Occupation Hub · SOC 29-1123
Physical Therapist Salary 2026 — Real Wage by State, Setting, and PT Compact
PT Compact reciprocity integration + DPT ROI calc + setting breakdown (outpatient/inpatient/SNF/home health) — none of which BLS or USC offer in one place
TL;DR — Physical Therapist Salary
- National median: $99,710/yr (BLS OES, May 2024). 10th–90th percentile range: $72,260 – $130,870.
- Highest-paying states (median): Nevada ~$117K, California ~$113K, New Jersey ~$112K, Alaska ~$110K. Lowest: Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma all near $87–88K.
- Setting matters more than license: home-health PT median ~$112K vs school-based PT ~$84K.
- PT Compact (40+ states) lets licensed PTs work in member states without a new license — unlocks travel-PT pay premiums of 20–60%.
- Real take-home in CA (high state tax + high cost of living) is often lower than TX or FL despite a higher gross. Always look at after-tax + RPP-adjusted wage, not gross.
Physical Therapist Salary at a Glance (BLS OES, May 2024)
Of the ~233,000 physical therapists employed in the United States, the May 2024 OES release puts the annual median wage at $99,710 and the annual mean at $101,020. The middle 50% earn $85,140 to $117,170. The bottom decile (P10) is $72,260; the top decile (P90) is $130,870.
That distribution sits noticeably above other allied-health roles (occupational therapy median ~$98K, speech-language pathology ~$89K) and squarely between RN ($86K median) and PA ($130K median). PT is one of the few healthcare careers where a clinical doctorate is required but the median wage caps below $110K — a known DPT-ROI complaint, addressed in the DPT ROI section.
Wage distribution
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| P10 | $72,260 | $34.74 |
| P25 | $85,140 | $40.93 |
| P50 (median) | $99,710 | $47.94 |
| P75 | $117,170 | $56.33 |
| P90 | $130,870 | $62.92 |
| Mean | $101,020 | $48.57 |
Source: BLS OES 29-1123, May 2024 release.
Physical Therapist Salary by State
State-level pay differs by ~$30K between the highest and lowest mean. But headline gross is misleading: California and New Jersey lead nominal wage but lose 8–13% of gross to state income tax. Real take-home, adjusted for tax and BEA Regional Price Parity, often inverts the leaderboard.
| State | Annual mean | Top quartile (P75) | State income tax | RPP (2024) | Real-wage rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | $117,070 | ~$135K | 0% | 97.4 | #1 |
| Texas | $103,290 | ~$120K | 0% | 96.8 | #2 |
| California | $112,550 | ~$132K | 9.3% top | 114.0 | #9 |
| New Jersey | $112,290 | ~$130K | 6.4% top | 113.7 | #11 |
| Alaska | $110,360 | ~$128K | 0% | 104.8 | #3 |
| Connecticut | $108,730 | ~$125K | 5.5% top | 108.5 | #10 |
| New Mexico | $107,800 | ~$123K | 4.9% top | 92.8 | #4 |
| Florida | $96,140 | ~$112K | 0% | 98.7 | #6 |
| New York | $98,470 | ~$116K | 6.85% top | 114.2 | #22 |
| North Dakota | $89,200 | ~$103K | 2.5% top | 91.3 | #15 |
| Mississippi | $87,180 | ~$98K | 5.0% flat | 87.6 | #17 |
| Arkansas | $87,540 | ~$99K | 4.4% top | 89.5 | #19 |
BLS OES May 2024 + BEA RPP 2024 (state-level). Real-wage rank = mean ÷ (RPP/100) × (1 – effective state tax estimate at $100K filing single).
Insight: Texas and Nevada deliver the best real PT wage in the country — high gross, no state income tax, RPP near national average. California's 12% gross premium evaporates after tax and a 14% RPP penalty. Run your own state-vs-state comparison →
PT Salary by Setting (Where You Work Matters More Than Where You Live)
The ~$30K spread across PT settings often exceeds the spread across states. Same license, very different paycheck.
| Setting | Annual mean | What drives it | Lifestyle trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home health services | ~$112,830 | Per-visit billing, mileage stipend, evening visits | Driving 30–60K mi/yr; productivity quotas |
| Skilled nursing facilities (SNF) | ~$104,170 | Medicare Part A reimbursement; aging population demand | Documentation-heavy; productivity expectations 90%+ |
| Hospitals (general medical/surgical) | ~$97,540 | Acute-care complexity; full benefits | Weekends/holidays in rotation; multi-specialty |
| Outpatient ortho clinic | ~$94,860 | Volume-based productivity | 14–20 patients/day expected; documentation creep |
| Physician's offices | ~$94,200 | Embedded MSK referral pipeline | Tied to physician schedule |
| Schools (K–12) | ~$84,030 | Pediatric specialty; school-year-only | Summers off; pension; lower wage |
The career-pay graph for many PTs is: start at a 1,200/yr-volume outpatient ortho clinic at $80K → burn out at year 3 → jump to home-health for $25K raise → go contractor (travel PT) for another $30K. The DPT degree is the same; the setting choice does the wage work.
Travel PT and the PT Compact
Travel PT — short contracts (8–13 weeks) at facilities with staffing gaps — historically required a separate state license per assignment. Application takes 4–12 weeks, costs $150–400 per state, and locks PTs into one geography. The PT Compact changes that.
As of 2026, 40+ states are PT Compact members. A PT licensed in any one member state can apply for a "compact privilege" in any other member state for ~$45–65 — usually approved in 1–3 weeks. This is the operational unlock that makes travel PT viable as a permanent career, not a one-off.
Typical travel PT economics:
- Hourly rate: $50–85/hr (vs $45–55 staff)
- Weekly stipend (housing + per diem, untaxed if duplicating expenses): $1,200–2,000/wk
- Annualized gross: $120K–$180K (no benefits, no PTO)
- True net advantage over staff: 20–40% after benefits gap and license fees
See full state list, fee schedule, and step-by-step privilege application in our PT Compact States 2026 guide.
DPT ROI: Is the Doctorate Worth It?
The Doctor of Physical Therapy is the only entry-level PT degree accredited by CAPTE since 2016 — meaning you have no choice. The MPT-grandfathered route is closed to new graduates. The real question is which DPT program, not whether to do one.
Cost ranges (3-year DPT, 2026 estimates)
- In-state public (e.g., U. of Iowa, U. of Florida, UNC): $50K–$80K total tuition
- Out-of-state public: $90K–$130K
- Private programs (e.g., USC, Northwestern, NYU): $130K–$185K
- Add living expenses ~$60K–$90K over 3 years (varies by city)
ROI math at typical assumptions
Take a private DPT graduate with $200K total cost (tuition + living, mostly federal grad PLUS at ~8%), starting salary $80K (P25), median career P50 $99,710. Standard 10-year repayment puts monthly debt service near $2,400. That's roughly 35% of post-tax income for the first 5 years.
The Public Service Loan Forgiveness pathway (10 years at non-profit / hospital / public health) makes the math viable for most graduates of expensive private programs — without PSLF, private DPT is borderline.
For in-state public graduates ($60K total, $50K starting), payback is faster: ~5–7 years to break even on the degree vs alternative bachelor-only career path.
Run the case study yourself in our career-change ROI calculator (input: target = PT, current = bachelor's, tuition = $X).
Career Trajectory and Specialty Pivots
PT pay tops out earlier than most clinical careers — by year 8–10, most staff PTs hit a wage ceiling near P75 ($117K). Beyond that, real wage growth comes from structural moves, not raises:
- ABPTS Specialty Certification (orthopedic, neuro, pediatric, geriatric, sports, women's health, cardiopulmonary, oncology, EVDT) — 10–15% wage premium + access to advanced practice settings
- Travel PT — see above; 20–40% real net premium
- Cash-pay practice (private practice, insurance-out) — $130–250/hr possible if patient pipeline solid; high marketing burden
- Concierge / executive PT — $200–500/hr; usually contractor + small clinic side
- Academic / research — DPT/PhD or DPT + tenure-track; pay flat at $100–130K but flexibility/benefits high
- Industry (medtech, rehab tech, insurance medical review) — $130–180K, rare but growing
Compare PT to Adjacent Careers
- PA vs NP — if you're considering mid-level provider track instead of DPT, compare investment and authority
- OT / SLP — same allied-health tier, different median wage ($98K / $89K) and demand profile
- Chiropractor — overlapping MSK scope, very different reimbursement model
Methodology & Data Sources
Wage figures: BLS OES 29-1123 (May 2024 release; next release May 2026). Real-wage adjustment: BEA Regional Price Parities (2024). State income tax rates: state-by-state filing-single estimate at $100K AGI (2025 brackets). PT Compact membership: PT Compact Commission, synced 2026-05-04. DPT cost ranges: APTA program directory + program financial-aid disclosures.
All figures in this article are sourced from federal datasets, not Glassdoor / ZipRecruiter / Indeed self-report aggregations. Self-reported wages systematically inflate by 8–18% (BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation comparison). When numbers diverge, BLS OES is authoritative.
FAQ
- What is the national median physical therapist salary in 2026?
- Per BLS OES (May 2024 release, the most recent), the national median annual wage for physical therapists (SOC 29-1123) is $99,710, with a mean of $101,020. The middle 50% earn between $85,140 (P25) and $117,170 (P75). Updates from BLS land each May.
- Which state pays physical therapists the most?
- Nevada has the highest annual mean (~$117,070), followed by California, New Jersey, and Alaska. But real take-home after state tax and Regional Price Parity (BEA RPP) often favors low-tax states like Texas and Nevada over California. See the state table below.
- Does setting (outpatient vs hospital vs SNF vs home health) change PT pay?
- Significantly. Home-health PT pays the highest mean (~$112K) because of mileage + per-visit billing. SNF/long-term care is next (~$104K). Hospital PT runs $96–98K. Outpatient orthopedic clinic, the most common setting, is ~$94–96K. School-based PT pays the least (~$84K) but has summers off — the lifestyle premium can outweigh the wage gap.
- Is becoming a physical therapist worth it given DPT cost?
- DPT total cost runs $80K–$150K (in-state public ≈ $50–80K; private programs ≈ $120–180K) over 3 years post-bachelor. Median PT entry salary ~$80K, mid-career P50 $99,710. Break-even on DPT debt typically 8–12 years. The ROI improves substantially in PT Compact + travel PT / home-health pathways, where contractor rates push gross to $120–160K.
- What is the PT Compact and how does it affect salary?
- The PT Compact lets a PT licensed in one member state apply for a 'compact privilege' and practice in any other member state without a new license — fee usually $45–65 per state. As of 2026 it covers 40+ states. The career impact: travel PT becomes viable (3-month contracts at $2,000–3,500/wk), and you can chase higher-paying states without a 6-month relicensure delay.
- How does travel PT pay compare to staff PT?
- Travel PT contractors typically gross $2,000–$3,500/week (≈ $100K–$180K annualized) vs staff PT $96K median. The premium is real but offset by zero benefits, housing logistics, license fees, and tax complexity (multi-state filing). Net advantage is usually 20–40% over staff once benefits and housing stipends are netted.
- DPT vs MPT — does the degree matter for pay?
- Since 2016 the DPT is the only entry-level PT degree accredited by CAPTE. MPT-grandfathered PTs earn the same hourly rate at staff jobs but face limits in academic/clinical-specialist tracks. New grads should not consider MPT — it is not an option.
- What is the BLS job outlook for physical therapists?
- BLS projects 14% employment growth 2023–2033 — much faster than average. Driver: aging population + chronic conditions (diabetes, obesity) requiring rehab. Specialty growth concentrates in geriatrics, neurology, and home health.