Physical Therapist · Missouri · SOC 29-1123
Physical Therapists in Missouri: 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
- BLS reports Missouri PT median pay at $93,750. Adjusted for state cost of living, real purchasing power equals $102,904.
- After the cost-of-living adjustment, take-home rises by $9,154 versus the BLS median — purchasing-power arbitrage.
- P25-P75 spread runs $78,310 to $106,660; P10 floor $71,150, P90 ceiling $119,980.
- Missouri participates in the PT Compact — physical therapists with a Compact Privilege can practice across Missouri without a separate license.
- PT ranking: #47 on the BLS table, #26 once cost of living is in.
Wage breakdown — Missouri
| Percentile | Nominal (BLS) | Real (BEA RPP-adjusted) |
|---|---|---|
| P10 (entry tier) | $71,150 | $78,098 |
| P25 (lower quartile) | $78,310 | $85,957 |
| P50 (median) | $93,750 | $102,904 |
| P75 (upper quartile) | $106,660 | $117,075 |
| P90 (top tier) | $119,980 | $131,696 |
| Mean | $94,760 | $104,013 |
| Employment | 4,090 PTs in Missouri | |
Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity
| Component | Missouri index (US = 100) |
|---|---|
| All-items RPP | 91.1 |
| Goods | 97.3 |
| Services | 85.6 |
| Rents | 70.5 |
Missouri sits below the national baseline (RPP 91.1), so nominal pay translates to a higher real wage than the BLS median suggests — particularly visible in rents at 70.5.
After-tax take-home — Missouri (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)
Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median
| Layer | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gross BLS P50 (PT) | $93,750 | nominal median |
| Federal income tax | −$11,872 | 12.7% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied |
| State income tax | −$3,725 | 0–4.95% (graduated) |
| FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%) | −$7,172 | SS capped at $183,600 wage base |
| Take-home (after-tax) | $70,981 | 75.7% of gross |
| Real take-home (RPP-adjusted) | $77,912 | ÷ (91.1 / 100) BEA cost-of-living |
What the Missouri state-tax burden means for PT take-home
Mid-band state-tax burden at 4.0% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $70,981 (75.7% of gross). After the 91.1 RPP, real take-home is $77,912.
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. Missouri sits at #47 on nominal pay and #26 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Missouri climbs 21 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.
Licensure — Missouri (PT Compact)
Missouri participates in the Physical Therapy Compact, with effective participation since 2017. PTs and PTAs with a Compact Privilege issued from another member state may practice in Missouri without separately applying for a Missouri license. Missouri 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.
Missouri has been a Compact participant for 9 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
- What is the real (cost-adjusted) PT salary in Missouri?
- After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 91.1 for Missouri), the real-wage equivalent is $102,904 — what the $93,750 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $85,957 to $117,075.
- How are Missouri 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 Missouri 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. Missouri's overall index of 91.1 reflects rents 70.5, services 85.6, and goods 97.3.
- Is Missouri a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for PTs?
- Yes — the BEA RPP of 91.1 is below the national 100 baseline, so nominal $93,750 stretches to a real-wage equivalent of $102,904. 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 Missouri?
- 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 Missouri.
- Outpatient vs hospital vs home-health PT pay in Missouri?
- BLS does not segment PT pay by setting. In practice across Missouri, 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 Missouri?
- 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 Missouri 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.