Physical Therapists: salary, outlook & degrees
Assess, plan, organize, and participate in rehabilitative programs that improve mobility, relieve pain, increase strength, and improve or correct disabling conditions resulting from disease or injury.
Middle half $86,160–$121,160. 267,330 jobs.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
95% hold a bachelor's or higher. Those with one: $81,220.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation
About 13,400 openings a year, including replacements.
BLS Employment Projections 2025-35
Extensive preparation (usually a graduate degree).
BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone
Degrees that lead to this career
What workers ages 25-34 in this job studied, among those with a bachelor's or higher. This is what people actually did, not a requirement.
| Field of bachelor's degree | Share | Degree pages |
|---|---|---|
| Physical Fitness Parks Recreation And Leisure | 29% | Kinesiology / Exercise Science · Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies |
| Treatment Therapy Professions | 15% | Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences |
| Biology | 13% | Biology |
| General Medical And Health Services | 8% | Health Sciences |
| Psychology | 4% | Psychology |
| Physiology | 4% | Physiology |
| Nursing | 2% | Nursing |
| Multi-Disciplinary Or General Science | 2% | Biological and Physical Sciences |
| Community And Public Health | 1% | Public Health |
| Health And Medical Preparatory Programs | under 1% | Pre-Med / Pre-Health |
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, employed, bachelor's or higher; top 10 fields); EducationGuide calculation.
Education workers say the job requires
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers (“required level of education”); small samples, so treat shares as approximate.
Pay by state and metro
| State | Median wage |
|---|---|
| California | $124,190 |
| Alaska | $115,280 |
| New Jersey | $112,140 |
| Nevada | $111,250 |
| Maryland | $106,890 |
| New Mexico | $106,880 |
| Washington | $105,950 |
| Texas | $105,810 |
| Illinois | $105,250 |
| Connecticut | $104,360 |
| Massachusetts | $103,790 |
| Oregon | $103,510 |
| Arizona | $103,220 |
| Ohio | $103,050 |
| Georgia | $102,700 |
| Delaware | $102,050 |
| Colorado | $102,030 |
| Minnesota | $102,010 |
| Wisconsin | $101,840 |
| Hawaii | $101,700 |
| District of Columbia | $101,640 |
| Indiana | $101,560 |
| Virginia | $101,450 |
| Pennsylvania | $101,380 |
| South Carolina | $101,330 |
| Florida | $101,040 |
| Michigan | $100,900 |
| Kentucky | $100,710 |
| New York | $100,660 |
| Wyoming | $100,400 |
| Tennessee | $100,140 |
| Mississippi | $99,990 |
| North Carolina | $99,910 |
| Utah | $99,880 |
| New Hampshire | $99,850 |
| Maine | $99,720 |
| Rhode Island | $99,400 |
| Missouri | $99,310 |
| Arkansas | $99,010 |
| Idaho | $99,000 |
| Oklahoma | $98,590 |
| Louisiana | $98,530 |
| Kansas | $98,290 |
| Vermont | $97,970 |
| Iowa | $97,560 |
| Alabama | $97,290 |
| Nebraska | $97,090 |
| West Virginia | $96,600 |
| South Dakota | $92,660 |
| Montana | $91,450 |
| North Dakota | $85,330 |
| PR | $60,250 |
Florida metro areas
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach$100,870
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater$102,430
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford$101,530
- Jacksonville$100,150
- North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota$104,020
- Cape Coral-Fort Myers$101,870
- Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville$98,990
- Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach$99,500
Virginia metro areas
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria$102,980
- Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk$100,840
- Richmond$102,700
- Roanoke$98,770
- Charlottesville$102,400
- Kingsport-Bristol$98,690
- Winchester$102,670
- Lynchburg$102,450
California metro areas
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim$108,170
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont$141,980
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad$113,850
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario$120,110
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom$131,430
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara$139,000
- Fresno$123,820
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura$116,770
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.
What the work takes
Top skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
Knowledge used
- Customer and Personal Service
- Therapy and Counseling
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Psychology
- Education and Training
Work styles
- Empathy
- Cooperation
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Optimism
People in this job tend to have Social (helping), Investigative (analytical), Realistic (hands-on) interests.
O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.
Physical Therapists: questions
How much do physical Therapists make?
Physical Therapists earn a U.S. median $102,760 a year; the middle half earn $86,160 to $121,160 (BLS, May 2025). Workers ages 25-34 in this job earn a median $79,431 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is physical Therapists a growing field?
BLS projects growth of 11.9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 13,400 openings a year, including replacements.
What degree do you need to be a physical Therapist?
BLS lists the typical entry education as doctoral or professional degree. In O*NET's survey, 94% of workers say a bachelor's or higher is required. Among workers ages 25-34 with a bachelor's, the most common field of degree is physical Fitness Parks Recreation And Leisure (29%).
How much do physical Therapists make in Florida?
The median in Florida is $101,040 a year (BLS, May 2025), compared with $102,760 nationally.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 29-1123. Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all careers
Cite this: “Physical Therapists: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/physical-therapists.