How much does a PT make in Ohio?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $99,740 for PTs in Ohio as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $81,510 and the 75th-percentile is $107,160.

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

After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 91.9 for Ohio), the real-wage equivalent is $108,527 — what the $99,740 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $88,691 to $116,601.

Why is the BEA RPP for Ohio 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. Ohio's overall index of 91.9 reflects rents 72.1, services 89.2, and goods 94.2.

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 Ohio?

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 Ohio.

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.

How much can a travel PT earn in Ohio?

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.

Physical Therapist Pay in Ohio: $100K Median + Purchasing Power (2026)

TL;DR

$99,740 is the BLS median wage for PTs in Ohio; $108,527 is the BEA-adjusted purchasing-power equivalent.
After the cost-of-living adjustment, take-home rises by $8,787 versus the BLS median — purchasing-power arbitrage.
BLS percentile breakdown: P10 $75,070 · P25 $81,510 · P75 $107,160 · P90 $123,330.
Ohio is a PT Compact member: cross-state practice via Compact Privilege rather than full re-licensure.
Nominal: #27/51 · Real: #12/51 — ranking shifts by 15 positions after RPP.

Wage breakdown — Ohio

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$75,070	$81,684
P25 (lower quartile)	$81,510	$88,691
P50 (median)	$99,740	$108,527
P75 (upper quartile)	$107,160	$116,601
P90 (top tier)	$123,330	$134,196
Mean	$99,500	$108,266
Employment	9,240 PTs in Ohio

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	Ohio index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	91.9
Goods	94.2
Services	89.2
Rents	72.1

Ohio sits below the national baseline (RPP 91.9), so nominal pay translates to a higher real wage than the BLS median suggests — particularly visible in rents at 72.1.

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

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

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (PT)	$99,740	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$13,190	13.2% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$2,038	0–3.5% (graduated, +local 0.5–3% RITA cities)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$7,630	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$76,883	77.1% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$83,656	÷ (91.9 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

What the Ohio state-tax burden means for PT take-home

Ohio's state tax is light at this income tier (~2.0% effective). The bigger compensation lever is the below-baseline cost of living (RPP 91.9), which lifts real take-home above nominal after-tax — net real after-tax $83,656. Local-tax overlay: Most Ohio cities levy 0.5–3% local income tax (RITA / CCA jurisdictions). Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, Akron all assess ≥2.5%.

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. Ohio sits at #27 on nominal pay and #12 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Ohio climbs 15 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.

Licensure — Ohio (PT Compact)

Ohio 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 Ohio without separately applying for a Ohio license. Ohio 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.

Ohio 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 Ohio?: BLS reports a median annual wage of $99,740 for PTs in Ohio as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $81,510 and the 75th-percentile is $107,160.
What is the real (cost-adjusted) PT salary in Ohio?: After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 91.9 for Ohio), the real-wage equivalent is $108,527 — what the $99,740 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $88,691 to $116,601.
Why is the BEA RPP for Ohio 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. Ohio's overall index of 91.9 reflects rents 72.1, services 89.2, and goods 94.2.
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 Ohio?: 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 Ohio.
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.
How much can a travel PT earn in Ohio?: 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 Ohio 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.