Physical Therapist salaries across 50 U.S. cities, from BLS wage data: median and 10th-90th percentiles.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS) & BEA Regional Price Parities · Updated June 2026
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Across the 50 U.S. metros tracked here, Physical Therapist pay ranges from about $87,210 in Omaha, NE to $131,930 in San Jose, CA (median wage). The U.S. national average for this role is about $100,440.
The table below ranks every metro by median wage. “Real pay” adjusts each salary for local cost of living (BEA Regional Price Parity, U.S. = 100) so you can compare what the paycheck is actually worth. See our methodology for sources and formulas.
| City | Median | 10th %ile | 90th %ile | Cost of living (US = 100) | Real pay (COL-adjusted) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $131,930 | $98,140 | $165,660 | 110.4 | $119,502 |
| Sacramento, CA | $131,760 | $86,620 | $160,370 | 106.7 | $123,486 |
| San Francisco, CA | $131,050 | $93,760 | $162,540 | 115.6 | $113,365 |
| Oakland, CA | $131,050 | $93,760 | $162,540 | 115.6 | $113,365 |
| Boston, MA | $118,696 | $70,706 | $152,288 | 108.3 | $109,599 |
| Houston, TX | $110,530 | $78,570 | $149,730 | 98.6 | $112,099 |
| Fresno, CA | $109,610 | $78,930 | $132,550 | 102.2 | $107,250 |
| Dallas, TX | $107,030 | $77,630 | $136,920 | 103.1 | $103,812 |
| Arlington, TX | $107,030 | $77,630 | $136,920 | — | — |
| San Diego, CA | $105,480 | $78,390 | $147,330 | 111.9 | $94,263 |
| Seattle, WA | $104,690 | $76,910 | $134,150 | 111.1 | $94,230 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $104,670 | $79,220 | $124,800 | 102.6 | $102,018 |
| New York, NY | $104,010 | $73,620 | $135,960 | 112.6 | $92,371 |
| Long Beach, CA | $103,930 | $68,080 | $144,310 | 113.6 | $91,488 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $103,930 | $68,080 | $144,310 | 113.6 | $91,488 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $103,830 | $62,420 | $180,310 | 100.2 | $103,623 |
| Chicago, IL | $103,270 | $80,150 | $133,470 | 103.6 | $99,681 |
| Washington, DC | $103,070 | $81,010 | $138,680 | 108.9 | $94,646 |
| Austin, TX | $102,720 | $70,000 | $134,520 | 98.1 | $104,709 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $102,500 | $66,760 | $124,340 | 95.7 | $107,106 |
| Cleveland, OH | $101,560 | $77,680 | $122,880 | — | — |
| San Antonio, TX | $101,380 | $63,770 | $129,960 | 94.7 | $107,054 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $100,930 | $74,550 | $130,210 | 99.5 | $101,437 |
| Portland, OR | $100,390 | $79,420 | $127,300 | 105.4 | $95,247 |
| New Orleans, LA | $100,260 | $76,060 | $126,200 | 92.6 | $108,272 |
| Memphis, TN | $100,220 | $78,620 | $119,930 | 92.2 | $108,698 |
| Baltimore, MD | $100,200 | $79,260 | $128,630 | 104.5 | $95,885 |
| Atlanta, GA | $99,910 | $76,260 | $126,920 | 100.1 | $99,810 |
| Nashville, TN | $99,860 | $79,710 | $120,670 | 96.3 | $103,697 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $99,670 | $68,520 | $126,130 | 95.5 | $104,366 |
| Mesa, AZ | $99,600 | $77,240 | $126,890 | 103.3 | $96,418 |
| Columbus, OH | $99,600 | $75,590 | $129,510 | 95.5 | $104,293 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $99,600 | $77,240 | $126,890 | 103.3 | $96,418 |
| Detroit, MI | $99,550 | $76,060 | $118,400 | 100.3 | $99,252 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $99,530 | $75,210 | $122,980 | 90.4 | $110,100 |
| Denver, CO | $99,290 | $74,190 | $133,850 | 105.8 | $93,847 |
| Milwaukee, WI | $99,210 | $77,630 | $120,000 | 96.9 | $102,384 |
| Fort Worth, TX | $97,498 | $50,714 | $130,246 | 103.1 | $94,566 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $97,160 | $81,210 | $112,370 | 104.8 | $92,710 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $96,930 | $69,940 | $135,570 | 100.7 | $96,256 |
| Charlotte, NC | $96,780 | $74,920 | $120,350 | 97.3 | $99,466 |
| Kansas City, MO | $95,920 | $65,560 | $119,510 | 92.5 | $103,697 |
| Tucson, AZ | $95,890 | $74,200 | $119,310 | 96.9 | $98,958 |
| El Paso, TX | $95,420 | $64,250 | $127,130 | 89.9 | $106,140 |
| Wichita, KS | $94,990 | $66,350 | $121,780 | 88.9 | $106,850 |
| Miami, FL | $93,920 | $28,640 | $120,120 | 114.2 | $82,242 |
| Tulsa, OK | $92,260 | $50,050 | $121,270 | 89.2 | $103,430 |
| Raleigh, NC | $90,400 | $74,610 | $117,520 | 98.2 | $92,057 |
| Louisville, KY | $89,300 | $48,800 | $117,340 | 93.1 | $95,918 |
| Omaha, NE | $87,210 | $67,440 | $108,620 | 91.9 | $94,897 |
“Real pay” = average wage × 100 ÷ the metro’s Regional Price Parity — what the salary is worth in national-average dollars. A high-paying city with high costs can rank below a cheaper one on real pay.
The national average for Physical Therapists is $100,440 per year, based on BLS OEWS wage data. Metro-level pay varies widely: across the 50 cities we track, average pay runs from $87,210 in Omaha to $131,930 in San Jose.
Sacramento leads after adjusting for the local cost of living: its $131,760 average pay is worth about $123,486 in national-average dollars, ahead of San Jose at $119,502.
Real pay divides the metro's average wage by its Regional Price Parity from the BEA, so expensive and cheap cities can be compared directly. Sacramento's index is 106.7, so its $131,760 average equals about $123,486 in national buying power.
Self-reported by readers, unverified, moderated for spam — a complement to the BLS data above, not a substitute. No email or name is collected; IPs are stored only as a hash for rate-limiting.
| City | Annual salary | Years | Level | Reported |
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