Physical Therapist · Maryland · SOC 29-1123
Physical Therapist Salary in Maryland (2026)
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2024 reference period · BEA Regional Price Parity 2023 vintage · Last synced 2026-05-05.
TL;DR
- Maryland pays PTs a BLS median of $104,330 — the more useful number is $99,740, what that paycheck buys after rent and services.
- Cost of living tracks roughly with the national index, so nominal and real wages stay close.
- Quartile range $96,460 (bottom 25%) to $123,420 (top 25%); the P10-P90 envelope is $80,940 to $133,770.
- PT Compact participation in Maryland lowers the cost and timeline of multi-state work for licensed PTs.
- State ranks #6 nationally on nominal wage, #36 on real (RPP-adjusted) wage.
Wage breakdown — Maryland
| Percentile | Nominal (BLS) | Real (BEA RPP-adjusted) |
|---|---|---|
| P10 (entry tier) | $80,940 | $77,379 |
| P25 (lower quartile) | $96,460 | $92,216 |
| P50 (median) | $104,330 | $99,740 |
| P75 (upper quartile) | $123,420 | $117,990 |
| P90 (top tier) | $133,770 | $127,885 |
| Mean | $107,690 | $102,952 |
| Employment | 4,420 PTs in Maryland | |
Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity
| Component | Maryland index (US = 100) |
|---|---|
| All-items RPP | 104.6 |
| Goods | 103.2 |
| Services | 108.7 |
| Rents | 119.9 |
Maryland's overall RPP (104.6) is close to the national 100 baseline; nominal and real wage move roughly together.
After-tax take-home — Maryland (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)
Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median
| Layer | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gross BLS P50 (PT) | $104,330 | nominal median |
| Federal income tax | −$14,200 | 13.6% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied |
| State income tax | −$4,787 | 2–5.75% (graduated, +county piggyback 2.25–3.2%) |
| FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%) | −$7,981 | SS capped at $183,600 wage base |
| Take-home (after-tax) | $77,363 | 74.2% of gross |
| Real take-home (RPP-adjusted) | $73,959 | ÷ (104.6 / 100) BEA cost-of-living |
What the Maryland state-tax burden means for PT take-home
Mid-band state-tax burden at 4.6% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $77,363 (74.2% of gross). After the 104.6 RPP, real take-home is $73,959. Local-tax overlay: Maryland counties piggyback 2.25–3.2% on state liability — Baltimore City and Howard / Montgomery / PG counties at the top of the range.
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. Maryland sits at #6 on nominal pay and #36 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Maryland falls 30 positions — the cost premium eats into the headline wage.
Licensure — Maryland (PT Compact)
Maryland 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 Maryland without separately applying for a Maryland license. Maryland 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.
Maryland 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 are Maryland 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.
- How many PTs does Maryland employ?
- BLS OES counts 4,420 PTs employed in Maryland in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.
- Where does Maryland rank for PT pay?
- On nominal BLS wages alone, Maryland 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.
- How wide is the wage spread in Maryland?
- P10 to P90 spans $80,940 to $133,770. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the 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.
- DPT degree ROI in Maryland — does the salary justify $100K+ tuition?
- BLS reports a Maryland 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).
- Outpatient vs hospital vs home-health PT pay in Maryland?
- BLS does not segment PT pay by setting. In practice across Maryland, 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.
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 Maryland 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.