Physical Therapist · Louisiana · SOC 29-1123
Louisiana Physical Therapist Salary — 2026 BLS + BEA RPP
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2024 reference period · BEA Regional Price Parity 2023 vintage · Last synced 2026-05-05.
TL;DR
- Headline PT pay in Louisiana is $100,550. Real take-home, after the state's cost-of-living index, lands at $113,360.
- P25-P75 spread runs $79,710 to $114,110; P10 floor $65,190, P90 ceiling $133,760.
- Cost of living below the national index lifts real wage by $12,810 over the nominal — a take-home arbitrage that nominal-ranking tables miss.
- State ranks #24 nationally on nominal wage, #1 on real (RPP-adjusted) wage.
- PT Compact participation in Louisiana lowers the cost and timeline of multi-state work for licensed PTs.
Wage breakdown — Louisiana
| Percentile | Nominal (BLS) | Real (BEA RPP-adjusted) |
|---|---|---|
| P10 (entry tier) | $65,190 | $73,495 |
| P25 (lower quartile) | $79,710 | $89,865 |
| P50 (median) | $100,550 | $113,360 |
| P75 (upper quartile) | $114,110 | $128,647 |
| P90 (top tier) | $133,760 | $150,800 |
| Mean | $101,380 | $114,295 |
| Employment | 2,930 PTs in Louisiana | |
Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity
| Component | Louisiana index (US = 100) |
|---|---|
| All-items RPP | 88.7 |
| Goods | 93.0 |
| Services | 76.7 |
| Rents | 65.1 |
Louisiana sits below the national baseline (RPP 88.7), so nominal pay translates to a higher real wage than the BLS median suggests — particularly visible in rents at 65.1.
After-tax take-home — Louisiana (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)
Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median
| Layer | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gross BLS P50 (PT) | $100,550 | nominal median |
| Federal income tax | −$13,368 | 13.3% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied |
| State income tax | −$2,642 | 3.0% flat (2025+ HB 2) |
| FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%) | −$7,692 | SS capped at $183,600 wage base |
| Take-home (after-tax) | $76,848 | 76.4% of gross |
| Real take-home (RPP-adjusted) | $86,639 | ÷ (88.7 / 100) BEA cost-of-living |
What the Louisiana state-tax burden means for PT take-home
Mid-band state-tax burden at 2.6% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $76,848 (76.4% of gross). After the 88.7 RPP, real take-home is $86,639.
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. Louisiana sits at #24 on nominal pay and #1 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Louisiana climbs 23 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.
Licensure — Louisiana (PT Compact)
Louisiana 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 Louisiana without separately applying for a Louisiana license. Louisiana 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.
Louisiana 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 Louisiana?
- BLS reports a median annual wage of $100,550 for PTs in Louisiana as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $79,710 and the 75th-percentile is $114,110.
- What is the real (cost-adjusted) PT salary in Louisiana?
- After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 88.7 for Louisiana), the real-wage equivalent is $113,360 — what the $100,550 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $89,865 to $128,647.
- How are Louisiana 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.
- Why is the BEA RPP for Louisiana 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. Louisiana's overall index of 88.7 reflects rents 65.1, services 76.7, and goods 93.0.
- Is Louisiana a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for PTs?
- Yes — the BEA RPP of 88.7 is below the national 100 baseline, so nominal $100,550 stretches to a real-wage equivalent of $113,360. The take-home advantage versus a higher-RPP state is meaningful for PTs comparing offers across regions.
- Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Louisiana?
- 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 Louisiana.
- DPT degree ROI in Louisiana — does the salary justify $100K+ tuition?
- BLS reports a Louisiana PT median in the table above; DPT programs typically run $80K-$150K in tuition plus 3 years of foregone earnings. ROI breakeven is usually 8-15 years post-graduation depending on starting compensation, specialty (orthopedic / neuro / cardiopulmonary), and clinical setting (outpatient vs hospital vs home health).
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 Louisiana 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.