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Best states for a staff physical therapist
Quoted expert
Amy G. Schubert and Lisa Steinkamp
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Job opportunities vary from state to state, and healthcare practitioner and technical careers are no different. Because we know how difficult it can be to know which states are the best when it comes to staff physical therapist jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for staff physical therapists.As staff physical therapists are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for staff physical therapists. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as a staff physical therapist, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
The median salary for staff physical therapists in California is $105,719. Compare that to the median salary in District of Columbia of $64,320, which ranked worst for staff physical therapists, and you can see how your location is important for your career.If you are currently seeking employment as a staff physical therapist, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for staff physical therapists in 2026
1. California
Total staff physical therapist jobs: 7,963 Average annual salary: $105,719 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $140,000 Location Quotient: 1.25
2. Washington
Total staff physical therapist jobs: 1,726 Average annual salary: $90,615 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $116,000 Location Quotient: 1.08
3. Louisiana
Total staff physical therapist jobs: 672 Average annual salary: $83,266 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $104,000 Location Quotient: 0.96
4. Oregon
Total staff physical therapist jobs: 913 Average annual salary: $83,131 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $107,000 Location Quotient: 1.01
5. New Mexico
Total staff physical therapist jobs: 398 Average annual salary: $83,769 Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $107,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
6. Rhode Island
Total staff physical therapist jobs: 321 Average annual salary: $77,073 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $97,000 Location Quotient: 1.21
7. New Hampshire
Total staff physical therapist jobs: 491 Average annual salary: $76,414 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $97,000 Location Quotient: 1.29
8. Illinois
Total staff physical therapist jobs: 2,830 Average annual salary: $79,301 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $98,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
9. Alaska
Total staff physical therapist jobs: 145 Average annual salary: $92,217 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $113,000 Location Quotient: 0.8
10. New Jersey
Total staff physical therapist jobs: 1,917 Average annual salary: $80,471 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $100,000 Location Quotient: 1.11
Staff physical therapist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a staff physical therapist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a staff physical therapist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $105,719 | $79,000 | 39,536,653 | 7,963 |
| 2 | Washington | $90,615 | $70,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,726 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $83,266 | $66,000 | 4,684,333 | 672 |
| 4 | Oregon | $83,131 | $64,000 | 4,142,776 | 913 |
| 5 | New Mexico | $83,769 | $65,000 | 2,088,070 | 398 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $77,073 | $60,000 | 1,059,639 | 321 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $76,414 | $59,000 | 1,342,795 | 491 |
| 8 | Illinois | $79,301 | $63,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,830 |
| 9 | Alaska | $92,217 | $74,000 | 739,795 | 145 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $80,471 | $64,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,917 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $78,497 | $61,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,196 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | $79,984 | $64,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,032 |
| 13 | Nebraska | $74,029 | $59,000 | 1,920,076 | 528 |
| 14 | Indiana | $73,103 | $58,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,561 |
| 15 | Wyoming | $76,351 | $60,000 | 579,315 | 126 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $83,122 | $66,000 | 3,588,184 | 603 |
| 17 | Arizona | $78,278 | $59,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,036 |
| 18 | Alabama | $73,580 | $58,000 | 4,874,747 | 921 |
| 19 | Idaho | $75,119 | $58,000 | 1,716,943 | 315 |
| 20 | Delaware | $77,016 | $61,000 | 961,939 | 238 |
| 21 | New York | $76,661 | $61,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,728 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $77,281 | $61,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,118 |
| 23 | Hawaii | $82,139 | $66,000 | 1,427,538 | 159 |
| 24 | North Dakota | $70,420 | $56,000 | 755,393 | 209 |
| 25 | Texas | $70,897 | $56,000 | 28,304,596 | 4,714 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $69,212 | $55,000 | 12,805,537 | 3,114 |
| 27 | Maine | $70,201 | $53,000 | 1,335,907 | 337 |
| 28 | Kansas | $69,973 | $55,000 | 2,913,123 | 703 |
| 29 | Utah | $74,441 | $57,000 | 3,101,833 | 559 |
| 30 | Virginia | $75,478 | $60,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,818 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $66,793 | $53,000 | 1,815,857 | 365 |
| 32 | Nevada | $69,845 | $53,000 | 2,998,039 | 483 |
| 33 | Ohio | $68,488 | $54,000 | 11,658,609 | 2,165 |
| 34 | South Carolina | $71,763 | $57,000 | 5,024,369 | 803 |
| 35 | Georgia | $70,359 | $56,000 | 10,429,379 | 2,229 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $71,030 | $56,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,837 |
| 37 | Michigan | $70,110 | $56,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,458 |
| 38 | Maryland | $71,912 | $57,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,376 |
| 39 | Missouri | $67,702 | $54,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,381 |
| 40 | Iowa | $68,351 | $54,000 | 3,145,711 | 738 |
| 41 | Vermont | $65,448 | $50,000 | 623,657 | 229 |
| 42 | Colorado | $69,624 | $55,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,250 |
| 43 | Montana | $65,746 | $52,000 | 1,050,493 | 258 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $66,706 | $53,000 | 4,454,189 | 699 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $66,285 | $53,000 | 869,666 | 188 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $64,266 | $51,000 | 3,004,279 | 521 |
| 47 | Tennessee | $56,568 | $45,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,268 |
| 48 | Florida | $67,266 | $54,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,507 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $57,509 | $45,000 | 3,930,864 | 626 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $65,681 | $52,000 | 2,984,100 | 324 |
| 51 | District of Columbia | $64,320 | $51,000 | 693,972 | 258 |
Highest paying states for staff physical therapists
| Rank | State | Avg. Staff Physical Therapist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $105,719 |
| 2 | Washington | $90,615 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $83,266 |
| 4 | Oregon | $83,131 |
| 5 | New Mexico | $83,769 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $77,073 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $76,414 |
| 8 | Illinois | $79,301 |
| 9 | Alaska | $92,217 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $80,471 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $78,497 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | $79,984 |
| 13 | Nebraska | $74,029 |
| 14 | Indiana | $73,103 |
| 15 | Wyoming | $76,351 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $83,122 |
| 17 | Arizona | $78,278 |
| 18 | Alabama | $73,580 |
| 19 | Idaho | $75,119 |
| 20 | Delaware | $77,016 |
| 21 | New York | $76,661 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $77,281 |
| 23 | Hawaii | $82,139 |
| 24 | North Dakota | $70,420 |
| 25 | Texas | $70,897 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $69,212 |
| 27 | Maine | $70,201 |
| 28 | Kansas | $69,973 |
| 29 | Utah | $74,441 |
| 30 | Virginia | $75,478 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $66,793 |
| 32 | Nevada | $69,845 |
| 33 | Ohio | $68,488 |
| 34 | South Carolina | $71,763 |
| 35 | Georgia | $70,359 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $71,030 |
| 37 | Michigan | $70,110 |
| 38 | Maryland | $71,912 |
| 39 | Missouri | $67,702 |
| 40 | Iowa | $68,351 |
| 41 | Vermont | $65,448 |
| 42 | Colorado | $69,624 |
| 43 | Montana | $65,746 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $66,706 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $66,285 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $64,266 |
| 47 | Tennessee | $56,568 |
| 48 | Florida | $67,266 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $57,509 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $65,681 |
| 51 | District of Columbia | $64,320 |
Expert opinions on the best states for staff physical therapists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for staff physical therapists to find work opportunities?
Amy G. Schubert and Lisa Steinkamp
Director of Admissions and Program Director, School of Medicine and Public Health
The baby boomer generation continues to impact the need for Physical Therapists, both to provide care to those in that generation, as well as to fill the roles of PT's who are ready to retire. There may be a higher demand for Physical Therapists in areas where this need is greater. Also, rural areas of the United States tend to have a greater need for healthcare providers, as a whole.
Staff physical therapist best states FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare practitioner and technical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025