Pay, location & work-life context
Physical Therapist Salary Map by State (2026)
Median physical therapist pay across 48 states from real job listings — switch views to adjust for cost of living or overlay burnout scores. Medians blend permanent salaries with annualized locums/contract rates. National median: $95,000.
Highest median
California
$115,000
Best real purchasing power
Vermont
$109,741 adjusted
Best lifestyle score
Maine
6.0/10 avg burnout score
Compare state markets
Choose a metric, then select a state to see its figures and available breakdown.
Tile positions are approximate, not geographic boundaries. Selection adds an outline without changing the metric color. Work-life scores describe listings, not surveyed clinician burnout.
Physical Therapist pay by state
Sorted by median advertised pay. On smaller screens, scroll the table sideways to compare all metrics.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Take-home, COL-adj. | Work-life score | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $115,000 | $103,866 | $94,206 | 5.3/10 | 474 |
| Hawaii | $110,000 | $100,045 | $89,040 | 4.6/10 | 14 |
| Vermont | $107,500 | $109,741 | $100,139 | 4.8/10 | 9 |
| Oregon | $105,758 | $102,319 | $92,189 | 5.2/10 | 70 |
| Washington | $100,000 | $93,447 | $93,447 | 5.5/10 | 177 |
| New York | $100,000 | $92,660 | $86,313 | 5.7/10 | 253 |
| Alaska | $100,000 | $97,695 | $97,695 | 4.8/10 | 22 |
| Nevada | $100,000 | $100,021 | $100,021 | 5.8/10 | 30 |
| Massachusetts | $99,268 | $93,864 | $89,171 | 5.0/10 | 188 |
| New Hampshire | $99,184 | $95,218 | $95,218 | 5.5/10 | 35 |
| New Jersey | $98,800 | $90,805 | $85,020 | 5.5/10 | 192 |
| New Mexico | $97,979 | $106,254 | $99,985 | 5.9/10 | 12 |
| Virginia | $97,500 | $96,435 | $90,890 | 5.5/10 | 128 |
| Minnesota | $97,500 | $98,863 | $89,125 | 5.9/10 | 71 |
| South Dakota | $96,834 | $109,311 | $109,311 | 5.2/10 | 16 |
| Delaware | $95,680 | $95,864 | $89,537 | 5.0/10 | 17 |
| Rhode Island | $95,650 | $93,518 | $87,916 | 4.8/10 | 12 |
| Arizona | $95,500 | $94,858 | $92,486 | 5.5/10 | 111 |
| Connecticut | $95,000 | $91,690 | $85,281 | 5.6/10 | 72 |
| Colorado | $93,600 | $90,828 | $86,832 | 5.4/10 | 156 |
| Illinois | $92,500 | $92,539 | $87,958 | 5.1/10 | 294 |
| Montana | $92,500 | $97,734 | $91,967 | 5.7/10 | 13 |
| Idaho | $92,500 | $96,865 | $91,348 | 5.8/10 | 16 |
| Nebraska | $92,320 | $102,461 | $97,133 | 4.9/10 | 15 |
| Utah | $90,480 | $91,520 | $87,356 | 5.7/10 | 34 |
| Arkansas | $90,480 | $104,075 | $100,016 | 5.4/10 | 11 |
| Michigan | $90,002 | $93,541 | $89,565 | 5.0/10 | 61 |
| Indiana | $90,000 | $96,433 | $93,540 | 4.7/10 | 106 |
| Maryland | $90,000 | $85,748 | $80,817 | 5.4/10 | 86 |
| Maine | $90,000 | $92,736 | $86,105 | 6.0/10 | 60 |
| Wisconsin | $89,400 | $95,010 | $89,975 | 5.3/10 | 65 |
| Missouri | $89,400 | $98,440 | $93,813 | 5.3/10 | 55 |
| Georgia | $89,000 | $92,426 | $87,444 | 5.3/10 | 208 |
| Ohio | $88,500 | $95,393 | $92,054 | 4.9/10 | 106 |
| North Carolina | $88,400 | $93,718 | $89,735 | 5.4/10 | 194 |
| Texas | $88,400 | $91,080 | $91,080 | 5.4/10 | 299 |
| Florida | $88,348 | $85,431 | $85,431 | 5.9/10 | 227 |
| Pennsylvania | $87,500 | $89,677 | $86,924 | 5.1/10 | 112 |
| South Carolina | $87,500 | $93,334 | $87,548 | 5.5/10 | 93 |
| Iowa | $87,200 | $99,360 | $95,584 | 5.4/10 | 44 |
| Alabama | $86,000 | $96,822 | $91,981 | 5.2/10 | 47 |
| Mississippi | $85,000 | $97,754 | $93,453 | 4.4/10 | 19 |
| Tennessee | $85,000 | $92,522 | $92,522 | 5.0/10 | 76 |
| Louisiana | $85,000 | $96,364 | $93,473 | 5.4/10 | 20 |
| Kentucky | $84,000 | $93,169 | $89,442 | 5.1/10 | 69 |
| Kansas | $83,500 | $92,708 | $87,535 | 5.8/10 | 43 |
| Oklahoma | $82,500 | $93,918 | $89,456 | 5.4/10 | 93 |
| West Virginia | $81,500 | $91,065 | $86,675 | 5.5/10 | 11 |
Common questions
Which state pays physical therapists the most?
California currently has the highest median physical therapist salary at $115,000, based on 474 real job listings. Adjusted for cost of living, Vermont offers the highest real purchasing power at $109,741.
Which state offers the best after-tax physical therapist pay?
South Dakota currently leads the take-home view at $109,311 — the state median after its state income tax (Tax Foundation state income tax rates (2025)), divided by the local cost-of-living index. No-income-tax states like Texas, Florida and Tennessee often outrank nominally higher-paying states here.
Why adjust physical therapist salaries for cost of living?
Prices differ across states. The adjusted view divides each state's pay benchmark by its regional price index (U.S. average = 100). Source: BEA Regional Price Parities (2024). This is a state-level comparison, not a personal budget or a city-level cost estimate. Missing price data is shown as unavailable.
Which state has the best physical therapist lifestyle scores?
Maine currently has the highest average WeekdayDoc burnout score (6.0/10, higher is better) for physical therapist listings — a measure of call burden, weekend requirements, and schedule flexibility across postings.
More salary maps
See the full percentile breakdown on the Physical Therapist salary page.