{"id":8710,"date":"2024-10-21T14:00:33","date_gmt":"2024-10-21T14:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/?p=8710"},"modified":"2024-10-19T03:12:00","modified_gmt":"2024-10-19T03:12:00","slug":"top-10-states-to-work-as-a-physical-therapist-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/allied-health\/top-10-states-to-work-as-a-physical-therapist-today\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 10 States to Work as a Physical Therapist Today"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the population ages and healthcare technology keeps evolving, the demand for physical therapists (PTs) also changes. It\u2019s always beneficial to know where your skills are most in demand before planning a <\/span>PT career<\/span><\/a> move. Higher demand typically makes securing a job and potentially a higher salary easier, but you mustn\u2019t forget to consider other factors. An area\u2019s overall cost of living can significantly impact what initially appears to be an excellent<\/span> physical therapist\u2019s salary<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019re fresh out of school or thinking about relocating to seek better job prospects, knowing which states offer the best opportunities is crucial for maximizing your impact and income. Vivian Health dove into the data to help you explore the best and worst options to ensure you get the most out of your PT career.<\/span><\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/b>Which States Need Physical Therapists the Most?<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

How We Analyzed PT Demand<\/b><\/h3>\n

Vivian unveils the top 10 states for physical therapists today, ranked by a blend of average salary, cost of living and professional demand. We also highlight the five states that might not be the best career move right now.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Our findings were based on mean staff PT salaries from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (<\/span>BLS<\/span><\/a>) in May 2023, cost of living data from the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (<\/span>MERIC<\/span><\/a>) for the 2nd Quarter of 2024 and the projected employment change and annual job openings by state between 2023 and 2033 from <\/span>CareerOneStop<\/span><\/a> (sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When It’s available in Vivian’s salary data, we provide current <\/span>average physical therapist salaries<\/span><\/a> for specific states being discussed to demonstrate what real jobs posted to our platform are paying today. To provide the most comprehensive perspective, we include a state-by-state comparison featuring average salaries, cost of living indexes, job projections and employment figures. All combined, this data helps physical therapists make more informed career decisions.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Top<\/p>\n

Top 10 States for Physical Therapists<\/b><\/h3>\n

The average hourly salary was a major deciding factor in our analysis, so keep in mind that the mean hourly PT salary was $48.29 nationwide in May 2023, per the BLS. The nationwide cost of living would be 100%, so anything under this is considered lower than average, and anything above is higher than average.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Top<\/p>\n

Based on our analysis, Texas is the resounding winner as the top state to work as a physical therapist today. <\/span>Working in Texas<\/span><\/a> nets PTs an average of $51.42 per hour, a little more than $3 above the national average. The state\u2019s cost of living is about 8% less than the norm and for the trifecta, it has the second-highest number of projected job openings annually at 1,100.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Texas has the added appeal in that it doesn\u2019t collect personal income tax on wages, allowing you to stretch your dollars further. Also, it\u2019s part of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact, meaning PTs can easily earn privileges to work in other states while working off their Texas PT license.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other states in the top 10 that are part of the PT Compact include Georgia, Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia and New Jersey.<\/span><\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/b>The Physical Therapy Licensure Compact & What It Means for PTs<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Notable Exceptions<\/b><\/h4>\n

With 1,090 projected job openings annually and no state income tax on wages, Florida should have ranked higher. However, its slightly elevated cost of living at 102.4% and substantially lower-than-average hourly salary of $45.60 dropped it in the ranking to No. 9 instead of No. 2.<\/span><\/p>\n

New Jersey\u2019s inflated cost of living at 115% should have kept it out of the top 10, but its substantially higher-than-average hourly salary of $52.54 eked out a spot at No. 10. This state is projected to have 480 PT job openings annually, matching or surpassing half the states that made the top 10.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Notable Mentions<\/b><\/h4>\n

Although California didn\u2019t make the list, primarily for having the second-highest cost of living in the nation at 143%, it receives a notable mention for having the most significant number of projected job openings annually at 1,720. It also has the highest average salary nationwide at $54.94, but the inflated cost of living likely influences this rate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Vivian\u2019s <\/span>average PT salary in California<\/span><\/a> on September 24, 2024, was $71.46 per hour based on active jobs posted, indicating that average pay is often even higher than expected. Higher salaries and warm year-round temperatures in parts of the state make it a popular option despite increased living costs. However, if you\u2019re considering a move to <\/span>work in California<\/span><\/a>, keep in mind that it also has some of the highest housing costs at double the national average and the fifth-worst average commute to work based on findings from <\/span>U.S. News & World Report<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Although Utah had the highest projected employment growth between 2023 and 2033 at 49.8%\u2014significantly higher than most states\u2014this percentage only translates to an expected 220 job openings annually. The state had 2,310 PTs employed in May 2023. Also, Utah\u2019s mean salary was nearly $2 per hour less than the national average, with a slightly elevated cost of living at 105.2%. Altogether, these factors kept it out of the top 10.<\/span><\/p>\n

Because the newest salary data from the BLS is a little over a year old, we pulled Vivian Health\u2019s salary data based on jobs posted through September 24, 2024, for comparison. The following table includes average salaries in the top 10 states to demonstrate what current jobs could pay:<\/span><\/p>\n