Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021
29-1123 Physical Therapists
Assess, plan, organize, and participate in rehabilitative programs that improve mobility, relieve pain, increase strength, and improve or correct disabling conditions resulting from disease or injury.
National estimates for Physical Therapists
Industry profile for Physical Therapists
Geographic profile for Physical Therapists
National estimates for Physical Therapists:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Physical Therapists:
Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3) Mean hourly
wage Mean annual
wage (2) Wage RSE (3) 225,350 1.0 % $ 44.67 $ 92,920 0.4 %
Percentile wage estimates for Physical Therapists:
Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 75% 90% Hourly Wage $ 29.77 $ 37.38 $ 45.97 $ 49.00 $ 61.11 Annual Wage (2) $ 61,930 $ 77,750 $ 95,620 $ 101,920 $ 127,110
Industry profile for Physical Therapists:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Physical Therapists are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Physical Therapists, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Physical Therapists:
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Physical Therapists:
Top paying industries for Physical Therapists:
Geographic profile for Physical Therapists:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Physical Therapists are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Physical Therapists, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Physical Therapists:
State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2) California 23,840 1.44 0.90 $ 49.77 $ 103,510 New York 16,130 1.86 1.16 $ 44.18 $ 91,890 Texas 14,040 1.15 0.72 $ 47.28 $ 98,340 Florida 13,220 1.54 0.96 $ 43.57 $ 90,630 Pennsylvania 10,700 1.92 1.20 $ 45.39 $ 94,400
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Physical Therapists:
State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2) Maine 1,420 2.40 1.50 $ 41.17 $ 85,620 Montana 1,120 2.39 1.49 $ 39.74 $ 82,660 Alaska 680 2.30 1.44 $ 46.63 $ 96,980 Vermont 630 2.21 1.38 $ 41.08 $ 85,440 Wyoming 570 2.20 1.38 $ 42.88 $ 89,190
Top paying states for Physical Therapists:
State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2) Nevada 1,860 1.44 0.90 $ 50.10 $ 104,210 California 23,840 1.44 0.90 $ 49.77 $ 103,510 Connecticut 3,410 2.17 1.36 $ 48.64 $ 101,180 Delaware 870 1.99 1.25 $ 48.31 $ 100,490 New Jersey 7,400 1.92 1.20 $ 47.85 $ 99,530
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Physical Therapists:
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Physical Therapists:
Top paying metropolitan areas for Physical Therapists:
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Physical Therapists:
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Physical Therapists:
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Physical Therapists:
About May 2021 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a “year-round, full-time” hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OEWS estimates and related information:
May 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
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LinkedInPhysical Therapist Salary
Depending upon where you work, a physical therapist can earn different salaries. Learn what you can expect to make as a physical therapist.
How much can a physical therapist make?
Your earning potential throughout your career will depend on variables like where you live and how much experience you have, but it will also depend on your work ethic.
The best way to boost your earning potential is to achieve great results with patients and establish a reputable name for yourself.
If you can establish a good base of clients who will return to you or recommend your practice to others, you will become increasingly more valuable in your field.
How do physical therapist salaries compare?
Physical Therapists
National data
Median Salary: $95,620
Projected job growth: 16.9%
10th Percentile: $61,930
25th Percentile: $77,750
75th Percentile: $101,920
90th Percentile: $127,110
Projected job growth: 16.9%
State data
State Median Salary Bottom 10% Top 10% Alabama $95,450 $59,810 $130,000 Alaska $99,810 $38,960 $128,450 Arizona $95,590 $72,500 $127,740 Arkansas $93,560 $59,640 $126,600 California $101,180 $50,230 $135,570 Colorado $93,100 $60,960 $125,670 Connecticut $100,070 $76,660 $129,210 Delaware $97,630 $75,710 $129,450 District of Columbia $95,870 $75,710 $127,370 Florida $95,450 $61,750 $120,750 Georgia $95,590 $71,410 $124,450 Hawaii $95,110 $37,190 $127,160 Idaho $80,340 $61,990 $102,060 Illinois $97,690 $65,380 $122,370 Indiana $95,390 $62,830 $120,500 Iowa $78,930 $60,750 $103,170 Kansas $88,570 $61,080 $120,650 Kentucky $81,850 $59,840 $116,790 Louisiana $95,590 $63,630 $129,270 Maine $79,170 $61,990 $102,060 Maryland $94,960 $62,760 $120,260 Massachusetts $96,410 $61,200 $123,620 Michigan $79,870 $56,680 $102,060 Minnesota $80,130 $72,880 $101,510 Mississippi $95,770 $73,870 $129,270 Missouri $79,050 $59,830 $108,340 Montana $78,950 $61,210 $102,060 Nebraska $80,990 $61,740 $120,500 Nevada $99,360 $60,800 $152,420 New Hampshire $83,700 $61,740 $102,370 New Jersey $99,730 $76,980 $128,330 New Mexico $95,590 $75,220 $130,430 New York $95,620 $62,270 $121,140 North Carolina $79,240 $60,900 $106,980 North Dakota $78,270 $61,350 $100,620 Ohio $95,620 $66,460 $124,380 Oklahoma $79,220 $60,720 $126,210 Oregon $95,040 $73,600 $120,750 Pennsylvania $95,890 $68,430 $121,230 Rhode Island $95,930 $61,990 $121,140 South Carolina $79,830 $49,870 $104,390 South Dakota $78,040 $61,570 $100,920 Tennessee $95,370 $61,990 $106,040 Texas $99,040 $62,240 $136,870 Utah $81,190 $55,660 $127,740 Vermont $78,320 $61,250 $102,060 Virginia $94,260 $62,000 $121,780 Washington $99,330 $76,090 $126,940 West Virginia $96,970 $68,930 $121,200 Wisconsin $95,480 $61,790 $120,260 Wyoming $79,630 $75,320 $126,780
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2021 median salary; projected job growth through 2031. Actual salaries vary depending on location, level of education, years of experience, work environment, and other factors. Salaries may differ even more for those who are self-employed or work part time.
Is there a demand for this career?
There is definitely a demand for careers in physical therapy, and this demand will only continue to grow. A large contributor to this demand is the aging baby boomer population. As this particular generation ages, there will be an increased demand for skilled physical therapists who can help these specific patients adjust to their aging bodies.
In addition to this, medical advancements are allowing greater percentages of trauma victims and newborns with serious birth defects to survive, which creates a demand for rehabilitative care through physical therapy.
How much competition will I face for a job?
The level of competition you face for a job will be mostly dependent on where you live and the type of healthcare facility you’re applying to. Trying to launch your own physical therapy practice right off the bat will be extremely tough, as it means you’ll be competing with other therapists with an established clientele.
For less competition, physical therapist jobs in hospitals or health practitioners’ offices are generally more plentiful; you’ll still face some competition, but since the demand for physical therapists in these environments is high and growing, you’re likely to have an easier time getting hired.
What kinds of institutions hire physical therapists?
Physical therapists are in increasingly high demand in multiple workplaces. You can find work in hospitals, health care practitioners’ offices, home health care services, or nursing care facilities.
In addition to these options, some physical therapists choose to launch their own practice, which is no easy task but can certainly have benefits. If you want to specialize in a specific type of patient (for instance, elderly physical therapy patients), then this will influence where you decide to work.
How do I advance in my physical therapy career?
In order to advance in your career, it’s absolutely necessary for you to stay on top of any continuing education units you need, as well as to stay abreast of physical therapy trends and research. Being knowledgeable in the present and future of your field will keep you ahead of the curve at all times.
In addition to this, your best bet for advancing in your field is to establish a great name for yourself by producing the best possible results for your patients. Your experience and success are what will ultimately help you advance and make you indispensable at any facility you work for.
