How much does a PT make in Vermont?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $93,840 for PTs in Vermont as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $79,610 and the 75th-percentile is $102,240.

How are Vermont 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 Vermont?

The 90th percentile lands at $113,940. 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 $102,240.

Where does Vermont rank for PT pay?

On nominal BLS wages alone, Vermont 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 Vermont — does the salary justify $100K+ tuition?

BLS reports a Vermont 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).

Outpatient vs hospital vs home-health PT pay in Vermont?

BLS does not segment PT pay by setting. In practice across Vermont, hospital-based PTs typically lead on hourly rate, home-health PTs lead on per-visit productivity bonuses, and outpatient orthopedic clinics fall in the middle. Travel-PT contracts can substantially exceed all staff settings during demand spikes.

How Much Do Physical Therapists Make in Vermont? $94K (2026 BLS + BEA)

TL;DR

$93,840 is the BLS median wage for PTs in Vermont; $96,601 is the BEA-adjusted purchasing-power equivalent.
Bottom quartile $79,610, top quartile $102,240. The P90 ($113,940) is roughly 1.5× the P10 ($77,410).
Cost adjustment is small — neither an arbitrage state nor a high-cost penalty.
State ranks #46 nationally on nominal wage, #43 on real (RPP-adjusted) wage.
Non-Compact: Vermont requires its own PT license, no Compact Privilege shortcut available.

Wage breakdown — Vermont

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$77,410	$79,687
P25 (lower quartile)	$79,610	$81,952
P50 (median)	$93,840	$96,601
P75 (upper quartile)	$102,240	$105,248
P90 (top tier)	$113,940	$117,292
Mean	$94,060	$96,827
Employment	690 PTs in Vermont

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	Vermont index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	97.1
Goods	97.9
Services	122.1
Rents	82.3

Vermont's overall RPP (97.1) is close to the national 100 baseline; nominal and real wage move roughly together.

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

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

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (PT)	$93,840	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$11,892	12.7% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$4,148	3.35–8.75% (graduated)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$7,179	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$70,621	75.3% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$72,699	÷ (97.1 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

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

Mid-band state-tax burden at 4.4% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $70,621 (75.3% of gross). After the 97.1 RPP, real take-home is $72,699.

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. Vermont sits at #46 on nominal pay and #43 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Vermont climbs 3 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.

Licensure — Vermont (PT Compact)

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

Legislative status (2026-05): No active PT Compact legislation.

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 Vermont?: BLS reports a median annual wage of $93,840 for PTs in Vermont as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $79,610 and the 75th-percentile is $102,240.
How are Vermont 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 Vermont?: The 90th percentile lands at $113,940. 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 $102,240.
Where does Vermont rank for PT pay?: On nominal BLS wages alone, Vermont 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 Vermont — does the salary justify $100K+ tuition?: BLS reports a Vermont 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).
Outpatient vs hospital vs home-health PT pay in Vermont?: BLS does not segment PT pay by setting. In practice across Vermont, hospital-based PTs typically lead on hourly rate, home-health PTs lead on per-visit productivity bonuses, and outpatient orthopedic clinics fall in the middle. Travel-PT contracts can substantially exceed all staff settings during demand spikes.

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 Vermont 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.