Physical Therapists Career, Salary and Skills
Physical Therapists have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $102,760 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 267,330. Wage data is published for 441 locations.
Occupation description
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.
O*NET code
29-1123.00
Job zone
5
Typical education
Doctoral Degree
Experience
None
National salary and employment
Median annual
$102,760
Hourly median
$49.40
Employment
267,330
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Speaking | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Active Listening | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Service Orientation | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.00 | 4.38 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.00 | 3.88 |
| Monitoring | 3.88 | 3.88 |
| Writing | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.75 | 3.88 |
| Time Management | 3.62 | 3.75 |
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Confer with the patient, medical practitioners, or appropriate others to plan, implement, or assess the intervention program.
- Administer manual exercises, massage, or traction to help relieve pain, increase patient strength, or decrease or prevent deformity or crippling.
- Obtain patients' informed consent to proposed interventions.
- 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.
Technology
- Advantage Software Physical Therapy Advantage
- Biometrics video game software
- Cedaron Dexter Evaluation & Impairment Rating
- Clinicient Insight
- eClinicalWorks EHR software
- Exercise routine creation software
- Hands On Technology TheraWriter.PT
- Medical condition coding software
- Medical procedure coding software
- MediGraph
- MEDITECH software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
Physical Therapists salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Physical Therapists Salary in CAMedian $124,190 · Employment 26,580
- Physical Therapists Salary in TXMedian $105,810 · Employment 21,870
- Physical Therapists Salary in New York, NYMedian $107,650 · Employment 21,240
- Physical Therapists Salary in NYMedian $100,660 · Employment 20,940
- Physical Therapists Salary in FLMedian $101,040 · Employment 16,290
- Physical Therapists Salary in PAMedian $101,380 · Employment 11,710
- Physical Therapists Salary in OHMedian $103,050 · Employment 10,280
- Physical Therapists Salary in ILMedian $105,250 · Employment 9,800
- Physical Therapists Salary in Los Angeles, CAMedian $108,170 · Employment 9,750
- Physical Therapists Salary in NJMedian $112,140 · Employment 9,750
- Physical Therapists Salary in MIMedian $100,900 · Employment 8,630
- Physical Therapists Salary in Chicago, ILMedian $105,720 · Employment 7,880
Related careers
- Pediatricians, GeneralNational median $210,040
- Registered NursesNational median $97,550
- Radiation TherapistsNational median $105,310
- Emergency Medicine PhysiciansNational median $335,550
- Family Medicine PhysiciansNational median $244,180
- Advanced Practice Psychiatric NursesNational median $97,550
- Acute Care NursesNational median $97,550
- Psychiatric TechniciansNational median $45,130
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.