Physical Therapist · North Dakota · SOC 29-1123
Physical Therapists in North Dakota: 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
- $86,180 is the BLS median wage for PTs in North Dakota; $97,739 is the BEA-adjusted purchasing-power equivalent.
- Low BEA RPP (88.2) means the paycheck stretches further than the BLS number suggests; net lift roughly $11,559.
- Bottom quartile $77,340, top quartile $101,630. The P90 ($109,620) is roughly 1.5× the P10 ($72,750).
- North Dakota is a PT Compact member: cross-state practice via Compact Privilege rather than full re-licensure.
- On a real-wage basis, this state sits at #41 of 51; nominal rank is #51.
Wage breakdown — North Dakota
| Percentile | Nominal (BLS) | Real (BEA RPP-adjusted) |
|---|---|---|
| P10 (entry tier) | $72,750 | $82,507 |
| P25 (lower quartile) | $77,340 | $87,713 |
| P50 (median) | $86,180 | $97,739 |
| P75 (upper quartile) | $101,630 | $115,261 |
| P90 (top tier) | $109,620 | $124,322 |
| Mean | $89,870 | $101,923 |
| Employment | 860 PTs in North Dakota | |
Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity
| Component | North Dakota index (US = 100) |
|---|---|
| All-items RPP | 88.2 |
| Goods | 97.0 |
| Services | 75.0 |
| Rents | 69.3 |
North Dakota sits below the national baseline (RPP 88.2), so nominal pay translates to a higher real wage than the BLS median suggests — particularly visible in rents at 69.3.
After-tax take-home — North Dakota (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)
Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median
| Layer | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gross BLS P50 (PT) | $86,180 | nominal median |
| Federal income tax | −$10,207 | 11.8% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied |
| State income tax | −$454 | 0–2.5% (graduated, 2026) |
| FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%) | −$6,593 | SS capped at $183,600 wage base |
| Take-home (after-tax) | $68,927 | 80.0% of gross |
| Real take-home (RPP-adjusted) | $78,171 | ÷ (88.2 / 100) BEA cost-of-living |
What the North Dakota state-tax burden means for PT take-home
North Dakota's state tax is light at this income tier (~0.5% effective). The bigger compensation lever is the below-baseline cost of living (RPP 88.2), which lifts real take-home above nominal after-tax — net real after-tax $78,171.
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. North Dakota sits at #51 on nominal pay and #41 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, North Dakota climbs 10 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.
Licensure — North Dakota (PT Compact)
North Dakota 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 North Dakota without separately applying for a North Dakota license. North Dakota 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.
North Dakota 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 much does a PT make in North Dakota?
- BLS reports a median annual wage of $86,180 for PTs in North Dakota as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $77,340 and the 75th-percentile is $101,630.
- How many PTs does North Dakota employ?
- BLS OES counts 860 PTs employed in North Dakota in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.
- Is North Dakota a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for PTs?
- Yes — the BEA RPP of 88.2 is below the national 100 baseline, so nominal $86,180 stretches to a real-wage equivalent of $97,739. 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.
- When does this data update?
- BLS OES releases a new May reference set roughly each spring; we re-run the ETL pipeline within two weeks of release. BEA RPP refreshes annually. The last-synced timestamp at the top of this page reflects the most recent build.
- Outpatient vs hospital vs home-health PT pay in North Dakota?
- BLS does not segment PT pay by setting. In practice across North Dakota, 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 North Dakota?
- 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 North Dakota 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.