Physical Therapist · Montana · SOC 29-1123
Physical Therapists in Montana: 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 Montana PT median pay at $92,910. Adjusted for state cost of living, real purchasing power equals $102,083.
- P25-P75 spread runs $79,370 to $102,460; P10 floor $75,880, P90 ceiling $112,620.
- After the cost-of-living adjustment, take-home rises by $9,173 versus the BLS median — purchasing-power arbitrage.
- State ranks #49 nationally on nominal wage, #29 on real (RPP-adjusted) wage.
- Montana is a PT Compact member: cross-state practice via Compact Privilege rather than full re-licensure.
Wage breakdown — Montana
| Percentile | Nominal (BLS) | Real (BEA RPP-adjusted) |
|---|---|---|
| P10 (entry tier) | $75,880 | $83,372 |
| P25 (lower quartile) | $79,370 | $87,206 |
| P50 (median) | $92,910 | $102,083 |
| P75 (upper quartile) | $102,460 | $112,576 |
| P90 (top tier) | $112,620 | $123,739 |
| Mean | $91,290 | $100,303 |
| Employment | 1,230 PTs in Montana | |
Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity
| Component | Montana index (US = 100) |
|---|---|
| All-items RPP | 91.0 |
| Goods | 96.5 |
| Services | 72.8 |
| Rents | 76.8 |
Montana sits below the national baseline (RPP 91.0), so nominal pay translates to a higher real wage than the BLS median suggests — particularly visible in rents at 76.8.
After-tax take-home — Montana (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)
Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median
| Layer | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gross BLS P50 (PT) | $92,910 | nominal median |
| Federal income tax | −$11,687 | 12.6% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied |
| State income tax | −$4,374 | 4.7–5.9% (2 brackets) |
| FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%) | −$7,108 | SS capped at $183,600 wage base |
| Take-home (after-tax) | $69,741 | 75.1% of gross |
| Real take-home (RPP-adjusted) | $76,627 | ÷ (91.0 / 100) BEA cost-of-living |
What the Montana state-tax burden means for PT take-home
Mid-band state-tax burden at 4.7% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $69,741 (75.1% of gross). After the 91.0 RPP, real take-home is $76,627.
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. Montana sits at #49 on nominal pay and #29 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Montana climbs 20 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.
Licensure — Montana (PT Compact)
Montana 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 Montana without separately applying for a Montana license. Montana 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.
Montana 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 Montana?
- After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 91.0 for Montana), the real-wage equivalent is $102,083 — what the $92,910 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $87,206 to $112,576.
- How wide is the wage spread in Montana?
- P10 to P90 spans $75,880 to $112,620. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.
- Is Montana a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for PTs?
- Yes — the BEA RPP of 91.0 is below the national 100 baseline, so nominal $92,910 stretches to a real-wage equivalent of $102,083. The take-home advantage versus a higher-RPP state is meaningful for PTs comparing offers across regions.
- 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.
- Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Montana?
- 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 Montana.
- Outpatient vs hospital vs home-health PT pay in Montana?
- BLS does not segment PT pay by setting. In practice across Montana, 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 Montana?
- 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 Montana 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.