Physical Therapists · SOC 29-1123
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Physical Therapists
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025U.S. metropolitan areas
Metro areas ranked by published median annual wage for physical therapists. Areas where BLS suppressed the median are not ranked. Higher medians often track higher living costs — this is a pay comparison, not a ranking of where the job is “best”.
Top 25 of 389 metro areas
| # | Metro area | Median annual | Employment | Per 1,000 jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $141,980 | 3,140 | 1.3 |
| 2 | Vallejo, CA | $141,530 | 300 | 2.1 |
| 3 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $140,100 | 290 | 1.4 |
| 4 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $139,000 | 1,460 | 1.3 |
| 5 | Napa, CA | $138,540 | 50 | 0.7 |
| 6 | Chico, CA | $134,970 | 180 | 2.3 |
| 7 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $131,430 | 1,610 | 1.5 |
| 8 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $128,680 | 310 | 1.5 |
| 9 | Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $127,460 | 40 | 0.7 |
| 10 | Salinas, CA | $127,120 | 190 | 1.0 |
| 11 | Modesto, CA | $126,600 | 400 | 2.0 |
| 12 | Merced, CA | $126,000 | 60 | 0.8 |
| 13 | Decatur, IL | $125,600 | 40 | 0.9 |
| 14 | Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $125,490 | 310 | 0.9 |
| 15 | Santa Fe, NM | $124,870 | 80 | 1.3 |
| 16 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $124,790 | 160 | 1.7 |
| 17 | Stockton-Lodi, CA | $124,260 | 350 | 1.2 |
| 18 | Fresno, CA | $123,820 | 620 | 1.3 |
| 19 | Carson City, NV | $120,810 | 50 | 1.5 |
| 20 | Las Cruces, NM | $120,350 | 200 | 2.5 |
| 21 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $120,110 | 2,240 | 1.3 |
| 22 | Midland, TX | $118,450 | 130 | 1.1 |
| 23 | El Centro, CA | $116,950 | 70 | 1.0 |
| 24 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $116,770 | 550 | 1.7 |
| 25 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $116,480 | 1,530 | 1.3 |
Full state and metro tables, the national distribution, and the pay map are on the Physical Therapists overview.
About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.