California physical therapist pay by percentile
Half of California's physical therapists earn more than $124,190 and the middle half are paid between $100,790 and $141,260.[onet_pt] BLS counted 26,580 PT jobs in California in May 2025, 9.9% of the national total.[oews_api]
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly | Take-home* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $85,580 | $41.14 | $69,036 |
| 25th | $100,790 | $48.46 | $79,736 |
| Median (50th) | $124,190 | $59.71 | $96,150 |
| 75th | $141,260 | $67.91 | $107,817 |
| 90th | $163,960 | $78.83 | $123,333 |
*Single filer, 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare; before state tax.
The national figures for comparison: $77,140 at the 10th percentile, $102,760 at the median and $135,140 at the 90th.[onet_pt] The full state ranking is on physical therapist salary.
Physical therapist salary by California metro area
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA pays physical therapists the most in California at a median of $141,980, and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA pays the least at $101,860, a gap of $40,120 inside one state.[onet_pt] Choose a metro in the calculator above for its take-home figure.
| Area | Median | Hourly | 10th pct. | 90th pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $141,980 | $68.26 | $103,860 | $188,070 |
| 2. Vallejo, CA | $141,530 | $68.04 | $100,940 | $170,480 |
| 3. Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $140,100 | $67.36 | $103,600 | $167,530 |
| 4. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $139,000 | $66.83 | $104,000 | $171,560 |
| 5. Napa, CA | $138,540 | $66.61 | $104,870 | $166,660 |
| 6. Chico, CA | $134,970 | $64.89 | $89,710 | $149,110 |
| 7. Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $132,740 | $63.82 | $105,850 | $152,480 |
| 8. Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $131,430 | $63.19 | $99,240 | $159,250 |
| 9. North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $129,370 | $62.20 | $87,470 | $158,120 |
| 10. Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $128,680 | $61.87 | $99,680 | $164,830 |
| 11. Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $127,460 | $61.28 | $83,550 | $145,750 |
| 12. Salinas, CA | $127,120 | $61.12 | $81,360 | $155,840 |
| 13. Modesto, CA | $126,600 | $60.87 | $87,730 | $163,360 |
| 14. Merced, CA | $126,000 | $60.58 | $89,730 | $203,820 |
| 15. Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $125,490 | $60.33 | $98,300 | $156,370 |
| 16. Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $124,790 | $60.00 | $91,980 | $158,340 |
| 17. Stockton-Lodi, CA | $124,260 | $59.74 | $91,480 | $156,830 |
| 18. Fresno, CA | $123,820 | $59.53 | $96,250 | $142,770 |
| 19. North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $121,220 | $58.28 | $93,940 | $153,900 |
| 20. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $120,110 | $57.75 | $97,370 | $164,370 |
| 21. El Centro, CA | $116,950 | $56.23 | $81,620 | $149,200 |
| 22. Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $116,770 | $56.14 | $82,220 | $154,660 |
| 23. San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $113,850 | $54.74 | $77,500 | $158,700 |
| 24. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $108,170 | $52.00 | $85,580 | $160,070 |
| 25. Redding, CA | $107,980 | $51.91 | $75,310 | $154,410 |
| 26. Yuba City, CA | $106,600 | $51.25 | $81,110 | $130,820 |
| 27. Visalia, CA | $105,210 | $50.58 | $49,850 | $131,260 |
| 28. San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $101,860 | $48.97 | $77,720 | $150,680 |
Take-home pay for a California PT
A single California PT at the state median keeps about $96,150 after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, before California income tax.[irs][ssa] California's income tax is progressive, so type your own effective rate in the calculator; the table shows the result at a few rates.
| Effective CA rate | Take-home per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| 0% | $96,150 | $8,012 |
| 4% | $91,182 | $7,599 |
| 6% | $88,698 | $7,392 |
| 8% | $86,215 | $7,185 |
PTA salary in California
A physical therapist assistant in California earns a median $83,110 a year, or $39.96 an hour.[onet_pta] That is $14,730 above the national PTA median.
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly | Take-home* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $59,500 | $28.61 | $49,988 |
| 25th | $75,900 | $36.49 | $62,226 |
| Median (50th) | $83,110 | $39.96 | $67,298 |
| 75th | $94,940 | $45.64 | $75,620 |
| 90th | $102,800 | $49.42 | $81,150 |
*Single filer, 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare; before state tax.
Getting a California physical therapist license
California licenses physical therapists through the Physical Therapy Board of California: you need a CAPTE-accredited DPT, a passing NPTE score and a passing score on the CAL-JAM, the California jurisprudence module that replaced the California Law Exam on July 1, 2024 (50 questions, $50, 80% to pass).[ptbc][ptbc_caljam][fsbpt_npte][fsbpt_prom]
| Item | Physical therapist | PT assistant |
|---|---|---|
| NPTE (FSBPT) | $485 + $112 Prometric | $485 + $92 Prometric |
| CAL-JAM (law module) | $50 | $50 |
| PTBC application | $300 | $300 (includes license) |
| PTBC initial license | $150 | — |
| Total before fingerprints | $1097 | $927 |
California is not a member of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact, which 38 jurisdictions are actively using (with Maine, Michigan and Rhode Island enacted but not yet live), so a PT moving to California needs a full California license.[ptcompact] DPT tuition and the payback math are on physical therapy school cost; California's respiratory therapists are covered on respiratory therapist salary California. California OTs, who out-earn the state's PTs at the median, are on occupational therapist salary California.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a physical therapist make in California per hour?
$59.71 at the state median (BLS, May 2025), from $41.14 at the 10th percentile to $78.83 at the 90th.
Where in California do physical therapists make the most?
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA ($141,980 median), then Vallejo, CA and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA.
How much does a PTA make in California?
The California PTA median is $83,110 a year, or $39.96 an hour.
Is California the highest-paying state for physical therapists?
California ranks 1st of 51. California has the highest median at $124,190.
Sources
- Local Wages: 29-1123.00 Physical Therapists (state and metro percentiles)
- OEWS May 2025 employment and median wage series (OEUN/OEUS), Public Data API v2
- IRS releases tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2026 (Rev. Proc. 2025-32)
- Contribution and Benefit Base ($184,500 for 2026)
- Local Wages: 31-2021.00 Physical Therapist Assistants (state and metro percentiles)
- Fees for new graduate applicants (PT $300 application + $150 initial license; PTA $300)
- California Jurisprudence Assessment Module (CAL-JAM): 50 questions, $50
- NPTE registration and payment ($485 PT and PTA)
- NPTE Candidate Handbook: exam registration and scheduling (Prometric fees $112 PT, $92 PTA)
- Compact map: 38 member states actively issuing and accepting privileges