How much does a PT make in Oregon?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $104,430 for PTs in Oregon as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $85,100 and the 75th-percentile is $123,500.

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

The 90th percentile lands at $129,540. 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 $123,500.

How many PTs does Oregon employ?

BLS OES counts 3,000 PTs employed in Oregon 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 Oregon rank for PT pay?

On nominal BLS wages alone, Oregon 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.

Is Oregon a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for PTs?

No — Oregon's RPP is close to the national 100 baseline, so nominal and real wages move roughly together. Neither an arbitrage nor a penalty state.

Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Oregon?

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 Oregon.

How much can a travel PT earn in Oregon?

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.

Oregon Physical Therapist Salary: BLS $104K Median, Real $100K (2026)

TL;DR

Physical Therapists in Oregon earn a BLS median of $104,430, with real take-home of $99,636 after BEA RPP adjustment.
On a real-wage basis, this state sits at #37 of 51; nominal rank is #5.
Cost of living tracks roughly with the national index, so nominal and real wages stay close.
P25-P75 spread runs $85,100 to $123,500; P10 floor $79,610, P90 ceiling $129,540.
Oregon participates in the PT Compact — physical therapists with a Compact Privilege can practice across Oregon without a separate license.

Wage breakdown — Oregon

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$79,610	$75,955
P25 (lower quartile)	$85,100	$81,193
P50 (median)	$104,430	$99,636
P75 (upper quartile)	$123,500	$117,830
P90 (top tier)	$129,540	$123,593
Mean	$104,150	$99,368
Employment	3,000 PTs in Oregon

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	Oregon index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	104.8
Goods	104.8
Services	91.0
Rents	109.2

Oregon's overall RPP (104.8) is close to the national 100 baseline; nominal and real wage move roughly together.

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

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

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (PT)	$104,430	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$14,222	13.6% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$8,596	4.75–9.9% (graduated)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$7,989	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$73,623	70.5% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$70,243	÷ (104.8 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

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

Oregon carries one of the heavier state-tax loads in the country at this income tier (8.2% effective on the BLS median). Combined with federal and FICA, gross-to-take-home spread is 29.5%, leaving $73,623 pre-RPP and $70,243 after the 104.8 cost-of-living index — a $34,187 gap from the headline gross.

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. Oregon sits at #5 on nominal pay and #37 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Oregon falls 32 positions — the cost premium eats into the headline wage.

Licensure — Oregon (PT Compact)

Oregon participates in the Physical Therapy Compact, with effective participation since 2019. PTs and PTAs with a Compact Privilege issued from another member state may practice in Oregon without separately applying for a Oregon license. Oregon 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.

Oregon has been a Compact participant for 7 years as of 2026, putting it in the established middle tier — most major hospital systems and travel agencies in Oregon have updated their credentialing workflows to accept Compact licenses by default.

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 Oregon?: BLS reports a median annual wage of $104,430 for PTs in Oregon as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $85,100 and the 75th-percentile is $123,500.
What does the top of the PT pay scale look like in Oregon?: The 90th percentile lands at $129,540. 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 $123,500.
How many PTs does Oregon employ?: BLS OES counts 3,000 PTs employed in Oregon 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 Oregon rank for PT pay?: On nominal BLS wages alone, Oregon 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.
Is Oregon a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for PTs?: No — Oregon's RPP is close to the national 100 baseline, so nominal and real wages move roughly together. Neither an arbitrage nor a penalty state.
Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Oregon?: 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 Oregon.
How much can a travel PT earn in Oregon?: 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 Oregon 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.