According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were about 93,700 physical therapy assistants (PTA) employed in the U.S. as of May 2021. Physical therapy assistants are employed in a variety of healthcare settings, including offices of non-physician practitioners, hospitals, home health care agencies, skilled nursing facilities, and in physician offices. With some advanced technical skills and training, physical therapy assistants generally earn slightly better salaries than workers in most occupations. The BLS reported that, as of May 2021, the national mean salary for PTAs was $60,740 per year. May 2021 BLS data tells us the following about physical therapy assistant pay in the top 20 metro areas in the USA:
Physical Therapy Assistant Pay in the Top 20 Metro Areas
| Metropolitan Area | # Employed | Mean Annual Wage | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York-Newark-Jersey City | 3,260 | $68,380 | ||
| 2 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | 2,190 | $75,120 | ||
| 3 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | 3,220 | $61,470 | ||
| 4 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | 1,840 | $73,130 | ||
| 5 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land | 1,580 | $70,310 | ||
| 6 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | 1,170 | $65,500 | ||
| 7 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | 1,940 | $61,180 | ||
| 8 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach | 1,690 | $67,220 | ||
| 9 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta | 1,230 | $60,170 | ||
| 10 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton | 1,390 | $68,660 | ||
| 11 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | 1,730 | $51,430 | ||
| 12 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley | 800 | $78,740 | ||
| 13 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | 640 | $70,370 | ||
| 14 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | 1,460 | $50,150 | ||
| 15 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | 680 | $62,050 | ||
| 16 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | 530 | $58,370 | ||
| 17 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 850 | $70,410 | ||
| 18 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | 1,120 | $68,710 | ||
| 19 | Denver-Aurora-Lakewood | 560 | $62,930 | ||
| 20 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson | 620 | $58,580 | ||
| National | 93,660 | $60,740 | |||
Report Period: May 2021
Top 20 U.S. Metro areas from the 2020 Census
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Occupational Statistics
Data extracted on October 15, 2022
