Previously, we examined Physical Therapist Pay in the Top 20 Metro Areas. The largest U.S. metropolitan areas most definitely have more physical therapists employed in them than do smaller metro areas. However, better average compensation levels are frequently found in smaller metro areas. This can be readily seen in May 2019 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which reveals that none of the 20 largest metro areas in the nation were among the 20 best metro markets for physical therapist pay:
| Metropolitan Area | # Employed | Annual Mean Wages | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yuba City, CA | 50 | $116,360 | ||
| 2 | Bakersfield, CA | 300 | $116,120 | ||
| 3 | Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV | 1,130 | $113,950 | ||
| 4 | Great Falls, MT | 80 | $113,180 | ||
| 5 | Ames, IA | 50 | $112,980 | ||
| 6 | Ithaca, NY | 80 | $110,340 | ||
| 7 | Merced, CA | 50 | $110,020 | ||
| 8 | Victoria, TX | 40 | $109,980 | ||
| 9 | Visalia-Porterville, CA | 180 | $109,470 | ||
| 10 | California-Lexington Park, MD | 30 | $108,400 | ||
| 11 | Gadsden, AL | 140 | $107,460 | ||
| 12 | Chico, CA | 120 | $107,270 | ||
| 13 | Anchorage, AK | 420 | $106,870 | ||
| 14 | McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | 240 | $106,800 | ||
| 15 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT | 700 | $106,460 | ||
| 16 | Salinas, CA | N/R | $106,410 | ||
| 17 | Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade | 1,130 | $104,700 | ||
| 18 | Modesto, CA | 250 | $104,540 | ||
| 19 | Port St. Lucie, FL | 240 | $104,340 | ||
| 20 | Laredo, TX | 90 | $104,120 | ||
| National | 233,350 | $90,170 | |||
(#) a top 20 U.S metro population area
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on October 31, 2020