Which state pays physical therapists the most?

California has the highest median physical therapist pay in the United States at $124,190 (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is the sticker figure. After state income tax and cost of living, the pay that goes furthest is Alaska at $112,623, then New Mexico ($111,671) and Nevada ($111,273).

Where does physical therapist pay go furthest after cost of living?

Alaska, New Mexico, and Nevada. Real value starts from the BLS median physical therapist wage, subtracts modeled state income tax, then divides by the state cost of living (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). California ranks #15 of 51 on that measure despite paying the most on paper.

Which states pay physical therapists the least after cost of living?

Hawaii ($86,858), District of Columbia ($87,323), New York ($88,733). A state can pay well and still land here: high local prices and state income tax both come out of the same wage.

What is the median physical therapist salary in the US?

$102,760 nationally, BLS OEWS May 2025 (SOC 29-1123). State medians run from $101,700 to $124,190 before any adjustment.

Do states with no income tax pay physical therapists more?

Not automatically. No-income-tax states (Texas, Florida, Washington, Tennessee, and others) keep more of the nominal wage as take-home, but cost of living still decides the real value. The table below separates the two effects so you can see which one is moving a state up or down.

Where physical therapists actually earn the most

California pays physical therapists the most on paper, at $124,190. After state income tax and cost of living, Alaska goes furthest at $112,623, and California drops to #15 of 51.

Therapists

Physical therapy Occupational therapy Speech-language

Assistants

PTA COTA

After-tax pay adjusted for cost of living. Stacks state tax and local prices.

$87k$113k

Shading is scaled within physical therapists only. US median for physical therapists: $102,760.

Alaska

#1 of 51 · Real value

BLS reported median: $115,280
State income tax: none
After-tax: $115,280
Cost of living (US = 100): 102.4
Real value: $112,623

Every experience level and setting, in one number.

See what you should be getting paid

These are state medians

Your local number depends on your experience and practice setting.

See what you should be getting paid

All 51 states, ranked

Median physical therapist pay by state, ranked by what it is worth after state income tax and cost of living.

#	State	Nominal	Take-home	Real value
1	Alaska	$115,280	$115,280	$112,623
2	New Mexico	$106,880	$102,974	$111,671
3	Nevada	$111,250	$111,250	$111,273
4	Mississippi	$99,990	$96,722	$111,235
5	Arkansas	$99,010	$95,361	$109,690
6	Texas	$105,810	$105,810	$109,018
7	Tennessee	$100,140	$100,140	$109,002
8	Ohio	$103,050	$100,999	$108,865
9	Louisiana	$98,530	$95,960	$108,790
10	Wyoming	$100,400	$100,400	$108,317
11	Kentucky	$100,710	$97,303	$107,924
12	Oklahoma	$98,590	$94,699	$107,805
13	Iowa	$97,560	$94,505	$107,683
14	Indiana	$101,560	$98,593	$105,641
15	California	$124,190	$116,870	$105,554
16	Missouri	$99,310	$95,580	$105,244
17	South Dakota	$92,660	$92,660	$104,599
18	Alabama	$97,290	$92,691	$104,354
19	Wisconsin	$101,840	$97,823	$103,962
20	Kansas	$98,290	$93,605	$103,927
21	Nebraska	$97,090	$93,552	$103,828
22	West Virginia	$96,600	$92,879	$103,779
23	South Carolina	$101,330	$96,407	$102,836
24	North Carolina	$99,910	$96,432	$102,233
25	Georgia	$102,700	$97,993	$101,765
26	Pennsylvania	$101,380	$98,268	$100,713
27	Michigan	$100,900	$96,863	$100,671
28	Illinois	$105,250	$100,185	$100,227
29	Arizona	$103,220	$100,848	$100,170
30	Idaho	$99,000	$94,861	$99,337
31	Washington	$105,950	$105,950	$99,007
32	New Jersey	$112,140	$107,185	$98,511
33	Minnesota	$102,010	$96,597	$97,947
34	Florida	$101,040	$101,040	$97,704
35	Maryland	$106,890	$102,176	$97,348
36	Maine	$99,720	$94,086	$96,946
37	Delaware	$102,050	$96,656	$96,842
38	Utah	$99,880	$95,385	$96,481
39	Vermont	$97,970	$93,964	$95,923
40	Connecticut	$104,360	$99,348	$95,887
41	New Hampshire	$99,850	$99,850	$95,858
42	North Dakota	$85,330	$84,925	$95,466
43	Virginia	$101,450	$96,431	$95,378
44	Colorado	$102,030	$98,249	$95,339
45	Rhode Island	$99,400	$96,280	$94,134
46	Massachusetts	$103,790	$98,821	$93,441
47	Montana	$91,450	$87,644	$92,603
48	Oregon	$103,510	$95,283	$92,184
49	New York	$100,660	$95,761	$88,733
50	District of Columbia	$101,640	$95,969	$87,323
51	Hawaii	$101,700	$95,501	$86,858

Ranked by real value (take-home pay adjusted for cost of living). Nominal = BLS median annual wage.

The same map for the other four professions

Each profession ranks states differently. Assistant pay sits in a narrower band, so cost of living moves it more.

How this is calculated

Nominal pay is the median annual wage from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program (May 2025 release) for physical therapists, SOC 29-1123, in each state. Where BLS suppresses an estimate for confidentiality, that state is left out rather than filled in, and there is no gap for this profession.

Take-homesubtracts modeled state income tax for a single filer taking the standard deduction, at that state's median wage, using Tax Foundation brackets as of January 1, 2026. It does not include federal income tax or FICA (those don't vary by state, so they don't change the ranking), and it excludes local (city or county) income taxes.

Real valuedivides take-home by each state's cost of living, using the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (2024), where the US average is 100. Cost of living already captures sales tax and, through rents, some property tax; income tax is separate, which is why it is applied on its own.

Limits: single filer only; local income taxes (Maryland, New York, Ohio) are averaged out at the state grain; and cost of living is statewide, so a specific metro can run higher or lower. Typical pay, not personalized tax advice.

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