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The national median salary for Physical Therapist Aides is $35,235 per year ($16.94/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $30,410 and $38,813 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $47,778 per year. There are approximately 48,150 physical therapist aides employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Under close supervision of a physical therapist or physical therapy assistant, perform only delegated, selected, or routine tasks in specific situations. These duties include preparing the patient and the treatment area.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+2.8%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
7K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
46K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
2% from new growth98% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Offices of Other Health Practitioners
NAICS 621300
32K
$34,120
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
NAICS 622100
6K
$38,950
Offices of Physicians
NAICS 621100
4K
$35,320
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals
NAICS 622300
2K
$37,350
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities)
NAICS 623100
1K
$43,410
Wage range across top 5 industries: $34,120 to $43,410 (27% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$12.19
$25,355
P25
$14.62
$30,410
P50MEDIAN
$16.94
$35,235
P75
$18.66
$38,813
P90
$22.97
$47,778
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 therapist aides salary?
The national median salary for Physical Therapist Aides is $35,235 per year ($16.94/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $30,410 and $38,813 annually.
How much do top-earning physical therapist aides make?
The 90th percentile salary for Physical Therapist Aides is $47,778 per year ($22.97/hr). The 75th percentile is $38,813 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for physical therapist aides?
Entry-level Physical Therapist Aides (10th percentile) earn approximately $25,355 per year ($12.19/hr). The 25th percentile is $30,410 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 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.
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