There were just over 233,000 physical therapists (PTs) working in the U.S. as of May 2019 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Physical therapists work in varied healthcare settings, including offices of non-physician practitioners, hospitals, home health care agencies, skilled nursing facilities, and in physician offices. Like many other healthcare professionals with advanced technical skills and training, PTs generally earn more money than most occupations. According to BLS estimates, as of May 2019, the national mean wage for physical therapists was $90,170 per year, well above the $53,490 annual mean wage for all occupations in the U.S. That said, there is significant disparity from state-to-state in the average annual wages earned by PTs. According to BLS data, as of May 2019 these were the ten best pay states for physical therapists:
Nevada | $108,550 |
Alaska | $102,650 |
California | $99,920 |
New Jersey | $99,060 |
Connecticut | $98,780 |
Delaware | $96,520 |
New Mexico | $94,430 |
Hawaii | $92,650 |
Alabama | $92,570 |
West Virginia | $92,320 |
The bottom ten states for PT pay were:
New Hampshire | $84,610 |
Minnesota | $84,280 |
Missouri | $84,180 |
Iowa | $82,940 |
Montana | $82,130 |
North Dakota | $81,630 |
Vermont | $81,020 |
Maine | $80,380 |
Idaho | $80,360 |
South Dakota | $77,130 |
So where does your state rank for physical therapist pay?
Refer to Physical Therapist Average Wages by State for more information.