Physical Therapist · Washington · SOC 29-1123
Washington 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
- $102,140 is the BLS median wage for PTs in Washington; $94,251 is the BEA-adjusted purchasing-power equivalent.
- Nominal: #13/51 · Real: #47/51 — ranking shifts by 34 positions after RPP.
- Cost adjustment is small — neither an arbitrage state nor a high-cost penalty.
- Quartile range $84,020 (bottom 25%) to $123,910 (top 25%); the P10-P90 envelope is $75,040 to $134,430.
- Washington is a PT Compact member: cross-state practice via Compact Privilege rather than full re-licensure.
Wage breakdown — Washington
| Percentile | Nominal (BLS) | Real (BEA RPP-adjusted) |
|---|---|---|
| P10 (entry tier) | $75,040 | $69,244 |
| P25 (lower quartile) | $84,020 | $77,531 |
| P50 (median) | $102,140 | $94,251 |
| P75 (upper quartile) | $123,910 | $114,340 |
| P90 (top tier) | $134,430 | $124,047 |
| Mean | $102,830 | $94,888 |
| Employment | 5,460 PTs in Washington | |
Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity
| Component | Washington index (US = 100) |
|---|---|
| All-items RPP | 108.4 |
| Goods | 106.9 |
| Services | 84.0 |
| Rents | 125.5 |
Washington is a high-cost state — RPP 108.4 above the national 100 baseline. Most of the cost premium routes through rents (125.5) and services (84.0).
After-tax take-home — Washington (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)
Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median
| Layer | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gross BLS P50 (PT) | $102,140 | nominal median |
| Federal income tax | −$13,718 | 13.4% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied |
| State income tax | $0 | no state income tax (capital gains tax above $262K) |
| FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%) | −$7,814 | SS capped at $183,600 wage base |
| Take-home (after-tax) | $80,608 | 78.9% of gross |
| Real take-home (RPP-adjusted) | $74,383 | ÷ (108.4 / 100) BEA cost-of-living |
What the Washington state-tax burden means for PT take-home
Washington levies no state income tax on wages, which is worth roughly $5,107 a year for a PT at the BLS median compared with the national-average state burden (≈5%). After cost of living, real take-home is $74,383 — lower than the nominal after-tax figure because RPP exceeds 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. Washington sits at #13 on nominal pay and #47 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Washington falls 34 positions — the cost premium eats into the headline wage.
Licensure — Washington (PT Compact)
Washington participates in the Physical Therapy Compact, with effective participation since 2018. PTs and PTAs with a Compact Privilege issued from another member state may practice in Washington without separately applying for a Washington license. Washington 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.
Washington has been a Compact participant for 8 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 Washington?
- BLS reports a median annual wage of $102,140 for PTs in Washington as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $84,020 and the 75th-percentile is $123,910.
- Why is the BEA RPP for Washington different from a single CPI number?
- BEA splits regional price parity into three components — goods, services, and rents — reweighted to the BEA's national consumption basket. Washington's overall index of 108.4 reflects rents 125.5, services 84.0, and goods 106.9.
- How wide is the wage spread in Washington?
- P10 to P90 spans $75,040 to $134,430. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.
- Is Washington a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for PTs?
- No — Washington's RPP is close to the national 100 baseline, so nominal and real wages move roughly together. Neither an arbitrage nor a penalty state.
- 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.
- Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Washington?
- 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 Washington.
- DPT degree ROI in Washington — does the salary justify $100K+ tuition?
- BLS reports a Washington 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.
Cross-comparison: see how Washington 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.