Average Physical Therapist Assistants Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Physical Therapist Assistants is $65,510 per year. The middle 50% earn between $58,240 and $77,270, with 108,010 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2024 estimates . Data covers 51 states and 349 metro areas.
Wage range
Pay distribution
Here is how Physical Therapist Assistants pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $46,020
- 25th
- $58,240
- Median
- $65,510
- 75th
- $77,270
- 90th
- $87,630
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Physical Therapist Assistants earn close to the national median for all US workers. Solidly middle-income.
The spread between entry-level and top-end pay is typical for US occupations. Experience and specialization matter, but the range is not unusually wide.
BLS projections
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for physical therapist assistants from 2024 to 2034. Physical Therapist Assistants are projected to grow much faster than average, more than double the roughly 4% growth rate for all US occupations. Demand is strong and outpacing most of the labor market.
- Projected growth
- +22.0%
- 24,500 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 19,800
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave. Annual openings are high relative to the workforce size, reflecting meaningful turnover and new-hire volume.
- Typical entry education
- Associate's degree
Where Physical Therapist Assistants earn the most
Location matters for pay. The top-paying state is noticeably above the national median, so relocating to a higher-paying market can meaningfully boost earnings. Right now, the top-paying state is California at $79,410, about 21.2% above the national median. At the metro level, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA leads with a median of $97,350.
By state
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| California | $79,410 | 8,430 |
| Massachusetts | $77,780 | 2,380 |
| Alaska | $76,310 | 100 |
| Texas | $76,250 | 11,230 |
| New Jersey | $74,780 | 1,350 |
| Connecticut | $74,120 | 910 |
| Virginia | $73,900 | 3,340 |
| Nevada | $73,080 | 590 |
By metro
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $97,350 | 330 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $97,230 | 850 |
| Modesto, CA | $96,120 | 140 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $90,000 | 80 |
| Spartanburg, SC | $85,470 | 160 |
| Salinas, CA | $84,210 | 50 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $83,820 | 50 |
| Chico, CA | $83,610 | 50 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see physical therapist assistants pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2024, the national median salary for Physical Therapist Assistants rose from $58,790 to $65,510, a gain of +11.4% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +22.7%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $58,790 would need to be worth $72,135 in 2024 dollars.
The actual 2024 median of $65,510 is −$6,625 below that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of -9.2% in purchasing power.
Adjusted for inflation, pay has lost ground. Nominal growth of 11.4% has not kept up with rising prices.
- Nominal change
- +11.4%
- 2019–2024
- Cumulative inflation
- +22.7%
- US CPI, 2019–2024
- Real change
- -9.2%
- After adjusting for inflation
Annual history
Median salary over time
Physical Therapist Assistants median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2019
- $58,790
- 2020
- $59,770
- 2021
- $61,180
- 2022
- $62,770
- 2023
- $64,080
- 2024
- $65,510
Similar jobs
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Occupational Therapy Assistants
- $68,340
- Occupational Therapy Aides
- $37,370
- Physical Therapist Aides
- $34,520
- Massage Therapists
- $57,950
- Dental Assistants
- $47,300
- Medical Equipment Preparers
- $46,490
- Medical Assistants
- $44,200
Common salary questions for Physical Therapist Assistants
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Physical Therapist Assistants workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2024 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.