How much does a PTA make?
A physical therapist assistant makes $68,380 a year at the national median, and the middle half of PTAs earn $59,820 to $78,680.[onet_pta][oews] The 10th percentile, $47,750, is the nearest public figure for a first PTA job, since BLS publishes no pay by years of experience. A single filer at the median keeps about $56,935 a year, or $4,745 a month, after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare.[irs][ssa]
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly | Take-home* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $47,750 | $22.96 | $40,547 |
| 25th | $59,820 | $28.76 | $50,245 |
| Median (50th) | $68,380 | $32.88 | $56,935 |
| 75th | $78,680 | $37.83 | $64,181 |
| 90th | $89,510 | $43.03 | $71,800 |
*Single filer, 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare; before state tax.
PTA hourly pay
PTA hourly pay is $32.88 at the median, $22.96 at the 10th percentile and $43.03 at the 90th.[onet_pta] BLS turns hourly rates into yearly pay at 2,080 hours, and its figures leave out overtime, shift differentials and per-visit home-health rates.[oews_faq] For part-time or per-diem offers, the table also shows a 30-hour week.
| Percentile | Hourly | 30 h/week, yearly | 40 h/week, weekly | 40 h/week, yearly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $22.96 | $35,813 | $918 | $47,750 |
| 25th | $28.76 | $44,865 | $1,150 | $59,820 |
| Median | $32.88 | $51,285 | $1,315 | $68,380 |
| 75th | $37.83 | $59,010 | $1,513 | $78,680 |
| 90th | $43.03 | $67,133 | $1,721 | $89,510 |
PTA salary by state
California pays physical therapist assistants the most, with a median of $83,110, ahead of Massachusetts ($79,460) and New Jersey ($78,440); South Dakota is lowest at $49,310.[onet_pta][oews_api] The biggest PTA job markets are Texas, Florida and California. Texas PTAs earn a median $78,000 and Florida PTAs $72,530, both with no state income tax; California's median is $83,110, with metro detail on physical therapist salary California and Florida licensing on respiratory therapist salary Florida.
| State | Median | Hourly | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. California | $83,110 | $39.96 | $59,500 | $102,800 | 9,400 |
| 2. Massachusetts | $79,460 | $38.20 | $62,030 | $88,280 | 2,640 |
| 3. New Jersey | $78,440 | $37.71 | $62,620 | $90,090 | 1,810 |
| 4. Texas | $78,000 | $37.50 | $43,900 | $99,640 | 10,510 |
| 5. Maryland | $77,670 | $37.34 | $39,260 | $91,570 | 1,430 |
| 6. Alaska | $77,640 | $37.33 | $65,640 | $87,850 | 110 |
| 7. Connecticut | $75,880 | $36.48 | $62,070 | $82,870 | 980 |
| 8. Nevada | $75,520 | $36.31 | $49,140 | $87,930 | 560 |
| 9. Delaware | $74,610 | $35.87 | $51,750 | $83,510 | 340 |
| 10. Virginia | $73,760 | $35.46 | $54,170 | $93,600 | 3,370 |
| 11. Oregon | $73,180 | $35.18 | $56,620 | $89,480 | 890 |
| 12. Georgia | $72,800 | $35.00 | $43,400 | $89,600 | 2,620 |
| 13. Florida | $72,530 | $34.87 | $58,650 | $81,080 | 9,870 |
| 14. Vermont | $71,600 | $34.42 | $60,580 | $83,250 | 100 |
| 15. New Hampshire | $71,440 | $34.35 | $59,540 | $80,940 | 500 |
| 16. South Carolina | $70,500 | $33.89 | $47,510 | $88,070 | 1,870 |
| 17. Rhode Island | $68,640 | $33.00 | $58,380 | $76,990 | 420 |
| 18. North Carolina | $67,540 | $32.47 | $56,100 | $80,850 | 3,280 |
| 19. Hawaii | $67,510 | $32.46 | $49,920 | $74,770 | 250 |
| 20. Minnesota | $66,770 | $32.10 | $58,010 | $77,420 | 1,230 |
| 21. Washington | $66,450 | $31.95 | $36,610 | $93,140 | 2,150 |
| 22. Maine | $66,250 | $31.85 | $53,440 | $80,530 | 410 |
| 23. Louisiana | $65,370 | $31.43 | $24,360 | $81,520 | 1,670 |
| 24. Indiana | $65,280 | $31.38 | $46,410 | $80,060 | 2,830 |
| 25. Illinois | $65,240 | $31.37 | $41,600 | $81,890 | 4,890 |
| 26. Colorado | $64,810 | $31.16 | $48,580 | $89,550 | 1,350 |
| 27. Arizona | $64,650 | $31.08 | $36,160 | $79,570 | 2,010 |
| 28. Arkansas | $64,520 | $31.02 | $31,540 | $85,280 | 1,620 |
| 29. Kansas | $64,500 | $31.01 | $52,520 | $79,550 | 1,300 |
| 30. New York | $64,100 | $30.82 | $46,350 | $81,000 | 3,620 |
| 31. Wisconsin | $64,080 | $30.81 | $51,960 | $77,440 | 1,650 |
| 32. Ohio | $63,820 | $30.68 | $51,280 | $84,130 | 7,040 |
| 33. Missouri | $63,770 | $30.66 | $50,460 | $79,000 | 2,490 |
| 34. Wyoming | $63,550 | $30.55 | $48,180 | $79,320 | 240 |
| 35. North Dakota | $63,520 | $30.54 | $30,480 | $77,600 | 120 |
| 36. District of Columbia | $63,400 | $30.48 | $45,750 | $82,250 | 40 |
| 37. Montana | $62,650 | $30.12 | $52,310 | $77,990 | 250 |
| 38. Pennsylvania | $62,580 | $30.09 | $49,610 | $78,010 | 4,270 |
| 39. Tennessee | $62,500 | $30.05 | $48,010 | $80,800 | 3,390 |
| 40. New Mexico | $62,280 | $29.94 | $30,470 | $85,040 | 700 |
| 41. Utah | $61,980 | $29.80 | $34,190 | $84,000 | 970 |
| 42. Mississippi | $61,770 | $29.70 | $51,720 | $78,830 | 1,150 |
| 43. Michigan | $61,670 | $29.65 | $35,700 | $78,600 | 4,520 |
| 44. Kentucky | $61,480 | $29.56 | $27,870 | $79,500 | 2,580 |
| 45. Alabama | $61,430 | $29.53 | $49,340 | $79,060 | 2,700 |
| 46. Nebraska | $61,370 | $29.50 | $48,100 | $77,690 | 980 |
| 47. Iowa | $61,030 | $29.34 | $45,760 | $74,950 | 1,060 |
| 48. Idaho | $61,020 | $29.34 | $37,780 | $75,050 | 560 |
| 49. West Virginia | $60,430 | $29.05 | $45,510 | $79,160 | 980 |
| 50. Oklahoma | $59,480 | $28.60 | $24,960 | $79,860 | 2,380 |
| 51. South Dakota | $49,310 | $23.71 | $40,120 | $63,930 | 300 |
Jobs: BLS OEWS employment estimate, May 2025.
Highest-paying metro areas for PTAs
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA is the best-paying metro area for physical therapist assistants, at a median of $97,190.[onet_pta] Choose a state in the calculator to load every metro and nonmetro area BLS publishes for it.
| Metro area | Median | Hourly | 90th pct. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $97,190 | $46.73 | $118,810 |
| 2. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $95,920 | $46.12 | $116,850 |
| 3. North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $91,230 | $43.86 | $100,550 |
| 4. Spartanburg, SC | $88,070 | $42.34 | $88,420 |
| 5. Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $87,330 | $41.99 | $112,610 |
| 6. Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $87,300 | $41.97 | $109,270 |
| 7. Vallejo, CA | $86,630 | $41.65 | $99,720 |
| 8. Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $85,150 | $40.94 | $102,450 |
| 9. Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $84,930 | $40.83 | $100,230 |
| 10. Salinas, CA | $84,850 | $40.79 | $101,840 |
What a physical therapy assistant does
A physical therapy assistant carries out the plan of care a physical therapist writes: BLS describes PTAs helping patients through prescribed exercises, treating with massage and stretching, using devices such as walkers, and reporting each patient's status back to the PT.[ooh_pta] BLS's employment projections start from about 114,100 PTA jobs in 2025 and expect 23% growth by 2035, far faster than the 3% average.[ooh_pta] All states require PTAs to be licensed or certified. Private therapy practices employ the largest share:
| Employer | Share of PTA jobs |
|---|---|
| Offices of physical, occupational and speech therapists, and audiologists | 44% |
| Hospitals (state, local and private) | 20% |
| Home healthcare services | 12% |
| Skilled nursing facilities | 10% |
| Offices of physicians | 6% |
PTA school cost and payback
A PTA needs an associate degree from a CAPTE-accredited program, which averages 73.1 weeks and costs $13,790 in total at a public program for in-district students, $24,286 out of district and $44,938 at private schools.[capte_pta] After school comes the NPTE for PTAs ($485 plus a $92 Prometric fee); 79.2% of 2025 graduates passed on the first try.[fsbpt_npte][fsbpt_prom][capte_pta] At the median take-home, a public in-district program costs about 2.9 months of net pay. Programs, length and pass rates are on PTA programs.
PTA vs physical therapist pay
A physical therapist earns $34,380 more than a PTA at the medians ($102,760 against $68,380), but needs a three-year doctorate after a bachelor's degree instead of a two-year associate degree.[onet_pt][onet_pta][capte_degree] Full PT pay is on physical therapist salary, the full route to becoming a PT on how to become a physical therapist, and every therapy career is ranked on therapist salary.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a PTA make an hour?
$32.88 at the national median (BLS, May 2025); $22.96 at the 10th percentile and $43.03 at the 90th.
How much does a PTA make a month?
About $5,698 before tax at the median, or roughly $4,745 after federal tax and FICA for a single filer with no state tax.
What state pays physical therapist assistants the most?
California, at a median of $83,110, followed by Massachusetts and New Jersey. South Dakota pays the least ($49,310).
Is a physical therapy assistant the same as a physical therapist assistant?
Yes, in practice. The licensed title is physical therapist assistant (PTA); "physical therapy assistant" is the common search term for the same job. BLS counts physical therapist aides as a separate job.
How long does it take to become a PTA?
About two years: CAPTE-accredited PTA programs average 73.1 weeks, then the NPTE and a state license or certification.
Sources
- Local Wages: 31-2021.00 Physical Therapist Assistants (state and metro percentiles)
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates
- OEWS May 2025 employment and median wage series (OEUN/OEUS), Public Data API v2
- OEWS Frequently Asked Questions (wage definition; 2,080-hour year)
- IRS releases tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2026 (Rev. Proc. 2025-32)
- Contribution and Benefit Base ($184,500 for 2026)
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Physical Therapist Assistants and Aides
- 2025 Physical Therapist Assistant Education Programs Fact Sheet (aggregate program data)
- NPTE registration and payment ($485 PT and PTA)
- NPTE Candidate Handbook: exam registration and scheduling (Prometric fees $112 PT, $92 PTA)
- Local Wages: 29-1123.00 Physical Therapists (state and metro percentiles)
- Standards and Required Elements for Accreditation of Physical Therapist Education Programs (DPT as the entry-level degree)