How much do physical therapist assistants make?

Physical Therapist Assistant salary 2026 · BLS occupation: Physical Therapist Assistants (SOC 31-2021) · Updated October 28, 2026

Answer

Physical therapist assistants in the US earned a median of $68,380 a year ($32.88 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $59,820 to $78,680.

Median annual pay: $68,380; Mean $68,730
Median hourly pay: $32.88; Mean $33.04
Typical range (10th–90th): $47.8K–$89.5K; $47,750 to $89,510
US jobs: 112,430; +23.0% projected, 2025–35

BLS OEWS, May 2025, released April 30, 2026. Wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses but not overtime premiums, shift differentials, other bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers are not included. Methodology

How to become a physical therapist assistant: steps, years and cost · Best-paying state after cost of living: Texas

Physical Therapist Assistant pay range

Annual wages, May 2025

10th percentile$47,750
25th percentile$59,820
Median$68,380
75th percentile$78,680
90th percentile$89,510

Half of all physical therapist assistants earned more than $68,380 and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% made under $47,750; the top 10% made over $89,510. The middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, ran from $59,820 to $78,680.

These percentiles describe everyone in the occupation at one time. They are not pay steps by years of experience: they mix new and senior workers, different states, employers and hours. Pay generally rises with experience, credentials and specialization, but BLS does not publish pay by experience.

Percentile	Annual	Hourly	Monthly
10th	$47,750	$22.96	$3,979
25th	$59,820	$28.76	$4,985
Median (50th)	$68,380	$32.88	$5,698
75th	$78,680	$37.83	$6,557
90th	$89,510	$43.04	$7,459
Mean (average)	$68,730	$33.04	$5,728

Physical Therapist Assistant salary by state

Median annual pay; cost of living from BEA regional price parities 2024

Median annual pay for physical therapist assistants by state. Darker tiles pay more.

Highest-paying states

1. California $83,110
2. Massachusetts $79,460
3. New Jersey $78,440
4. Texas $78,000
5. Maryland $77,670

Lowest-paying states

51. South Dakota $49,310
50. Oklahoma $59,480
49. West Virginia $60,430
48. Idaho $61,020
47. Iowa $61,030

Best after cost of living: Texas. Its median of $78,000 is worth about $80,365 at national-average prices, more than in California once prices are counted.


Alabama	$61,430	45	$69,160	25	$29.53	2,700	1.28
Alaska	$77,640	6	$75,851	2	$37.33	110	0.33
Arizona	$64,650	27	$64,215	41	$31.08	2,010	0.62
Arkansas	$64,520	28	$74,215	9	$31.02	1,620	1.25
California	$83,110	1	$75,063	7	$39.96	9,400	0.52
Colorado	$64,810	26	$62,891	45	$31.16	1,350	0.47
Connecticut	$75,880	7	$73,236	12	$36.48	980	0.58
Delaware	$74,610	9	$74,754	8	$35.87	340	0.71
District of Columbia	$63,400	36	$57,688	50	$30.48	40	0.06
Florida	$72,530	13	$70,136	22	$34.87	9,870	0.99
Georgia	$72,800	12	$75,603	3	$35.00	2,620	0.54
Hawaii	$67,510	19	$61,400	48	$32.46	250	0.40
Idaho	$61,020	48	$63,899	44	$29.34	560	0.65
Illinois	$65,240	25	$65,267	40	$31.37	4,890	0.80
Indiana	$65,280	24	$69,946	23	$31.39	2,830	0.89
Iowa	$61,030	47	$69,540	24	$29.34	1,060	0.68
Kansas	$64,500	29	$71,613	16	$31.01	1,300	0.91
Kentucky	$61,480	44	$68,191	30	$29.56	2,580	1.29
Louisiana	$65,370	23	$74,110	10	$31.43	1,670	0.86
Maine	$66,250	22	$68,264	29	$31.85	410	0.64
Maryland	$77,670	5	$74,000	11	$37.34	1,430	0.52
Massachusetts	$79,460	2	$75,135	6	$38.20	2,640	0.73
Michigan	$61,670	43	$64,095	43	$29.65	4,520	1.03
Minnesota	$66,770	20	$67,704	35	$32.10	1,230	0.42
Mississippi	$61,770	42	$71,038	19	$29.70	1,150	0.99
Missouri	$63,770	33	$70,218	21	$30.66	2,490	0.85
Montana	$62,650	37	$66,195	39	$30.12	250	0.48
Nebraska	$61,370	46	$68,111	31	$29.50	980	0.96
Nevada	$75,520	8	$75,536	4	$36.31	560	0.36
New Hampshire	$71,440	15	$68,583	27	$34.35	500	0.73
New Jersey	$78,440	3	$72,092	15	$37.71	1,810	0.42
New Mexico	$62,280	40	$67,540	36	$29.94	700	0.81
New York	$64,100	30	$59,395	49	$30.82	3,620	0.37
North Carolina	$67,540	18	$71,603	17	$32.47	3,280	0.66
North Dakota	$63,520	35	$71,404	18	$30.54	120	0.27
Ohio	$63,820	32	$68,791	26	$30.68	7,040	1.27
Oklahoma	$59,480	50	$67,712	34	$28.60	2,380	1.39
Oregon	$73,180	11	$70,800	20	$35.19	890	0.45
Pennsylvania	$62,580	38	$64,137	42	$30.09	4,270	0.70
Rhode Island	$68,640	17	$67,110	38	$33.00	420	0.83
South Carolina	$70,500	16	$75,201	5	$33.90	1,870	0.81
South Dakota	$49,310	51	$55,663	51	$23.71	300	0.65
Tennessee	$62,500	39	$68,031	33	$30.05	3,390	1.03
Texas	$78,000	4	$80,365	1	$37.50	10,510	0.75
Utah	$61,980	41	$62,692	46	$29.80	970	0.56
Vermont	$71,600	14	$73,093	13	$34.42	100	0.33
Virginia	$73,760	10	$72,955	14	$35.46	3,370	0.82
Washington	$66,450	21	$62,095	47	$31.95	2,150	0.60
West Virginia	$60,430	49	$67,522	37	$29.05	980	1.39
Wisconsin	$64,080	31	$68,101	32	$30.81	1,650	0.56
Wyoming	$63,550	34	$68,561	28	$30.56	240	0.84

BLS OEWS, May 2025, state estimates. Adjusted pay = median ÷ (state price level ÷ 100), using BEA regional price parities for 2024; it ignores taxes. Figures for states with few workers in the occupation have larger survey errors and can change sharply from one year to the next. “—” means BLS did not publish the figure. State names link to each state’s highest-paying jobs.

Best-paying metro areas for physical therapist assistants

344 metro areas with published pay

Highest median pay
Metro area	Median	Adjusted	Jobs
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$97,190	$88,016	400
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$95,920	$82,966	1,040
Spartanburg, SC	$88,070	$96,726	160
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA	$87,330	$79,466	60
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA	$87,300	$80,995	90
Vallejo, CA	$86,630	$79,859	50
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA	$85,150	$78,264	100
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX	$84,930	$86,605	1,180
Salinas, CA	$84,850	$77,814	70
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	$84,290	$79,019	570

Most jobs
Metro area	Jobs	Median	Adjusted
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	3,730	$82,140	$72,328
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	3,520	$72,230	$69,723
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	3,420	$72,530	$63,536
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	3,220	$75,620	$67,180
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	2,210	$77,280	$78,354
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	2,110	$80,370	$77,961
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI	1,880	$62,220	$62,035
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	1,860	$80,430	$74,289
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	1,650	$71,540	$69,758
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ	1,440	$64,720	$62,643

BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan statistical areas; adjusted with BEA metro price parities (2024).

What moves physical therapist assistant pay: employers and settings

Work setting is the clearest pay lever for PTAs. Home health care services pay a median of $80,050 and skilled nursing facilities $77,440. Both are well above outpatient therapy offices at $62,990 (the setting that employs the most PTAs). Hospitals fall in between, with general hospitals at $66,850 and specialty hospitals at $73,850. Home health PTAs drive between patients' homes and work with less on-site supervision, which suits experienced PTAs.

Location also matters. California has the highest median at $83,110, followed by Massachusetts at $79,460, New Jersey at $78,440, Texas at $78,000, and Maryland at $77,670. South Dakota is lowest at $49,310. Texas has the best pay after adjusting for living costs, at $80,365.

PTA pay ranges from $47,750, the 10th percentile, to $89,510, the 90th. Much of that spread comes from setting and state rather than seniority. Per diem and travel assignments, weekend coverage in hospitals and nursing homes, and productivity-based pay in home health can all raise annual earnings.

Where physical therapist assistants work
Industry	Share of jobs	Median pay
Offices of Other Health Practitioners	45.2%	$62,990
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	16.5%	$66,850
Home Health Care Services	12.5%	$80,050
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities)	10.5%	$77,440
Offices of Physicians	5.8%	$62,970
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals	3.3%	$73,850

Private employers and government
Employer type	Jobs	Median pay
Private employers	107,530	$68,640
State government (incl. schools and hospitals)	1,060	$63,770
Local government (incl. schools and hospitals)	3,850	$66,950

BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific and ownership estimates (4-digit NAICS).

Physical Therapist Assistant pay over time

Median annual pay, 2015–2025

$68.4K $55.2K

2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Nominal median (dollars of each year)In May 2025 dollars (adjusted with CPI-U)

The median rose from $55,170 in 2015 to $68,380 in 2025, up 24% in nominal dollars. After inflation, the 2015 median is worth $74,579 in May 2025 dollars, so real pay fell 8% over the period.

BLS OEWS, May 2025 and earlier May releases; inflation from the CPI-U, US city average, May of each year.

What physical therapist assistants do

A physical therapist assistant (PTA) carries out the treatment plan a physical therapist writes. The PT evaluates the patient and sets the goals; the PTA then runs much of the hands-on care across follow-up visits: leading exercises, stretching tight joints, training someone to walk again with a walker or cane, practicing balance, and applying heat, ice, ultrasound or electrical stimulation. PTAs record how each patient responds and tell the therapist when something changes, so the plan can be adjusted. They cannot do the initial evaluation or make the diagnosis.

About 45% of PTAs work in outpatient physical therapy clinics, treating sprains, sports injuries, back pain and recovery after joint replacements. Others work in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities and home health, where patients are often older adults recovering from strokes, falls or surgery. The job is physical. You are on your feet most of the day, kneeling and bending beside patients, and helping lift or steady people who cannot move on their own, which puts your own back at risk. Many clinics open early and stay open into the evening.

A typical day

Review the physical therapist's plan and the notes from the patient's last visit
Guide patients through strengthening, stretching and balance exercises, correcting their form
Help patients practice walking, climbing stairs or getting out of bed and into a chair safely
Apply hot packs, cold, ultrasound or electrical stimulation as the plan calls for
Measure range of motion and note pain levels, then document progress in the patient's chart
Teach patients and family members the home exercise program and how to use braces, crutches or walkers
Flag changes in a patient's condition to the supervising physical therapist

Also called: physical therapy assistant, certified physical therapist assistant (cpta), home care physical therapy assistant, home health physical therapist assistant, licensed physical therapist assistant (lpta), licensed physical therapy assistant, outpatient physical therapist assistant, per diem physical therapist assistant (per diem pta).

How to become a physical therapist assistant

Full guide

To become a physical therapist assistant, you complete an associate degree from a CAPTE-accredited PTA program (about two years), pass the National Physical Therapy Examination for PTAs, and get licensed or certified in your state.

Typical time: 2-2.5 years; Fastest: About 18 months
Minimum education: Associate degree from a CAPTE-accredited physical therapist assistant program
License: Required in all 50 states and DC (license or certification)
Typical training cost: $10.1K–$45.4K; See the guide for what it includes

Read the step-by-step guide to becoming a physical therapist assistant: each step with its time and cost, education options, exams, licensing and advancement.

Is it worth it? Training cost against pay

Compare careers

Training time: 2-2.5 years; Typical path in our guide
Training cost: $10.1K–$45.4K; Tuition and exam fees, before aid
Median pay: $68,380; $17,400 above the all-jobs median ($50,980)
Cost vs. one year's pay: 15–66%; Training cost as a share of a year at the median

Once qualified, the pay difference over the typical US job at the median ($17,400 a year before tax) would repay the training cost in less than a year to 2.6 years after training ends (2-2.5 years in our guide). This is a rough guide: it ignores taxes, financial aid, interest, earnings given up while training and how pay changes over a career. How we calculate ROI.

Job outlook for physical therapist assistants

BLS Employment Projections 2025–35

Projected growth: +23.0%; All occupations +3.5%
Jobs in 2025: 114,100; 140,400 projected for 2035
Openings each year: 18,500; New jobs plus replacements
Self-employed: —; Not in the pay figures above

BLS projects PTA jobs to grow 23% from 2025 to 2035, from 114,100 to 140,400, many times the 3.5% average for all occupations, with about 18,500 openings a year. An aging population drives most of it: older adults have more strokes, heart attacks, falls and joint replacements that need rehab. Chronic conditions such as diabetes and obesity also bring more people to therapy. Outpatient clinics and long-term care facilities are expected to rely on PTAs to keep therapy costs down, which favors this job over physical therapist aides.

Related careers and their pay

Related occupations from O*NET 31.0; median annual pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.

Physical Therapist Assistant salary FAQ

How much do physical therapist assistants make an hour?

The median hourly wage for physical therapist assistants was $32.88 in May 2025. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $22.96 an hour and the highest-paid 10% more than $43.04. Hourly figures are BLS estimates for all workers in the occupation, full-time and part-time.

Which state pays physical therapist assistants the most?

California has the highest median pay for physical therapist assistants, $83,110 a year, followed by Massachusetts ($79,460) and New Jersey ($78,440). After adjusting for each state's price level, Texas comes out ahead at about $80,365 in national-average dollars.

Do physical therapist assistants make six figures?

Few do: based on the BLS percentiles, fewer than 10% of physical therapist assistants earn more than $100,000 a year. The median is $68,380, and the top 10% earn more than $89,510. Pay generally rises with experience, specialization and location.

What is the difference between a physical therapist and a physical therapist assistant?

A physical therapist evaluates patients, diagnoses movement problems and writes the plan of care; that takes a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree, usually seven years after high school. A physical therapist assistant delivers treatment under that plan and the PT's supervision, after about two years of college. PTAs do not perform the initial evaluation. See our physical therapist page for that path.

What is the difference between a PTA and a physical therapy aide?

A PTA has an associate degree from an accredited program, passes a national exam and holds a state license or certification, and treats patients directly. A physical therapy aide usually needs only a high school diploma and a few weeks of on-the-job training. Aides clean and set up equipment, move patients and handle front-desk tasks, and states do not license them.

Is being a physical therapist assistant physically demanding?

Yes. PTAs spend most of the day standing, walking, kneeling and bending, and they often help lift, transfer and steady patients who cannot support their own weight. Back injuries are a known risk, so good body mechanics and lifting equipment matter. Outpatient sports and orthopedic clinics involve less heavy lifting than hospitals, nursing homes and home health.

Sources

Data updated October 28, 2026 · Text checked against its sources October 28, 2026

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released April 30, 2026, SOC 31-2021
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
O*NET 31.0 Database (31-2021.00), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0; tasks rewritten by Careers and Salaries
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state and metro area, 2024
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, May values
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study and institution data, most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15
Physical Therapist Assistants and Aides, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
Exam Registration & Payment, Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) · checked October 28, 2026
2025 Physical Therapist Assistant Education Programs Fact Sheet, Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) · checked October 28, 2026
License Finder, CareerOneStop, U.S. Department of Labor · checked October 28, 2026
NPTE Candidate Handbook: Understanding the NPTE, Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) · checked October 28, 2026
Physical Therapist Assistant (AAS): Online/Hybrid Program, San Juan College · checked October 28, 2026
NPTE Candidate Handbook: Exam Registration and Scheduling, Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) · checked October 28, 2026

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