In its most current occupational data reports, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that there were over 229,700 physical therapists (PTs) employed in the United States as of May 2022.  At that time, nearly 34,900 of those employed as physical therapists in the U.S. lived in the six-state Far West region of the country.  The Far West region was the best in the nation for PT pay, with five states in the region ranking among the ten best states in the U.S. for physical therapist annual mean wages.  That included California and Nevada, which rated #1 and #2, respectively, for that pay metric for physical therapists.  A closer look at BLS data from May 2022 reveals the following about PT employment and physical therapist pay in the Far West region:

Physical Therapist Pay in the Far West Region

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
AK	610	$104,470	4th
CA	24,100	$114,230	1st
HI	1,030	$100,130	9th
NV	1,560	$105,880	2nd
OR	2,770	$96,010	21st
WA	4,810	$101,130	8th
U.S.	229,740	$97,960	-------

(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on March 30, 2024