Physical Therapists
Physical Therapists earn an average annual salary of $124,258, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Health Care and Social Assistance. The field combines competitive compensation with strong employment opportunities, making it an attractive career path.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Physical Therapists workforce.
Employment Over Time
24,380 Workforce in 2023
The Physical Therapists workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Physical Therapists.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$124,258 Average Wage
In 2023, Physical Therapists earned an average of $124,258.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Physical Therapists.
Salary distribution for Physical Therapists.
Employment Growth Projections
3.7% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
115,325 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 19.6%
137,967 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 43.1%
This occupation is projected to grow at 3.7% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Physical Therapists.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Physical Therapists and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Physical Therapists employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Physical Therapists.
Wage Trends by Industry
4.5% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Physical Therapists.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Physical Therapists.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 22,740 employees, $125,060 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Physical Therapists.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 5,880 employees, $121,301 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 2,730 employees, $112,692 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 2,260 employees, $119,731 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 2,130 employees, $123,672 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 1,880 employees, $141,084 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 1,620 employees, $128,459 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 1,350 employees, $146,886 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 1,090 employees, $138,861 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 600 employees, $121,104 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 540 employees, $119,574 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Physical Therapists.
Diversity
Demographic information on Physical Therapists in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Physical Therapists in 2023 was 24,380 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Physical Therapists.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Physical Therapists.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Physical Therapists.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Physical Therapists in 2023 were Physical Therapy, Health Sciences, Kinesiology.
Common majors for Physical Therapists.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Physical Therapists workers.
Education level distribution for Physical Therapists.
Skills
Physical Therapists need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation, Reading Comprehension.
Required skills for Physical Therapists.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Physical Therapists.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Physical Therapists include Customer and Personal Service, Therapy and Counseling, Medicine and Dentistry, Psychology, Education and Training.
Knowledge areas required for Physical Therapists.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Physical Therapists include Written Comprehension, Oral Expression, Oral Comprehension, Written Expression, Deductive Reasoning.
Required abilities for Physical Therapists.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Physical Therapists.
Daily Activities
Physical Therapists spend their time on activities such as Assisting and Caring for Others, Documenting/Recording Information, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Getting Information.
Most important work activities for Physical Therapists.
About
Physical Therapists
The average yearly wage for Physical Therapists was $124,258 in 2023.
SOC Code
29-1123 - Physical Therapists
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Physical Therapists reports an average salary of $124,258, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 24,380 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 3.7%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.