Fazlur Rahman
Data last verified September 2026 from BLS OEWS May 2025 and APTA workforce data 2025.
Physical therapy is one of the fastest-growing healthcare professions in the United States, with a 10.9% projected employment growth through 2034 and a national median wage that has climbed steadily into six figures. This guide uses BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics released for May 2025 to map PT pay across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, then layers in the top-paying metros and the specialty credentials that raise PT income most.
If you are a PT considering a relocation, a DPT student evaluating your first job, or a hiring manager benchmarking offers, the numbers below give you the working baseline. We have also broken out the cost-of-living-adjusted view, the top 10 highest-paying metros, and the certifications that move PT pay the most.
At a glance
- National median PT wage: $102,760 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025); 10th percentile $77,140, 90th percentile $135,140.
- Highest-paying state: California at $124,190 median; lowest: North Dakota at $85,330.
- Top metro: San Francisco-Oakland at $141,980 mean annual wage.
- Projected growth: 10.9% from 2024 to 2034 - much faster than the 3.1% all-occupations baseline.
- Board specialty certifications (OCS, GCS, SCS) typically lift pay 5-10%.
What is the national physical therapist salary in 2026? Physical therapists earn a national median of $102,760, with the top decile clearing $135,140.
The BLS OEWS May 2025 release pegs the national median physical therapist wage at $102,760 per year, with the 10th percentile at $77,140 and the 90th percentile at $135,140 (Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, occupation code 29-1123). National employment of physical therapists sits at roughly 267,330 (Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The 90/10 spread of $58,000 is wider than most allied health professions. The gap is driven by specialty credentials, ownership versus employee status, and geography. PT-owned practices tend to pay above the median; large hospital-system employee roles tend to cluster at or slightly below median with stronger benefits.
Physical therapy now requires a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree for entry-level practice - a three-year post-bachelor's program with clinical rotations. Most new graduates complete the program with $150,000+ in student debt, which makes starting salary a critical decision variable.
Which states pay physical therapists the most in 2026? California, Alaska, and New Jersey lead on median PT pay, with Nevada, Maryland, and New Mexico close behind.
Top 10 states by median annual wage for physical therapists (Source: BLS OEWS May 2025):
| Rank | State | Median Annual Wage | Mean Annual Wage | State Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $124,190 | $122,580 | 26,580 |
| 2 | Alaska | $115,280 | $115,830 | 680 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $112,140 | $114,550 | 9,750 |
| 4 | Nevada | $111,250 | $120,700 | 2,030 |
| 5 | Maryland | $106,890 | $110,700 | 3,940 |
| 6 | New Mexico | $106,880 | $110,060 | 1,330 |
| 7 | Washington | $105,950 | $108,550 | 5,370 |
| 8 | Texas | $105,810 | $109,270 | 21,870 |
| 9 | Illinois | $105,250 | $109,080 | 9,800 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $104,360 | $105,460 | 4,060 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 release for occupation code 29-1123.
California leads by a wide margin at $124,190 median - 21% above the national figure. Alaska follows at $115,280 on a small labor pool of just 680 PTs. Nevada's $111,250 median is striking when paired with a 120.7 cost-of-living index - purchasing power is closer to mid-tier states than the headline suggests.
Which states pay physical therapists the least in 2026? North Dakota, Montana, South Dakota, and West Virginia post the lowest PT median wages.
Bottom 10 states by median annual wage for physical therapists (Source: BLS OEWS May 2025):
| Rank | State | Median Annual Wage | Mean Annual Wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | North Dakota | $85,330 | $92,480 |
| 50 | Montana | $91,450 | $93,440 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $92,660 | $93,200 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $96,600 | $96,880 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $97,090 | $95,890 |
| 46 | Alabama | $97,290 | $100,190 |
| 45 | Iowa | $97,560 | $94,780 |
| 44 | Vermont | $97,970 | $95,870 |
| 43 | Kansas | $98,290 | $95,540 |
| 42 | Louisiana | $98,530 | $97,250 |
The bottom of the PT pay scale clusters in the $85K-$99K median range. The gap between the top state (California $124,190) and bottom state (North Dakota $85,330) is roughly $39,000 - a 46% spread. For PTs evaluating relocation, this is the column to start with; cost-of-living adjustment narrows the gap but does not erase it.
What are the highest-paying metros for physical therapists? San Francisco-Oakland tops metro PT pay at $141,980, with coastal metros dominating the top 10.
Top 10 metropolitan areas by mean annual wage for physical therapists (Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 metro estimates):
| Metro Area | Mean Annual Wage | Hourly Mean |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $141,980 | $68.26 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $138,420 | $66.55 |
| Vallejo-Fairfield, CA | $136,910 | $65.82 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $134,860 | $64.84 |
| Beckley, WV | $132,490 | $63.70 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $131,720 | $63.33 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $130,840 | $62.90 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $129,310 | $62.17 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $128,820 | $61.93 |
| Salem, OR | $127,940 | $61.51 |
The top of the metro PT pay list is dominated by California metros. San Francisco-Oakland tops at $141,980 mean, with three other California metros in the top five. Beckley, WV is a notable outlier - small market with concentrated hospital employer demand.
How is physical therapist demand growing in 2026? PT employment is projected to grow 10.9% from 2024 to 2034 - much faster than the all-occupations baseline.
BLS OOH projects physical therapist employment to grow 10.9% from 2024 to 2034, with about 13,200 openings per year from growth, occupational transfers, and labor-force exits (Source: BLS OOH, 2024-34). That places PT among the fastest-growing healthcare diagnosing professions, well ahead of the 3.1% all-occupations baseline.
The growth drivers are clear. Aging baby boomers need rehabilitation for joint replacements, stroke recovery, and chronic conditions. The shift to outpatient rehabilitation - away from inpatient stays - has lifted demand in private-practice and clinic settings. And the expansion of direct-access laws (which let patients see a PT without a physician referral) has increased first-contact PT volume in more than half of U.S. states (Source: APTA, 2025).
Specialty areas growing fastest: geriatric PT, neurological PT, and pelvic health PT. Sports and orthopedic PT remain the largest employers by headcount but with more modest growth.
What credentials raise physical therapist pay? Board specialty certifications (OCS, GCS, SCS, PCS) typically lift PT pay 5-10% above median.
Five credentials move PT pay meaningfully in 2026. OCS - Orthopedic Clinical Specialist is the most-requested specialty credential, particularly for outpatient orthopedic roles. OCS-certified PTs typically earn 5-10% above median (Source: ABPTS, 2025).
GCS - Geriatric Clinical Specialist is the credential of choice for skilled-nursing and assisted-living roles. Demand is rising fast with the aging population.
SCS - Sports Clinical Specialist serves sports-medicine and athletic-training roles, often paying premiums for weekend and event coverage.
PCS - Pediatric Clinical Specialist unlocks pediatric hospital and school-system roles, often with school-calendar schedules.
Manual therapy certification (MTA, COMT, FAAOMPT) typically adds 3-6% to base pay in private-practice settings. The FAAOMPT (Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists) is the highest credential in this category.
How does setting affect physical therapist pay? Home health and skilled-nursing PTs earn the highest mean wages; school-based and clinic roles cluster at median.
BLS OEWS breaks PT pay down by industry of employment. Mean annual wages by setting (Source: BLS OEWS May 2025):
| Setting | Mean Annual Wage | vs National Mean |
|---|---|---|
| Home health care services | $112,940 | +10% |
| Skilled nursing facilities | $108,420 | +6% |
| Outpatient care centers | $106,810 | +4% |
| General medical and surgical hospitals | $105,920 | +3% |
| Offices of other health practitioners | $103,540 | +1% |
| Offices of physicians | $102,310 | 0% |
| Elementary and secondary schools | $87,940 | -14% |
| Individual and family services | $96,210 | -6% |
Home health PTs earn the highest setting-specific mean at $112,940 - a 10% premium over national median, driven by per-visit reimbursement and travel efficiency. Skilled nursing follows at $108,420. School-based PT roles pay the lowest at $87,940 mean, offset by school-calendar schedules and strong benefits.
How should a physical therapist compare job offers? Compare offers on base + productivity bonus + sign-on + benefits, not just headline salary.
When evaluating PT job offers, the right comparison is more than gross wage. Build the comparison on six columns: base salary, productivity bonus structure, sign-on bonus, benefits including health and retirement, schedule including weekend and on-call, and continuing-education allowance.
Productivity bonuses in private-practice PT typically run 3-5% of revenue above a threshold. Hospital-system PT roles often pay a smaller base with stronger benefits and shift differentials. Home-health PT pay scales with visit volume, so a high-base offer with capped visits can fall behind a lower-base, high-visit offer over 12 months.
Continuing-education allowance is the most underweighted column for new grads. A $2,500/year CEU allowance plus paid conference days is worth $10,000+ in present-value terms. Always ask whether the employer covers specialty certification costs (OCS, FAAOMPT) - many large systems now do.
Methodology and sources
This guide aggregates three datasets: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook for occupation-level wage percentile data and 2024-34 growth projections; BLS OEWS May 2025 release for state and metro median and mean wages (occupation code 29-1123); and APTA workforce data 2025 for credential prevalence and direct-access state status. Specialty certification premiums are drawn from ABPTS program data published in 2025. All currency in USD. Verify current pay and licensing rules with the official source before making career decisions.
Photo: Pfc. Angel Turner, PUBLIC DOMAIN, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/TMC_keeps_soldiers_mission_ready_while_deployed_DVIDS355895.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=original)
