How much does a PT make in New York?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $99,430 for PTs in New York as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $79,450 and the 75th-percentile is $114,410.

What is the real (cost-adjusted) PT salary in New York?

After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 107.8 for New York), the real-wage equivalent is $92,200 — what the $99,430 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $73,673 to $106,090.

How are New York 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.

What does the top of the PT pay scale look like in New York?

The 90th percentile lands at $130,350. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $114,410.

How many PTs does New York employ?

BLS OES counts 15,810 PTs employed in New York 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 New York rank for PT pay?

On nominal BLS wages alone, New York 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 much can a travel PT earn in New York?

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.

New York Physical Therapist Salary: BLS $99K Median, Real $92K (2026)

TL;DR

New York pays PTs a BLS median of $99,430 — the more useful number is $92,200, what that paycheck buys after rent and services.
P25-P75 spread runs $79,450 to $114,410; P10 floor $66,680, P90 ceiling $130,350.
Cost of living tracks roughly with the national index, so nominal and real wages stay close.
State ranks #29 nationally on nominal wage, #49 on real (RPP-adjusted) wage.
Non-Compact: New York requires its own PT license, no Compact Privilege shortcut available.

Wage breakdown — New York

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$66,680	$61,831
P25 (lower quartile)	$79,450	$73,673
P50 (median)	$99,430	$92,200
P75 (upper quartile)	$114,410	$106,090
P90 (top tier)	$130,350	$120,871
Mean	$100,770	$93,442
Employment	15,810 PTs in New York

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	New York index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	107.8
Goods	105.1
Services	135.4
Rents	122.0

New York is a high-cost state — RPP 107.8 above the national 100 baseline. Most of the cost premium routes through rents (122.0) and services (135.4).

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

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

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (PT)	$99,430	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$13,122	13.2% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$4,918	4–10.9% (graduated; +NYC residents 3.078–3.876%)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$7,606	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$73,784	74.2% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$68,419	÷ (107.8 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

What the New York state-tax burden means for PT take-home

Mid-band state-tax burden at 4.9% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $73,784 (74.2% of gross). After the 107.8 RPP, real take-home is $68,419. Local-tax overlay: New York City residents add 3.078–3.876% city tax (Yonkers ~16.75% surtax on state liability). NYC numbers are not in the table — subtract roughly $3,480/year for a 5-borough resident at this income.

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. New York sits at #29 on nominal pay and #49 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, New York falls 20 positions — the cost premium eats into the headline wage.

Licensure — New York (PT Compact)

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

Legislative status (2026-05): PT Compact legislation introduced; held in Higher Education 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 New York?: BLS reports a median annual wage of $99,430 for PTs in New York as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $79,450 and the 75th-percentile is $114,410.
What is the real (cost-adjusted) PT salary in New York?: After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 107.8 for New York), the real-wage equivalent is $92,200 — what the $99,430 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $73,673 to $106,090.
How are New York 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.
What does the top of the PT pay scale look like in New York?: The 90th percentile lands at $130,350. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $114,410.
How many PTs does New York employ?: BLS OES counts 15,810 PTs employed in New York 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 New York rank for PT pay?: On nominal BLS wages alone, New York 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 much can a travel PT earn in New York?: 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.

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

Cross-comparison: see how New York 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.