82,590 to $140,670. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.
- Is Illinois a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for PTs?
- No — Illinois's RPP is close to the national 100 baseline, so nominal and real wages move roughly together. Neither an arbitrage nor a penalty state.
- What are the limits of these PT salary numbers?
- BLS OES is an employer survey of W-2 wages — it excludes contractor pay, bonuses outside the base wage definition, equity compensation, and tip income. Self-employed practitioners and gig workers are not represented. For occupations with significant non-W-2 income, the BLS figure is a floor, not a complete picture.
- Outpatient vs hospital vs home-health PT pay in Illinois?
- BLS does not segment PT pay by setting. In practice across Illinois, hospital-based PTs typically lead on hourly rate, home-health PTs lead on per-visit productivity bonuses, and outpatient orthopedic clinics fall in the middle. Travel-PT contracts can substantially exceed all staff settings during demand spikes.
- How much can a travel PT earn in Illinois?
- Travel-PT weekly contracts in {state} typically run $1,800-$2,800 per week including stipends, depending on demand and metro. Annualized, that's well above the staff PT median, but the comparison must net out housing-stipend tax treatment, lack of benefits, and 401(k) accrual.
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.
Cross-comparison: see how Illinois 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.