Physical Therapist Salary

The salary for a physical therapist will fluctuate from location to location like most jobs and will also be affected by factors like experience, work environment, and specific employers.  According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics May 2012 report, the mean average salary of physical therapists was $$81,110. The physical therapist median annual salary ranged from a pay scale of the lowest 10th percentile at $55,620, the 50th percentile at $79,860, and the top 10th percentile at $112,020.

The type of work environment also affects how much a physical therapist makes. The majority is salaried and employed through offices of health practitioners and hospitals. By industry, the annual average salary of physical therapists in offices of other health practitioners and general medical and surgical hospitals were right at around the national average. Other physical therapist may own their own private office, work as consultants for industry and commercial companies, or have contracts such as home health. Those working in special academic settings, consulting, and home health made almost $10,000 more than the national number. The annual mean salary for a home health physical therapist was $90,440. Physical therapist salaries by state ranged from $64,350 in North Dakota to $110,670 in Nevada. Over 30 states had an annual mean wage over $75,000.

Physical Therapist Salary by State

Occupation: Physical Therapists (SOC code 291123)
Period: May 2012

State	Employment(1)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage(2)
Alabama	2130	$38.85	$80,810
Alaska	410	$43.25	$89,950
Arizona	4040	$39.37	$81,870
Arkansas	1620	$36.37	$75,640
California	16,150	$42.97	$89,370
Colorado	4030	$35.13	$73,080
Connecticut	3370	$40.73	$84,720
Delaware	550	$41.39	$86,090
D.C.	570	$39.29	$81,720
Florida	11,820	$39.80	$82,770
Georgia	4350	$38.56	$80,210
Hawaii	840	$37.88	$78,800
Idaho	940	$35.35	$73,520
Illinois	9070	$37.35	$77,680
Indiana	4410	$37.62	$78,250
Iowa	1860	$38.85	$80,800
Kansas	1580	$35.95	$74,780
Kentucky	2330	$39.58	$82,330
Louisiana	2300	$38.16	$79,370
Maine	1360	$37.93	$78,890
Maryland	4090	$41.16	$85,610
Massachusetts	6990	$38.27	$79,600
Michigan	7560	$38.01	$79,060
Minnesota	3320	$35.92	$74,720
Mississippi	1650	$37.90	$78,830
Missouri	4210	$35.24	$73,290
Montana	890	$32.15	$66,880
Nebraska	1390	$36.25	$75,410
Nevada	1200	$53.21	$110,670
New Hampshire	1130	$35.65	$74,160
New Jersey	6410	$43.19	$89,830
New Mexico	1050	$39.00	$81,120
New York	13930	$37.93	$78,890
North Carolina	5010	$36.89	$76,740
North Dakota	520	$30.94	$64,350
Ohio	7270	$38.88	$80,870
Oklahoma	1850	$37.26	$77,510
Oregon	2340	$38.00	$79,050
Pennsylvania	9670	$36.64	$76,210
Puerto Rico	550	$19.13	$39,800
Rhode Island	1130	$40.75	$84,750
South Carolina	2670	$35.97	$74,820
South Dakota	600	$33.81	$70,330
Tennessee	4220	$37.78	$78,580
Texas	11750	$43.17	$89,790
Utah	1510	$39.08	$81,280
Vermont	630	$35.13	$73,070
Virginia	4870	$40.24	$83,690
Washington	4170	$38.63	$80,360
West Virginia	1120	$38.79	$80,690
Wisconsin	4230	$37.52	$78,050
Wyoming	390	$38.33	$79,720
Footnotes: (1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers. (2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by 2,080 hours; where an hourly mean wage is not published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data. (5) This wage is equal to or greater than $70.00 per hour or $145,600 per year.