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The national median salary for Physical Therapists is $101,026 per year ($48.57/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024. The middle 50% of earners make between $83,470 and $117,187 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $132,496 per year. There are approximately 248,630 physical therapists employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+10.9%
Much faster than average
Annual openings
13K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
267K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
22% from new growth78% from people leaving the role
Mixed: openings come from both new growth and people exiting the role.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Doctoral or professional degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Offices of Other Health Practitioners
NAICS 621300
91K
$94,900
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
NAICS 622100
61K
$105,190
Home Health Care Services
NAICS 621600
29K
$108,110
Offices of Physicians
NAICS 621100
16K
$98,870
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities)
NAICS 623100
13K
$105,590
Wage range across top 5 industries: $94,900 to $108,110 (14% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$35.78
$74,422
P25
$40.13
$83,470
P50MEDIAN
$48.57
$101,026
P75
$56.34
$117,187
P90
$63.70
$132,496
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · health sector
Hot
Openings Rate
5.4%
Quits Rate
1.9%
Health Care & Social Assistance openings rebounded to 1.36M (+87K) in March with rate at 5.4%. Hires rose to 700K (+75K). The sector remains structurally tight; compensation pressure persists for clinical roles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average physical therapists salary?
The national median salary for Physical Therapists is $101,026 per year ($48.57/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2024 data. The middle 50% earn between $83,470 and $117,187 annually.
How much do top-earning physical therapists make?
The 90th percentile salary for Physical Therapists is $132,496 per year ($63.70/hr). The 75th percentile is $117,187 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for physical therapists?
Entry-level Physical Therapists (10th percentile) earn approximately $74,422 per year ($35.78/hr). The 25th percentile is $83,470 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.