Physical therapy salary is what you make it but we’d like to help. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, physical therapists tend to make anywhere from just under $70,000 to over $90,000 a year. But many of these salaries are derived from having experience and/or working as a traveling physical therapist.
INTRODUCTION
What is Physical Therapy all about? As a Physical Therapist, you will play a role in a patient’s life that helps to improve their physical condition and overall well being. In order for a patient to receive the most effective treatment, they will have to be confident that their PT has a set of certifications pertaining to their profession. The PT salary is dependent on certain factors such as location, education level, certification status and years of experience.
What Is the Average Physical Therapist Salary by State
| State | Annual Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | $104,099 | $8,675 | $2,002 | $50.05 |
| Massachusetts | $103,767 | $8,647 | $1,996 | $49.89 |
| Alaska | $99,790 | $8,316 | $1,919 | $47.98 |
| Washington | $96,489 | $8,041 | $1,856 | $46.39 |
| New York | $93,646 | $7,804 | $1,801 | $45.02 |
| Maryland | $93,282 | $7,773 | $1,794 | $44.85 |
| Virginia | $90,728 | $7,561 | $1,745 | $43.62 |
| Delaware | $88,815 | $7,401 | $1,708 | $42.70 |
| Nebraska | $88,583 | $7,382 | $1,704 | $42.59 |
| New Hampshire | $88,180 | $7,348 | $1,696 | $42.39 |
| Colorado | $87,993 | $7,333 | $1,692 | $42.30 |
| California | $87,939 | $7,328 | $1,691 | $42.28 |
| Idaho | $87,487 | $7,291 | $1,682 | $42.06 |
| South Carolina | $87,330 | $7,278 | $1,679 | $41.99 |
| Vermont | $86,839 | $7,237 | $1,670 | $41.75 |
| Arkansas | $86,474 | $7,206 | $1,663 | $41.57 |
| Hawaii | $86,201 | $7,183 | $1,658 | $41.44 |
| New Jersey | $84,597 | $7,050 | $1,627 | $40.67 |
| Michigan | $84,484 | $7,040 | $1,625 | $40.62 |
| Kentucky | $84,187 | $7,016 | $1,619 | $40.47 |
| Montana | $84,176 | $7,015 | $1,619 | $40.47 |
| Oklahoma | $83,680 | $6,973 | $1,609 | $40.23 |
| Connecticut | $83,470 | $6,956 | $1,605 | $40.13 |
| Arizona | $83,426 | $6,952 | $1,604 | $40.11 |
| Tennessee | $83,206 | $6,934 | $1,600 | $40.00 |
| Rhode Island | $82,829 | $6,902 | $1,593 | $39.82 |
| Maine | $82,626 | $6,885 | $1,589 | $39.72 |
| Illinois | $82,487 | $6,874 | $1,586 | $39.66 |
| Wyoming | $82,154 | $6,846 | $1,580 | $39.50 |
| Oregon | $81,337 | $6,778 | $1,564 | $39.10 |
| North Dakota | $80,908 | $6,742 | $1,556 | $38.90 |
| Minnesota | $80,716 | $6,726 | $1,552 | $38.81 |
| Missouri | $80,224 | $6,685 | $1,543 | $38.57 |
| Indiana | $80,179 | $6,682 | $1,542 | $38.55 |
| West Virginia | $79,269 | $6,606 | $1,524 | $38.11 |
| Pennsylvania | $77,512 | $6,459 | $1,491 | $37.27 |
| Texas | $77,403 | $6,450 | $1,489 | $37.21 |
| Wisconsin | $76,817 | $6,401 | $1,477 | $36.93 |
| South Dakota | $76,692 | $6,391 | $1,475 | $36.87 |
| Ohio | $76,636 | $6,386 | $1,474 | $36.84 |
| Iowa | $76,470 | $6,372 | $1,471 | $36.76 |
| Utah | $75,526 | $6,294 | $1,452 | $36.31 |
| New Mexico | $73,450 | $6,121 | $1,413 | $35.31 |
| North Carolina | $73,354 | $6,113 | $1,411 | $35.27 |
| Kansas | $73,068 | $6,089 | $1,405 | $35.13 |
| Alabama | $72,999 | $6,083 | $1,404 | $35.10 |
| Mississippi | $72,059 | $6,005 | $1,386 | $34.64 |
| Florida | $70,943 | $5,912 | $1,364 | $34.11 |
| Georgia | $67,860 | $5,655 | $1,305 | $32.63 |
| Louisiana | $65,190 | $5,433 | $1,254 | $31.34 |
Top 50 Highest Paying States for Physical Therapist Jobs in the U.S.
We’ve identified six states where the typical salary for a Physical Therapist job is above the national average. Topping the list is Nevada, with Massachusetts and Alaska close behind in second and third. Alaska beats the national average by 9.0%, and Nevada furthers that trend with another $12,526 (13.7%) above the $91,572.
With only a handful of states paying above the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by moving to a new locationas a Physical Therapist is a decision to make with some caution. Factoring in cost of living expenses should be considered as well.
CONCLUSION
The salary information for physical therapy assistants is, not surprisingly, very similar to the salary information for physical therapists. The mean annual wage of a physical therapy assistant is $52,360, which is close to $26 per hour. This is still a good amount of money that should put your income well above the federal poverty line for a stably healthy life in most parts of the country. However, if you are thinking about going into physical therapy as a career and you’re wondering if it’s too late to start, don’t despair: while these jobs do require at least some post-secondary education and training (or in this case an associate’s degree), there are other jobs out there that are available without a college degree, w
