How much does a PT make in Rhode Island?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $102,900 for PTs in Rhode Island as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $81,050 and the 75th-percentile is $109,630.

How are Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island?

The 90th percentile lands at $130,180. 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 $109,630.

How many PTs does Rhode Island employ?

BLS OES counts 1,420 PTs employed in Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island rank for PT pay?

On nominal BLS wages alone, Rhode Island 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.

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.

DPT degree ROI in Rhode Island — does the salary justify $100K+ tuition?

BLS reports a Rhode Island PT median in the table above; DPT programs typically run $80K-$150K in tuition plus 3 years of foregone earnings. ROI breakeven is usually 8-15 years post-graduation depending on starting compensation, specialty (orthopedic / neuro / cardiopulmonary), and clinical setting (outpatient vs hospital vs home health).

Rhode Island Physical Therapist Salary: BLS $103K Median, Real $101K (2026)

TL;DR

Physical Therapists in Rhode Island earn a BLS median of $102,900, with real take-home of $100,818 after BEA RPP adjustment.
Cost of living tracks roughly with the national index, so nominal and real wages stay close.
Wage envelope: $74,000 (P10) to $130,180 (P90), with quartiles at $81,050 and $109,630.
Rhode Island stays outside the PT Compact, so cross-state moves require a separate endorsement application.
PT ranking: #11 on the BLS table, #34 once cost of living is in.

Wage breakdown — Rhode Island

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$74,000	$72,503
P25 (lower quartile)	$81,050	$79,410
P50 (median)	$102,900	$100,818
P75 (upper quartile)	$109,630	$107,412
P90 (top tier)	$130,180	$127,546
Mean	$98,190	$96,203
Employment	1,420 PTs in Rhode Island

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	Rhode Island index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	102.1
Goods	98.3
Services	145.1
Rents	102.7

Rhode Island's overall RPP (102.1) is close to the national 100 baseline; nominal and real wage move roughly together.

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

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

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (PT)	$102,900	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$13,885	13.5% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$3,612	3.75–5.99% (graduated)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$7,872	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$77,531	75.3% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$75,962	÷ (102.1 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

What the Rhode Island state-tax burden means for PT take-home

Mid-band state-tax burden at 3.5% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $77,531 (75.3% of gross). After the 102.1 RPP, real take-home is $75,962.

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. Rhode Island sits at #11 on nominal pay and #34 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Rhode Island falls 23 positions — the cost premium eats into the headline wage.

Licensure — Rhode Island (PT Compact)

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

Legislative status (2026-05): Bill 2026 H 7234 introduced; pending.

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 Rhode Island?: BLS reports a median annual wage of $102,900 for PTs in Rhode Island as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $81,050 and the 75th-percentile is $109,630.
How are Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island?: The 90th percentile lands at $130,180. 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 $109,630.
How many PTs does Rhode Island employ?: BLS OES counts 1,420 PTs employed in Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island rank for PT pay?: On nominal BLS wages alone, Rhode Island 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.
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.
DPT degree ROI in Rhode Island — does the salary justify $100K+ tuition?: BLS reports a Rhode Island PT median in the table above; DPT programs typically run $80K-$150K in tuition plus 3 years of foregone earnings. ROI breakeven is usually 8-15 years post-graduation depending on starting compensation, specialty (orthopedic / neuro / cardiopulmonary), and clinical setting (outpatient vs hospital vs home health).

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 Rhode Island 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.