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

After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 95.7 for Utah), the real-wage equivalent is $101,947 — what the $97,580 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $82,431 to $117,316.

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

The 90th percentile lands at $132,970. 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 $112,290.

Where does Utah rank for PT pay?

On nominal BLS wages alone, Utah 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.

How wide is the wage spread in Utah?

P10 to P90 spans $53,470 to $132,970. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.

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

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

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.

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

BLS reports a Utah 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).

How Much Do Physical Therapists Make in Utah? $98K (2026 BLS + BEA)

TL;DR

BLS reports Utah PT median pay at $97,580. Adjusted for state cost of living, real purchasing power equals $101,947.
Quartile range $78,900 (bottom 25%) to $112,290 (top 25%); the P10-P90 envelope is $53,470 to $132,970.
Cost of living tracks roughly with the national index, so nominal and real wages stay close.
On a real-wage basis, this state sits at #30 of 51; nominal rank is #36.
PT Compact participation in Utah lowers the cost and timeline of multi-state work for licensed PTs.

Wage breakdown — Utah

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$53,470	$55,863
P25 (lower quartile)	$78,900	$82,431
P50 (median)	$97,580	$101,947
P75 (upper quartile)	$112,290	$117,316
P90 (top tier)	$132,970	$138,921
Mean	$96,920	$101,258
Employment	2,330 PTs in Utah

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	Utah index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	95.7
Goods	94.7
Services	73.0
Rents	106.2

Utah's overall RPP (95.7) is close to the national 100 baseline; nominal and real wage move roughly together.

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

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

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (PT)	$97,580	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$12,715	13.0% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$3,682	4.5% flat (2026)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$7,465	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$73,718	75.5% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$77,018	÷ (95.7 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

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

Mid-band state-tax burden at 3.8% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $73,718 (75.5% of gross). After the 95.7 RPP, real take-home is $77,018.

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. Utah sits at #36 on nominal pay and #30 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Utah climbs 6 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.

Licensure — Utah (PT Compact)

Utah 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 Utah without separately applying for a Utah license. Utah 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.

Utah 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

What is the real (cost-adjusted) PT salary in Utah?: After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 95.7 for Utah), the real-wage equivalent is $101,947 — what the $97,580 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $82,431 to $117,316.
What does the top of the PT pay scale look like in Utah?: The 90th percentile lands at $132,970. 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 $112,290.
Where does Utah rank for PT pay?: On nominal BLS wages alone, Utah 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.
How wide is the wage spread in Utah?: P10 to P90 spans $53,470 to $132,970. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.
Is Utah a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for PTs?: No — Utah's RPP is close to the national 100 baseline, so nominal and real wages move roughly together. Neither an arbitrage nor a penalty state.
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.
DPT degree ROI in Utah — does the salary justify $100K+ tuition?: BLS reports a Utah 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 Utah 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.