Recreational Therapists
Median wage · national
$61,960
Range: $50K – $80K
Employed
15K
Openings/yr
1K
Typically: bachelor's degree
HEALTH
Physical Therapist
With a national median of $102,760 and +11.9% projected job growth through 2035, Physical Therapist offers both strong financial return and stable long-term demand.
About Physical Therapist
This page sets out what the federal data says about working as a physical therapist: what the job pays, how fast it is growing, and what it takes to get in. Most people arrive through a degree in Rehabilitation and what it leads to, though it is not the only route.
Assess, plan, organize, and participate in rehabilitative programs that improve mobility, relieve pain, increase strength, and improve or correct disabling conditions resulting from disease or injury.
- Median Wage
- $102,760
- Employed Nationally
- 267K
- Openings / Year
- 13,400
- Entry Education
- Doctoral or professional degree
- Job Zone
- Zone 5: Extensive Preparation
Also known as:
Acute Care PT (Acute Care Physical Therapist)
Acute Physical Therapist (Acute PT)
Cardiopulmonary Physical Therapist (Cardiopulmonary PT)
Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)
Geriatric Physical Therapist (Geriatric PT)
How Much Do Physical Therapists Make?
Most physical therapists take home around $102,760 a year, well above what most college graduates make. Half earn somewhere between $86,160 and $121,160, so where you land depends a lot on employer, specialty and city. Worth weighing against how long the training takes. Source: BLS.
A wage on its own says nothing about whether the degree behind it pays for itself, which is a question of lifetime earnings set against the total cost of getting there.
$102,760
National Median (Annual)
Well above average for college graduates.
$86K–$121K
Middle 50% Range
25th to 75th percentile. Most workers earn within this band.
Earnings Range
$86,160
Entry-level
$102,760
Median
$121,160
Experienced
What Do Physical Therapists Do?
This is what the job actually looks like on a Tuesday: 5 core activities and 5 skills the work depends on. Read it before the salary, because pay matters less than whether you would want to spend your days doing this. Source: O*NET.
What You'll Do
- Plan, prepare, or carry out individually designed programs of physical treatment to maintain, improve, or restore physical functioning, alleviate pain, or prevent physical dysfunction in patients.
- Perform and document an initial exam, evaluating data to identify problems and determine a diagnosis prior to intervention.
- Record prognosis, treatment, response, and progress in patient's chart or enter information into computer.
- Instruct patient and family in treatment procedures to be continued at home.
- Evaluate effects of treatment at various stages and adjust treatments to achieve maximum benefit.
Core Skills Employers Look For
Speaking
Critical Thinking
Social Perceptiveness
Service Orientation
Reading Comprehension
Who Thrives Here
S
Social
Working closely with people, teaching, advising, or helping others navigate challenges is a defining feature of this career's daily work.
I
Investigative
This career demands analytical thinking: researching problems, interpreting data, and applying logical reasoning to find practical solutions.
R
Realistic
Hands-on tasks, physical activity, or working with tools and real materials are central parts of the daily work here.
Where Do Physical Therapists Work?
What the physical and mental conditions of this job actually look like day to day, based on O*NET Work Context data collected from people working in this occupation.
Work Setting
Mixed
Split between indoor and outdoor or field settings.
Physical Demands
Light
Mix of sitting and movement throughout the day.
Stress Level
High
High time pressure and significant consequences for errors. Deadline-driven or high-stakes decisions are common.
What Is the Job Outlook for Physical Therapists?
Through 2035 the BLS expects this field to change by +11.9%, meaning it is growing faster than most occupations, so jobs should be easier to find over time. Around 13,400 roles open up each year, which is the number that matters most if you are starting out. Source: BLS.
Growth rates are only meaningful next to other occupations, and the full list of careers with their projected growth puts this one in context.
↗ +11.9%
10-Year Growth (2025–2035)
Faster than average.
13,400
Annual Openings
New positions plus replacements for retirees and career-changers.
267K
Currently Employed
Total US employment as of BLS May 2025.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035 and Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025.
Where the Jobs Are
The five states below employ the most Physical Therapist professionals nationwide. State-level wages can differ significantly from the $102,760 national median. Research your specific market before committing to a program.
| # | State | Jobs | Median Wage | vs. National |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 26,580 | $124,190 | +20.9% |
| 2 | Texas | 21,870 | $105,810 | +3.0% |
| 3 | New York | 20,940 | $100,660 | -2.0% |
| 4 | Florida | 16,290 | $101,040 | -1.7% |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | 11,710 | $101,380 | -1.3% |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Employment figures rounded. Read our methodology →
How to Get Here
To get hired here you will usually need a doctoral or professional degree. The program below is the most common route in, ordered by how many people actually graduate from each one.
Typical Entry Education
Doctoral or professional degree
Job Zone
Zone 5: Extensive Preparation
Extensive education (usually a master's or doctoral degree) plus years of field experience is required to qualify for most positions.
Degree Programs That Lead Here
| # | Program | Graduates/yr | 4yr Median | Colleges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rehabilitation | 29,934 | $55,792 | 609 |
Top Colleges for Aspiring Physical Therapists
Colleges offering the degree programs that lead to this career, ranked by UCD Score. A strong program plus solid outcomes is a good place to begin your search.
| # | College | UCD Score | Net Price | Salary 10yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL | 93 | $6,541 | $71,588 |
| 2 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC | 90 | $11,655 | $72,200 |
| 3 | California State University-Long Beach Long Beach, CA | 90 | $10,440 | $64,403 |
| 4 | University of Central Florida Orlando, FL | 90 | $10,411 | $58,308 |
| 5 | Florida State University Tallahassee, FL | 90 | $11,297 | $61,675 |
| 6 | Florida International University Miami, FL | 90 | $9,288 | $60,249 |
Plan Your Path
Once you've sized up Physical Therapist, these tools turn the numbers into a plan. Estimate the real cost of a degree that leads here, weigh the long-term payoff, compare specific colleges side-by-side, and find programs that match your profile.
College ROI Calculator
See if the degree that leads to Physical Therapist pays off. Weighs each college's cost against the earnings graduates see.
College Cost Calculator
Enter a budget and see the colleges whose net price fits, with the out-of-pocket cost and likely loan load for each.
Compare Colleges
Put any 2–4 colleges side-by-side. Admissions, cost, outcomes, and earnings, all on one screen, no tab-hopping.
College Match Quiz
Answer six quick questions and see your best-fit colleges ranked by budget, field of study, and what matters most to you.
Physical Therapist Pros & Cons
Strong earnings and growing demand make Physical Therapist a compelling path. The 4 strengths and 1 trade-offs below are drawn from BLS wage data and employment projections.
PROS
- Very high median salary The national median of $102,760 places this career well above average for college graduates, with significant upside at the 75th percentile.
- Fast-growing field At +11.9% projected growth through 2035, this career grows faster than the national average of about +5%. A strong signal for long-term demand.
- High earning ceiling Top earners (75th percentile) reach $121,160 annually. Strong performers, specialists, and those in high-cost markets have significant upside beyond the median.
- Wide job market 267K professionals are employed in this field, large enough to offer geographic flexibility and multiple entry paths.
CONS
- High education requirement Most employers require a doctoral or professional degree, typically 6 to 10+ years of higher education before earning full wages. Factor tuition costs into your ROI calculation.
Physical Therapist Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Physical Therapist professionals earn?
Around $102,760 a year for the typical worker, well into the top quartile of US wages. The middle 50% of earners fall between $86,160 and $121,160. Treat the national figure as a starting point rather than a promise: employer size, industry and city all move it.
Is Physical Therapist a good career?
Yes, for the right person, but the commitment is significant. The $102,760 median wage reflects years of training most workers invest, and the path to a first career-level role typically spans 8 to 12 or more years. Job growth of +11.9% through 2035 means demand is real. The harder question is whether the education investment at your specific program will pay off. School selection matters enormously at this preparation level.
How long does it take to work as Physical Therapists?
Plan on 8 to 12 or more years of combined education and supervised training before qualifying for career-level roles. A doctoral or professional degree is the typical minimum credential. Degree programs like Rehabilitation are typical entry paths. Early-career pay during this ramp-up period will be meaningfully below the $102,760 national median. Factor that gap into any program ROI calculation.
Is a doctoral or professional degree worth it to become a Physical Therapist?
For in-state public programs, generally yes. The margin tightens significantly at private schools with heavy debt loads. A $102,760 median may take 15 to 20 years to recover at high-cost programs. School choice (specifically tuition cost and your expected local job market) matters as much as the credential itself.
What is the job outlook for Physical Therapist?
Employment is projected to change by +11.9% through 2035, faster than average compared with other occupations. Around 13,400 roles open each year once you count people retiring and moving on, which matters more to someone starting out than the growth rate does. 267K people do this job nationwide today, so it is an established field rather than a niche one. Source: BLS May 2025.
What skills do Physical Therapist professionals need?
Mainly Speaking, Critical Thinking, Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation, and Reading Comprehension. Notice how many of those are habits rather than facts: they come from doing the work, not from a lecture. That is why programs with an internship or co-op requirement put you ahead of people who only studied the theory. Source: O*NET.
Related Findings
-
10 Six-Figure Careers That Do Not Need a Bachelor's Degree
Air traffic controllers earn more than the typical bachelor's-degree career, with an associate degree. The occupations that pay six figures without four years of college.
- No bachelor degree
- High paying careers
- Associate degree
- Trades
- Median wage
-
Does a Master's Degree Pay Off? Barely, on Average
Group every career by the degree it requires and master's-level jobs pay a median of about $91,000, statistically tied with bachelor's-level work. The premium hides in a few fields.
- Master's degree
- Bachelor's degree
- Median wage
- Graduate school
- Career outcomes
-
Growing and Paying $80K Plus: The Careers That Do Both
Only 106 of 393 federal careers both pay a median above $80,000 and grow faster than the typical job. Here is the rare set that clears both bars.
- Career growth
- Median wage
- High-paying careers
- Job outlook
- Career change
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