Physical therapist earnings by seniority

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Physical therapist salary by state

State Name Average Salary
Alaska $96,660
Alabama $88,110
Arkansas $76,457
Arizona $66,836
California $97,610
Colorado $81,460
Connecticut $94,790
District of Columbia $85,470
Delaware $93,160
Florida $87,840
Georgia $86,310
Guam $60,340
Hawaii $89,500
Iowa $79,460
Idaho $78,760
Illinois $89,378
Indiana $80,507
Kansas $86,530
Kentucky $84,920
Louisiana $84,480
Massachusetts $92,060
Maryland $89,020
Maine $75,940
Michigan $88,940
Minnesota $85,100
Missouri $79,720
Mississippi $87,090
Montana $77,080
North Carolina $86,600
North Dakota $77,740
Nebraska $80,130
New Hampshire $82,760
New Jersey $95,690
New Mexico $93,250
Nevada $97,950
New York $85,100
Ohio $86,970
Oklahoma $86,680
Oregon $85,480
Pennsylvania $71,571
Puerto Rico $45,120
Rhode Island $79,890
South Carolina $87,250
South Dakota $75,510
Tennessee $85,240
Texas $91,060
Utah $81,640
Virginia $90,960
Virgin Islands, U.S. $51,020
Vermont $74,900
Washington $86,090
Wisconsin $85,430
West Virginia $83,390
Wyoming $87,630

How much does a Physical Therapist earn?

As with most professions, salaries for physical therapists vary widely based on a therapist’s number of years in the industry. In fact, a therapist’s number of years in clinical practice plays a much larger role in determining salary than does his or her educational level. Entry-level physical therapists made an average of $66,000 in 2011, whereas physical therapists with 16 or more years of experience earned an average salary of $84,000. A therapist who falls somewhere between these two extremes—not fresh out of school, but not quite a seasoned vet—should expect to earn a salary somewhere near the national median ($82,390 in 2014).

Physical Therapist Compensation by Geographical Region

Additional factors such as geographic location and type of therapy facility also affect an individual's salary. For example, the average physical therapist salary in the nation's top-paying state, Nevada, is $127,900; whereas the average salary in the lowest-paying state, Montana, is $69,590. The highest paid in the physical therapist profession work in the metropolitan areas of Las Vegas, Laredo, Texas, and Brownsville, Texas. The Lake Havasu City, Arizona area also pays well, as does the city of Vallejo, California.

How do physical therapist salaries compare to similar careers?

Physical therapists earn about the same as related careers in Nevada. On average, they make less than pharmacists but more than MRI technologists.

Career Median Salary
Pharmacist salary $128K
Health services manager salary $113K
Physician assistant salary $120K
Anesthesiologist assistant salary $120K
Nurse practitioner salary $112K
Physical therapist salary $98K
Occupational therapist salary $94K
Biomedical engineer salary $97K
Genetic counselor salary $93K
MRI technologist salary $86K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)