How much does a PT make in Massachusetts?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $102,260 for PTs in Massachusetts as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $91,010 and the 75th-percentile is $118,130.

How many PTs does Massachusetts employ?

BLS OES counts 6,600 PTs employed in Massachusetts in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.

Why is the BEA RPP for Massachusetts 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. Massachusetts's overall index of 107.7 reflects rents 130.1, services 166.1, and goods 100.0.

Where does Massachusetts rank for PT pay?

On nominal BLS wages alone, Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts?

P10 to P90 spans $79,930 to $128,160. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.

DPT degree ROI in Massachusetts — does the salary justify $100K+ tuition?

BLS reports a Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts?

BLS does not segment PT pay by setting. In practice across Massachusetts, 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.

Massachusetts Physical Therapist Salary: BLS $102K Median, Real $95K (2026)

TL;DR

Physical Therapists in Massachusetts earn a BLS median of $102,260, with real take-home of $94,971 after BEA RPP adjustment.
On a real-wage basis, this state sits at #46 of 51; nominal rank is #12.
Cost of living tracks roughly with the national index, so nominal and real wages stay close.
Wage envelope: $79,930 (P10) to $128,160 (P90), with quartiles at $91,010 and $118,130.
Massachusetts stays outside the PT Compact, so cross-state moves require a separate endorsement application.

Wage breakdown — Massachusetts

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$79,930	$74,233
P25 (lower quartile)	$91,010	$84,523
P50 (median)	$102,260	$94,971
P75 (upper quartile)	$118,130	$109,710
P90 (top tier)	$128,160	$119,025
Mean	$104,130	$96,708
Employment	6,600 PTs in Massachusetts

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	Massachusetts index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	107.7
Goods	100.0
Services	166.1
Rents	130.1

Massachusetts is a high-cost state — RPP 107.7 above the national 100 baseline. Most of the cost premium routes through rents (130.1) and services (166.1).

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

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

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (PT)	$102,260	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$13,744	13.4% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$5,113	5% flat 2026 (4% surtax above $1M)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$7,823	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$75,580	73.9% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$70,193	÷ (107.7 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

What the Massachusetts 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 $75,580 (73.9% of gross). After the 107.7 RPP, real take-home is $70,193.

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. Massachusetts sits at #12 on nominal pay and #46 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Massachusetts falls 34 positions — the cost premium eats into the headline wage.

Licensure — Massachusetts (PT Compact)

Massachusetts is not currently a PT Compact member. PTs moving to Massachusetts must apply for a Massachusetts-specific license through endorsement; a Compact Privilege from another state is not sufficient. Endorsement fees and processing timelines are set by the Massachusetts Board of Physical Therapy.

Legislative status (2026-05): PT Compact legislation introduced 2023; pending in committee.

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 Massachusetts?: BLS reports a median annual wage of $102,260 for PTs in Massachusetts as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $91,010 and the 75th-percentile is $118,130.
How many PTs does Massachusetts employ?: BLS OES counts 6,600 PTs employed in Massachusetts in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.
Why is the BEA RPP for Massachusetts 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. Massachusetts's overall index of 107.7 reflects rents 130.1, services 166.1, and goods 100.0.
Where does Massachusetts rank for PT pay?: On nominal BLS wages alone, Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts?: P10 to P90 spans $79,930 to $128,160. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.
DPT degree ROI in Massachusetts — does the salary justify $100K+ tuition?: BLS reports a Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts?: BLS does not segment PT pay by setting. In practice across Massachusetts, 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.

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

Cross-comparison: see how Massachusetts 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.