According to U.S. News & World Reports' Best Jobs of 2020, physical therapy is one of the top 10 healthcare jobs in the U.S. On top of having some of the highest projected job growth numbers (PT jobs are expected to grow by 18 percent between now and 2028), physical therapy turns out to be one of the more lucrative healthcare professions in the country as well. (As of May 2019, the average annual PT salary was $90,170.)
That said, these metrics will vary from state to state, which means that where you choose to live can play a big role in how your career shapes up. To help you determine where you'd have the best chances for both professional and personal satistication, we identified four key factors that contribute to whether a state can be considered the “best” (or “worst”) to work as a PT:
- Salary
- Affordability/Cost of Living
- Job Demand
- Quality of Life
For each metric, we pulled the latest data from sources like the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and U.S. News & World Report. Then, we identified which states ranked the highest and lowest for PTs along all four categories. Here's what we discovered.
The Best & Worst States for Physical Therapists
Want to dig a little deeper into the data? Below, you'll find tables for the top five and bottom five states for each metric. And, at the very bottom of this article, you'll also find the full datasets we pulled from.
The Best & Worst States for Physical Therapists: Salary
First, we decided to focus on your earning potential. You and your colleagues do important, sometimes grueling work rehabilitating patients and treating chronic conditions. But does the salary reflect all that effort? Below, we’ve provided data from the BLS’ Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program to show you the five states with the highest PT salaries -- and the five states with the lowest.
Keep in mind that all BLS data reflects the employment and wage numbers for PTs as of May 2019. We'll update these tables when the BLS releases their 2020 data in May 2021. If you'd like to see the full data set for all 50 states, we've provided it at the bottom of this article.
The 5 Highest-Paying States for Physical Therapists
| Rank | State | Average Annual Salary for Physical Therapists | Average Hourly Pay for Physical Therapists |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $108,550 | $52.19 |
| 2 | Alaska | $102,650 | $49.35 |
| 3 | California | $99,920 | $48.04 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $99,060 | $47.63 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $98,780 | $47.49 |
The 5 Lowest-Paying States for Physical Therapists
| Rank | State | Average Annual Salary for Physical Therapists | Average Hourly Pay for Physical Therapists |
|---|---|---|---|
| 46 | North Dakota | $81,630 | $39.24 |
| 47 | Vermont | $81,020 | $38.95 |
| 48 | Maine | $80,380 | $38.64 |
| 49 | Idaho | $80,360 | $38.64 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $77,130 | $37.08 |
The Best & Worst States for Physical Therapists: Affordability/Cost of Living
Next, we decided to focus on the cost of living associated with each state. This is a really important factor to consider when determining your earning potential. Why? Well, if you have a high-paying job in a state that tends to have a very high cost of living, then you would expect to see most (if not all) of your paycheck going toward your living expenses. Conversely, if you had an average salary in a state with a low cost of living, you’d be more likely to have some money left over to spend however you wanted.
To help you get a more accurate picture of your earning potential, we turned to U.S. News's 2019 Affordability rankings to find out which states are considered the most (and least) affordable. To determine how affordable each state was, U.S. News gave them scores on two metrics: cost of living and housing affordability. Based on those scores, each state then received an overall ranking on a scale of 1 to 50, with 1 being the most affordable and 50 being the least.
Keep in mind that U.S. News & World Report last updated their rankings in May 2019. We'll update the tables below when they release their new data.
The 5 Most Affordable States for Physical Therapists
| Rank | State | Cost of Living Score | Housing Affordability Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iowa | 13 | 1 |
| 2 | Ohio | 16 | 2 |
| 3 | Indiana | 9 | 3 |
| 4 | Oklahoma | 2 | 7 |
| 5 | Michigan | 5 | 9 |
The 5 Least Affordable States for Physical Therapists
| Rank | State | Cost of Living Score | Housing Affordability Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 46 | Massachusetts | 43 | 41 |
| 47 | New York | 48 | 39 |
| 48 | Oregon | 45 | 47 |
| 49 | California | 49 | 49 |
| 50 | Hawaii | 50 | 50 |
The Best & Worst States for Physical Therapists: Job Demand
When determining whether a state is the "best" or "worst" to work as a PT, one key factor to consider is not only how much demand there currently is for your particular skillset, but also how much demand there will be in the future. (You can think about this in terms of job security.)
We turned to job growth projection data from Projections Central to show you the five states that are predicted to have the most job openings for PTs between now and 2028, and the five that are predicted to have the least. We’ve also provided the job growth percentages for the states as well.
(Reminder: If you'd like to see the full data set for all 50 states, we've provided it at the bottom of this article.)
The 5 States With the Highest Demand for Physical Therapists (2018-2028)
| Rank | State | Average Number of Physical Therapist Job Openings per Year | Physical Therapist Job Growth Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 1,630 | 22.4% |
| 2 | New York | 1,560 | 34% |
| 3 | Texas | 1,150 | 20.4% |
| 4 | Florida | 950 | 22.1% |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | 830 | 20.6% |
The 5 States With the Lowest Demand for Physical Therapists (2018-2028)
| Rank | State | Average Number of Physical Therapist Job Openings per Year | Physical Therapist Job Growth Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 46 | Nevada | 40 | 31.5% |
| 47 | Idaho | 40 | 25.8% |
| 48 | Wyoming | 40 | 22.4% |
| 49 | Alaska | 30 | 7.5% |
| 50 | Mississippi | 10 | 6.6% |
The Best & Worst States for Physical Therapists: Quality of Life
Everyone has a different way of defining “quality of life,” so to establish a standard unit of measurement, we turned to the latest data from the U.S. News’ 2019 Best States Rankings and focused specifically on the "Overall Best States" list. First, analysts ranked each state for the following eight metrics:
- Healthcare
- Education
- Economy
- Infrastructure
- Opportunity
- Fiscal Stability
- Crime & Corrections
- Natural Environment
Then, the analysts used those sub-rankings to provide each state with an overall ranking. (You can read more about their methodology here.) Below, we've provided you with the rankings for the top five and bottom five, along with their rankings for each metric.
What’s notable about this list is that the top five states are all northern, mostly suburban or rural states. Meanwhile, the states with the lowest quality of life tended to have more metro areas and larger populations.
The 5 Best States for Physical Therapists' Quality of Life
| Rank | State | Healthcare Score | Education Score | Economy Score | Infrastructure Score | Opportunity Score | Fiscal Stability Score | Crime & Corrections Score | Natural Environment Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 19 | 22 | 15 | 14 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | 16 | 5 | 13 | 31 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 4 |
| 3 | Minnesota | 10 | 17 | 18 | 6 | 3 | 25 | 16 | 3 |
| 4 | Utah | 9 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 24 | 5 | 12 | 49 |
| 5 | Vermont | 11 | 8 | 29 | 28 | 10 | 19 | 2 | 7 |
The 5 Worst States for Physical Therapists' Quality of Life
| Rank | State | Healthcare Score | Education Score | Economy Score | Infrastructure Score | Opportunity Score | Fiscal Stability Score | Crime & Corrections Score | Natural Environment Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46 | New Mexico | 34 | 49 | 47 | 17 | 48 | 47 | 49 | 23 |
| 47 | West Virginia | 48 | 44 | 50 | 50 | 30 | 34 | 21 | 41 |
| 48 | Mississippi | 50 | 46 | 48 | 45 | 44 | 44 | 26 | 11 |
| 49 | Alabama | 46 | 50 | 45 | 38 | 45 | 23 | 45 | 35 |
| 50 | Louisiana | 45 | 48 | 49 | 48 | 50 | 43 | 50 | 50 |
BONUS: National Physical Therapist Data
As promised, here are the full datasets we used to identify the best and worst states for PTs in terms of salary, affordability, projected demand/job growth, and quality of life.
National Data for Physical Therapist Salaries (May 2019)
| State | Average Annual Salary for PTs | Average Hourly Pay for PTs |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $92,570 | $44.51 |
| Alaska | $102,650 | $49.35 |
| Arizona | $89,350 | $42.95 |
| Arkansas | $85,710 | $41.21 |
| California | $99,920 | $48.04 |
| Colorado | $86,740 | $41.70 |
| Connecticut | $98,780 | $47.49 |
| Delaware | $96,520 | $46.40 |
| Florida | $86,090 | $41.39 |
| Georgia | $87,590 | $42.11 |
| Hawaii | $92,650 | $44.54 |
| Idaho | $80,360 | $38.64 |
| Illinois | $91,750 | $44.11 |
| Indiana | $86,670 | $41.67 |
| Iowa | $82,940 | $39.87 |
| Kansas | $88,310 | $42.46 |
| Kentucky | $85,260 | $40.99 |
| Louisiana | $89,560 | $43.06 |
| Maine | $80,380 | $38.64 |
| Maryland | $89,890 | $43.22 |
| Massachusetts | $90,860 | $43.68 |
| Michigan | $90,500 | $43.51 |
| Minnesota | $84,280 | $40.52 |
| Mississippi | $91,050 | $43.78 |
| Missouri | $84,180 | $40.47 |
| Montana | $82,130 | $39.48 |
| Nebraska | $85,100 | $40.91 |
| Nevada | $108,550 | $52.19 |
| New Hampshire | $84,610 | $40.68 |
| New Jersey | $99,060 | $47.63 |
| New Mexico | $94,430 | $45.40 |
| New York | $90,880 | $43.69 |
| North Carolina | $88,020 | $42.32 |
| North Dakota | $81,630 | $39.24 |
| Ohio | $87,600 | $42.12 |
| Oklahoma | $91,480 | $43.98 |
| Oregon | $87,200 | $41.92 |
| Pennsylvania | $88,450 | $42.52 |
| Rhode Island | $85,540 | $41.13 |
| South Carolina | $85,650 | $41.18 |
| South Dakota | $77,130 | $37.08 |
| Tennessee | $84,720 | $40.73 |
| Texas | $89,630 | $43.09 |
| Utah | $85,880 | $41.29 |
| Vermont | $81,020 | $38.95 |
| Virginia | $91,930 | $44.20 |
| Washington | $88,010 | $42.31 |
| West Virginia | $92,320 | $44.39 |
| Wisconsin | $88,570 | $42.58 |
| Wyoming | $91,030 | $43.76 |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2019)
Nationwide Job Growth Projections for Physical Therapists (2018-2028)
| State | Average Number of Job Openings per Year | Job Growth Percentage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 190 | 18.9% | |
| Alaska | 30 | 7.5% | |
| Arizona | 150 | 43.4% | |
| Arkansas | 150 | 23.6% | |
| California | 1,630 | 22.4% | |
| Colorado | 490 | 37.3% | |
| Connecticut | 260 | 13.3% | |
| Delaware | 60 | 22% | |
| Florida | 950 | 22.1% | |
| Georgia | 440 | 35.7% | |
| Hawaii | 70 | 17.6% | |
| Idaho | 40 | 25.8% | |
| Illinois | 620 | 10.3% | |
| Indiana | 340 | 20.7% | |
| Iowa | 150 | 25.7% | |
| Kansas | 140 | 11% | |
| Kentucky | 160 | 16.7% | |
| Louisiana | 50 | 14.2% | |
| Maine | 80 | 7.3% | |
| Maryland | 430 | 31% | |
| Massachusetts | 470 | 9.9% | |
| Michigan | 450 | 9.4% | |
| Minnesota | 310 | 18.4% | |
| Mississippi | 10 | 6.6% | |
| Missouri | 320 | 18.9% | |
| Montana | 70 | 19.6% | |
| Nebraska | 120 | 22.7% | |
| Nevada | 40 | 31.5% | |
| New Hampshire | 100 | 20.1% | |
| New Jersey | 540 | 20% | |
| New Mexico | 90 | 19.4% | |
| New York | 1,560 | 34% | |
| North Carolina | 390 | 14.9% | |
| North Dakota | 50 | 21.7% | |
| Ohio | 480 | 15.5% | |
| Oklahoma | 160 | 15.2% | |
| Oregon | 230 | 23.5% | |
| Pennsylvania | 830 | 20.6% | |
| Rhode Island | 60 | 10.5% | |
| South Carolina | 220 | 22.5% | |
| South Dakota | 60 | 17% | |
| Tennessee | 330 | 21% | |
| Texas | 1,150 | 20.4% | |
| Utah | 150 | 27.5% | |
| Vermont | 50 | 14.3% | |
| Virginia | 470 | 21.3% | |
| Washington | 760 | 30.3% | |
| West Virginia | 100 | 19.9% | |
| Wisconsin | 260 | 8.3% | |
| Wyoming | 40 | 22.4% |
Source: Projections Central - Long-Term Occupational Projections (2018-2028)
National Affordability Rankings (2019)
| Rank | State | Cost of Living Score | Housing Affordability Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iowa | 13 | 1 |
| 2 | Ohio | 16 | 2 |
| 3 | Indiana | 9 | 3 |
| 4 | Oklahoma | 2 | 7 |
| 5 | Michigan | 5 | 9 |
| 6 | Nebraska | 21 | 5 |
| 7 | Missouri | 4 | 11 |
| 8 | West Virginia | 20 | 8 |
| 9 | Kansas | 8 | 12 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | 30 | 4 |
| 11 | North Dakota | 27 | 6 |
| 12 | Arkansas | 3 | 14 |
| 13 | Kentucky | 14 | 13 |
| 14 | South Dakota | 29 | 10 |
| 15 | Mississippi | 1 | 18 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | 22 | 15 |
| 17 | Illinois | 23 | 16 |
| 18 | Georgia | 11 | 19 |
| 19 | Alabama | 6 | 20 |
| 20 | Louisiana | 17 | 22 |
| 21 | Minnesota | 31 | 17 |
| 22 | Tennessee | 7 | 28 |
| 23 | Texas | 12 | 27 |
| 24 | North Carolina | 19 | 30 |
| 25 | New Mexico | 15 | 34 |
| 26 | New Hampshire | 36 | 21 |
| 27 | South Carolina | 25 | 33 |
| 28 | Wyoming | 10 | 38 |
| 29 | Delaware | 35 | 31 |
| 30 | Arizona | 26 | 37 |
| 31 | Virginia | 32 | 35 |
| 32 | Idaho | 18 | 40 |
| 33 | Maine | 39 | 26 |
| 34 | New Jersey | 41 | 23 |
| 35 | Florida | 28 | 42 |
| 36 | Utah | 24 | 44 |
| 37 | Vermont | 40 | 32 |
| 38 | Rhode Island | 41 | 29 |
| 39 | Montana | 33 | 43 |
| 40 | Maryland | 46 | 25 |
| 41 | Connecticut | 47 | 24 |
| 42 | Nevada | 38 | 45 |
| 43 | Colorado | 34 | 48 |
| 44 | Washington | 37 | 46 |
| 45 | Alaska | 44 | 36 |
| 46 | Massachusetts | 43 | 41 |
| 47 | New York | 48 | 39 |
| 48 | Oregon | 45 | 47 |
| 49 | California | 49 | 49 |
| 50 | Hawaii | 50 | 50 |
Source: U.S. News & World Report's Best States 2019 Rankings (May 2019)
National Quality of Life Rankings (2019)
| Rank | State | Healthcare Score | Education Score | Economy Score | Infrastructure Score | Opportunity Score | Fiscal Stability Score | Crime & Corrections Score | Natural Environment Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 19 | 22 | 15 | 14 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | 16 | 5 | 13 | 31 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 4 |
| 3 | Minnesota | 10 | 17 | 18 | 6 | 3 | 25 | 16 | 3 |
| 4 | Utah | 9 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 24 | 5 | 12 | 49 |
| 5 | Vermont | 11 | 8 | 29 | 28 | 10 | 19 | 2 | 7 |
| 6 | Maryland | 8 | 13 | 26 | 21 | 5 | 15 | 22 | 25 |
| 7 | Virginia | 18 | 7 | 25 | 35 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 18 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | 2 | 1 | 7 | 44 | 29 | 30 | 4 | 26 |
| 9 | Nebraska | 27 | 6 | 21 | 9 | 15 | 7 | 24 | 27 |
| 10 | Colorado | 12 | 11 | 1 | 8 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 31 |
| 11 | Wisconsin | 14 | 14 | 24 | 30 | 6 | 14 | 30 | 10 |
| 12 | New Jersey | 6 | 2 | 31 | 34 | 8 | 49 | 6 | 13 |
| 13 | Florida | 29 | 3 | 9 | 14 | 38 | 2 | 31 | 21 |
| 14 | Iowa | 20 | 9 | 32 | 23 | 2 | 17 | 19 | 32 |
| 15 | North Dakota | 38 | 20 | 35 | 5 | 4 | 13 | 18 | 28 |
| 16 | Idaho | 26 | 33 | 6 | 29 | 35 | 11 | 8 | 15 |
| 17 | Georgia | 39 | 30 | 11 | 10 | 21 | 9 | 27 | 20 |
| 18 | North Carolina | 30 | 25 | 14 | 18 | 36 | 4 | 14 | 36 |
| 19 | California | 7 | 21 | 4 | 32 | 49 | 42 | 23 | 5 |
| 20 | South Dakota | 32 | 18 | 27 | 16 | 34 | 3 | 40 | 2 |
| 21 | Connecticut | 3 | 12 | 30 | 46 | 33 | 46 | 7 | 6 |
| 22 | Kansas | 33 | 15 | 36 | 7 | 16 | 35 | 32 | 8 |
| 23 | Delaware | 15 | 23 | 17 | 19 | 23 | 18 | 36 | 47 |
| 24 | Hawaii | 1 | 29 | 40 | 12 | 46 | 36 | 5 | 16 |
| 25 | New York | 13 | 22 | 33 | 22 | 47 | 26 | 10 | 24 |
| 26 | Rhode Island | 5 | 41 | 20 | 49 | 31 | 31 | 13 | 1 |
| 27 | Oregon | 17 | 36 | 5 | 1 | 43 | 40 | 38 | 30 |
| 28 | Missouri | 41 | 27 | 23 | 25 | 11 | 16 | 44 | 9 |
| 29 | Montana | 28 | 26 | 22 | 20 | 42 | 24 | 25 | 22 |
| 30 | Tennessee | 43 | 35 | 12 | 13 | 26 | 1 | 43 | 37 |
| 31 | Wyoming | 42 | 16 | 42 | 15 | 22 | 39 | 17 | 17 |
| 32 | Maine | 19 | 28 | 37 | 42 | 27 | 28 | 3 | 39 |
| 33 | Michigan | 24 | 37 | 19 | 41 | 14 | 27 | 35 | 29 |
| 34 | Arizona | 23 | 40 | 10 | 11 | 40 | 33 | 42 | 33 |
| 35 | Illinois | 22 | 19 | 41 | 24 | 17 | 50 | 20 | 43 |
| 36 | Indiana | 40 | 24 | 28 | 37 | 12 | 6 | 34 | 48 |
| 37 | Nevada | 31 | 45 | 8 | 4 | 37 | 37 | 39 | 46 |
| 38 | Texas | 37 | 34 | 15 | 33 | 39 | 12 | 33 | 40 |
| 39 | Ohio | 35 | 31 | 38 | 27 | 7 | 41 | 28 | 44 |
| 40 | Kentucky | 44 | 38 | 39 | 26 | 20 | 45 | 11 | 12 |
| 41 | Pennsylvania | 21 | 32 | 44 | 43 | 13 | 38 | 37 | 38 |
| 42 | South Carolina | 36 | 43 | 16 | 36 | 41 | 20 | 46 | 34 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | 47 | 39 | 34 | 39 | 25 | 32 | 41 | 42 |
| 44 | Alaska | 25 | 47 | 46 | 40 | 18 | 48 | 48 | 45 |
| 45 | Arkansas | 49 | 42 | 43 | 47 | 32 | 21 | 47 | 19 |
| 46 | New Mexico | 34 | 49 | 47 | 17 | 48 | 47 | 49 | 23 |
| 47 | West Virginia | 48 | 44 | 50 | 50 | 30 | 34 | 21 | 41 |
| 48 | Mississippi | 50 | 46 | 48 | 45 | 44 | 44 | 26 | 11 |
| 49 | Alabama | 46 | 50 | 45 | 38 | 45 | 23 | 45 | 35 |
| 50 | Louisiana | 45 | 48 | 49 | 48 | 50 | 43 | 50 | 50 |
Source: U.S. News & World Report's Best States 2019 Rankings (May 2019)
Image courtesy of iStock.com/vitapix