Physical Therapist · Tennessee · SOC 29-1123
Tennessee Physical Therapist Salary — 2026 BLS + BEA RPP
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2024 reference period · BEA Regional Price Parity 2023 vintage · Last synced 2026-05-05.
TL;DR
- $100,660 is the BLS median wage for PTs in Tennessee; $109,301 is the BEA-adjusted purchasing-power equivalent.
- P25-P75 spread runs $82,550 to $109,110; P10 floor $74,160, P90 ceiling $123,800.
- Low BEA RPP (92.1) means the paycheck stretches further than the BLS number suggests; net lift roughly $8,641.
- PT ranking: #23 on the BLS table, #10 once cost of living is in.
- Tennessee participates in the PT Compact — physical therapists with a Compact Privilege can practice across Tennessee without a separate license.
Wage breakdown — Tennessee
| Percentile | Nominal (BLS) | Real (BEA RPP-adjusted) |
|---|---|---|
| P10 (entry tier) | $74,160 | $80,526 |
| P25 (lower quartile) | $82,550 | $89,637 |
| P50 (median) | $100,660 | $109,301 |
| P75 (upper quartile) | $109,110 | $118,477 |
| P90 (top tier) | $123,800 | $134,428 |
| Mean | $98,090 | $106,511 |
| Employment | 4,420 PTs in Tennessee | |
Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity
| Component | Tennessee index (US = 100) |
|---|---|
| All-items RPP | 92.1 |
| Goods | 94.3 |
| Services | 76.4 |
| Rents | 77.9 |
Tennessee sits below the national baseline (RPP 92.1), so nominal pay translates to a higher real wage than the BLS median suggests — particularly visible in rents at 77.9.
After-tax take-home — Tennessee (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)
Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median
| Layer | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gross BLS P50 (PT) | $100,660 | nominal median |
| Federal income tax | −$13,392 | 13.3% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied |
| State income tax | $0 | no state income tax (Hall tax repealed 2021) |
| FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%) | −$7,700 | SS capped at $183,600 wage base |
| Take-home (after-tax) | $79,567 | 79.0% of gross |
| Real take-home (RPP-adjusted) | $86,398 | ÷ (92.1 / 100) BEA cost-of-living |
What the Tennessee state-tax burden means for PT take-home
Tennessee levies no state income tax on wages, which is worth roughly $5,033 a year for a PT at the BLS median compared with the national-average state burden (≈5%). After the favorable cost of living, real take-home is $86,398 — higher than the nominal after-tax figure because RPP is below 100.
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. Tennessee sits at #23 on nominal pay and #10 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Tennessee climbs 13 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.
Licensure — Tennessee (PT Compact)
Tennessee participates in the Physical Therapy Compact, with effective participation since 2017. PTs and PTAs with a Compact Privilege issued from another member state may practice in Tennessee without separately applying for a Tennessee license. Tennessee 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.
Tennessee has been a Compact participant for 9 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 Tennessee?
- BLS reports a median annual wage of $100,660 for PTs in Tennessee as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $82,550 and the 75th-percentile is $109,110.
- What is the real (cost-adjusted) PT salary in Tennessee?
- After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 92.1 for Tennessee), the real-wage equivalent is $109,301 — what the $100,660 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $89,637 to $118,477.
- How many PTs does Tennessee employ?
- BLS OES counts 4,420 PTs employed in Tennessee 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 Tennessee a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for PTs?
- Yes — the BEA RPP of 92.1 is below the national 100 baseline, so nominal $100,660 stretches to a real-wage equivalent of $109,301. The take-home advantage versus a higher-RPP state is meaningful for PTs comparing offers across regions.
- Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Tennessee?
- 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 Tennessee.
- 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 Tennessee?
- 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 Tennessee 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.