According to U.S. News & World Report’s Best Jobs of 2022, physical therapy ranks 10th among the 2022 top 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 21% between 2020 and 2030, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics [BLS]), physical therapy turns out to be one of the more lucrative healthcare professions in the country as well. (As of May 2021, the average annual PT salary was $92,920.)
These metrics vary from state to state, however, which means that where you live can play a big role in how your career shapes up. To help you determine where you have the best chances for both professional and personal satisfaction, we’ve identified four key factors that contribute to states’ being considered the “best” (or “worst”) to work in as a PT:
- Salary
- Affordability/Cost of Living
- Job Demand
- Quality of Life
The Best & Worst States for Physical Therapists
For each metric, we pulled the latest data from the BLS and U.S. News & World Report. Then we identified which states ranked the highest and lowest for PTs along all four categories.
The Best & Worst States for Physical Therapists: Salary
To dig into the earning potential of PTs -- and how salaries vary by state, we looked at data from the BLS’s Occupational Employment Statistics (OES). Below are the five states with the highest PT salaries and the five states with the lowest.
Keep in mind that all BLS data reflect the employment and wage numbers for PTs as of May 2021. We'll update these tables when the BLS releases its 2022 data in May.
The 5 Highest-Paying States for Physical Therapists
Rank | State | Average Annual Salary for Physical Therapists | Average Hourly Pay for Physical Therapists |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Nevada | $104,210 | $50.10 |
2 | California | $103,510 | $49.77 |
3 | Connecticut | $101,180 | $48.64 |
4 | Delaware | $100,490 | $48.31 |
5 | New Jersey | $99,530 | $47.85 |
The 5 Lowest-Paying States for Physical Therapists
Rank | State | Average Annual Salary for Physical Therapists | Average Hourly Pay for Physical Therapists |
---|---|---|---|
46 | South Dakota | $83,820 | $40.30 |
47 | South Carolina | $83,270 | $40.03 |
48 | Michigan | $83,160 | $39.98 |
49 | Montana | $82,660 | $39.74 |
50 | North Dakota | $81,480 | $39.17 |
The Best & Worst States for Physical Therapists: Affordability/Cost of Living
Cost of living is a really important factor to consider when determining your earning potential. To help you get a more accurate picture, we’ve turned to U.S. News' 2022 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 it 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 its rankings in January 2021. We'll keep updating the tables below when new data is released.
The 5 Most Affordable States for Physical Therapists
Rank | State | Cost of Living Score | Housing Affordability Score |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Ohio | 6 | 2 |
2 | Oklahoma | 8 | 3 |
3 | Michigan | 4 | 7 |
4 | Iowa | 17 | 1 |
5 | Missouri | 3 | 9 |
The 5 Least Affordable States for Physical Therapists
Rank | State | Cost of Living Score | Housing Affordability Score |
---|---|---|---|
46 | Oregon | 40 | 46 |
47 | Alaska | 48 | 36 |
48 | Massachusetts | 47 | 40 |
49 | California | 50 | 49 |
50 | Hawaii | 49 | 50 |
The Best & Worst States for Physical Therapists: Job Demand
When determining whether a state is the "best" or "worst" to work in as a PT, one key factor to consider is not only how much demand there currently is for your particular skill set but also how much demand there will be in the future. (You can think about this in terms of job security.)
To assess current employment levels, we looked at the most recent BLS’s OES statistics (May 2020). Next we turned to job demand projection data from Projection 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.
The 5 States With the Highest Employment Levels for Physical Therapists (May 2021)
Rank | State | Employment Numbers | Employment per thousand jobs |
---|---|---|---|
1 | California | 23,840 | 1.44 |
2 | New York | 16,130 | 1.86 |
3 | Texas | 14,040 | 1.15 |
4 | Florida | 13,220 | 1.54 |
5 | Pennsylvania | 10,700 | 1.92 |
The 5 States With the Lowest Employment Levels for Physical Therapists (May 2021)
Rank | State | Employment Numbers | Employment per thousand jobs |
---|---|---|---|
46 | South Dakota | 810 | 1.93 |
47 | North Dakota | 720 | 1.82 |
48 | Alaska | 680 | 2.3 |
49 | Vermont | 630 | 2.21 |
50 | Wyoming | 570 | 2.2 |
The 5 States With the Highest Projected 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 Projected 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 defines “quality of life” a little differently, so to establish a standard unit of measurement, we turned to U.S. News’ 2021 best states rankings — specifically its "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.
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 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 25 | 6 | 19 | 15 |
2 | Minnesota | 16 | 17 | 15 | 9 | 2 | 21 | 10 | 3 |
3 | Utah | 9 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 24 | 5 | 12 | 49 |
4 | New Hampshire | 13 | 13 | 11 | 34 | 3 | 33 | 1 | 2 |
5 | Idaho | 24 | 29 | 3 | 10 | 24 | 4 | 10 | 12 |
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 | Alabama | 46 | 50 | 45 | 38 | 45 | 23 | 45 | 35 |
47 | West Virginia | 45 | 45 | 48 | 50 | 18 | 38 | 43 | 37 |
48 | New Mexico | 33 | 50 | 44 | 45 | 49 | 35 | 47 | 31 |
49 | Mississippi | 50 | 43 | 49 | 48 | 44 | 41 | 33 | 22 |
50 | Louisiana | 46 | 48 | 47 | 47 | 48 | 42 | 50 | 49 |
U.S. State Rankings: Affordability & Quality of Life
Use the tables below to check how your state fares on measures of affordability and quality of life, according to the most recent U.S. News’ rankings.
National Affordability Rankings (2021)
Rank | State | Cost of Living Score | Housing Affordability Score |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Ohio | 6 | 2 |
2 | Oklahoma | 8 | 3 |
3 | Michigan | 4 | 7 |
4 | Iowa | 17 | 1 |
5 | Missouri | 3 | 9 |
6 | Indiana | 11 | 4 |
7 | Arkansas | 2 | 13 |
8 | West Virginia | 13 | 5 |
9 | Kentucky | 7 | 15 |
10 | Mississippi | 1 | 20 |
11 | Nebraska | 21 | 6 |
12 | Kansas | 16 | 12 |
13 | Georgia | 9 | 18 |
14 | South Dakota | 23 | 11 |
15 | Pennsylvania | 26 | 8 |
16 | Illinois | 19 | 14 |
17 | Tennessee | 5 | 26 |
18 | Alabama | 10 | 25 |
19 | Wisconsin | 20 | 16 |
20 | Louisiana | 15 | 23 |
21 | North Dakota | 32 | 10 |
22 | Texas | 14 | 28 |
23 | Minnesota | 28 | 17 |
24 | North Carolina | 12 | 31 |
25 | South Carolina | 18 | 32 |
26 | New Mexico | 24 | 35 |
27 | Delaware | 34 | 24 |
28 | Virginia | 30 | 34 |
29 | Arizona | 27 | 37 |
30 | Idaho | 22 | 42 |
31 | Florida | 25 | 41 |
32 | Montana | 29 | 44 |
33 | Wyoming | 32 | 39 |
34 | Utah | 31 | 45 |
35 | Maine | 39 | 30 |
36 | New York | 37 | 38 |
37 | New Jersey | 42 | 22 |
38 | New Hampshire | 43 | 21 |
39 | Vermont | 41 | 29 |
40 | Connecticut | 46 | 19 |
41 | Nevada | 35 | 43 |
42 | Maryland | 44 | 27 |
43 | Colorado | 36 | 48 |
44 | Washington | 38 | 47 |
45 | Rhode Island | 45 | 33 |
46 | Oregon | 40 | 46 |
47 | Alaska | 48 | 36 |
48 | Massachusetts | 47 | 40 |
49 | California | 50 | 49 |
50 | Hawaii | 49 | 50 |
Source:U.S. News & World Report's Best States 2021 Rankings (January 2021)
National Quality of Life Rankings (2021)
Rank | State | Healthcare Score | Education Score | Economy Score | Infrastructure Score | Opportunity Score | Fiscal Stability Score | Crime & Corrections Score | Natural Environment Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Washington | 8 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 25 | 6 | 19 | 15 |
2 | Minnesota | 16 | 17 | 15 | 9 | 2 | 21 | 15 | 10 |
3 | Utah | 11 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 30 | 5 | 8 | 47 |
4 | New Hampshire | 13 | 13 | 11 | 34 | 3 | 33 | 1 | 2 |
5 | Idaho | 24 | 29 | 3 | 10 | 24 | 4 | 10 | 12 |
6 | Nebraska | 28 | 9 | 20 | 6 | 10 | 17 | 31 | 6 |
7 | Virginia | 12 | 12 | 13 | 39 | 8 | 18 | 9 | 19 |
8 | Wisconsin | 15 | 8 | 26 | 24 | 9 | 9 | 25 | 17 |
9 | Massachusetts | 2 | 2 | 5 | 42 | 36 | 43 | 4 | 4 |
10 | Florida | 25 | 3 | 8 | 20 | 33 | 8 | 26 | 18 |
11 | Vermont | 18 | 15 | 25 | 12 | 17 | 37 | 3 | 9 |
12 | Iowa | 20 | 18 | 27 | 19 | 1 | 23 | 14 | 20 |
13 | North Carolina | 30 | 7 | 17 | 22 | 28 | 7 | 20 | 27 |
14 | North Dakota | 27 | 25 | 32 | 4 | 23 | 16 | 18 | 8 |
15 | South Dakota | 29 | 19 | 30 | 14 | 27 | 2 | 35 | 3 |
16 | Colorado | 10 | 5 | 2 | 15 | 41 | 45 | 41 | 23 |
17 | Maryland | 6 | 14 | 35 | 38 | 15 | 29 | 22 | 11 |
18 | Georgia | 43 | 26 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 29 | 25 |
19 | New Jersey | 4 | 1 | 33 | 41 | 19 | 49 | 5 | 33 |
20 | Connecticut | 3 | 6 | 22 | 46 | 45 | 30 | 6 | 28 |
21 | New York | 7 | 16 | 43 | 30 | 46 | 20 | 11 | 5 |
22 | Oregon | 17 | 35 | 14 | 2 | 31 | 13 | 40 | 42 |
23 | Delaware | 14 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 14 | 12 | 39 | 45 |
24 | California | 5 | 20 | 10 | 31 | 50 | 36 | 28 | 35 |
25 | Hawaii | 2 | 27 | 46 | 33 | 34 | 46 | 12 | 1 |
26 | Kansas | 41 | 23 | 31 | 7 | 16 | 39 | 27 | 16 |
27 | Maine | 26 | 28 | 36 | 37 | 29 | 26 | 2 | 14 |
28 | Missouri | 42 | 30 | 23 | 27 | 4 | 15 | 45 | 21 |
29 | Tennessee | 40 | 33 | 16 | 17 | 21 | 3 | 42 | 39 |
30 | Illinois | 23 | 11 | 39 | 26 | 12 | 50 | 16 | 43 |
31 | Texas | 31 | 34 | 9 | 16 | 39 | 10 | 37 | 40 |
32 | Indiana | 32 | 22 | 21 | 32 | 7 | 32 | 24 | 48 |
33 | Montana | 36 | 32 | 19 | 13 | 35 | 19 | 34 | 24 |
34 | Rhode Island | 9 | 39 | 28 | 49 | 32 | 44 | 7 | 7 |
35 | Wyoming | 38 | 21 | 45 | 8 | 42 | 34 | 21 | 13 |
36 | Ohio | 37 | 21 | 34 | 29 | 6 | 24 | 32 | 44 |
37 | Nevada | 39 | 40 | 6 | 1 | 47 | 27 | 36 | 50 |
38 | Michigan | 35 | 38 | 29 | 35 | 5 | 38 | 30 | 32 |
39 | Arizona | 21 | 46 | 7 | 23 | 40 | 40 | 38 | 41 |
40 | Pennsylvania | 19 | 37 | 42 | 44 | 11 | 47 | 17 | 38 |
41 | Kentucky | 44 | 36 | 40 | 18 | 20 | 48 | 13 | 29 |
42 | South Carolina | 34 | 44 | 18 | 36 | 38 | 31 | 46 | 26 |
43 | Oklahoma | 48 | 42 | 37 | 21 | 26 | 25 | 44 | 34 |
44 | Arkansas | 49 | 41 | 41 | 43 | 22 | 14 | 48 | 30 |
45 | Alaska | 22 | 49 | 50 | 40 | 43 | 1 | 49 | 46 |
46 | Alabama | 45 | 47 | 38 | 28 | 37 | 22 | 43 | 37 |
47 | West Virginia | 47 | 45 | 48 | 50 | 18 | 28 | 23 | 36 |
48 | New Mexico | 33 | 50 | 44 | 45 | 49 | 35 | 47 | 31 |
49 | Mississippi | 50 | 43 | 49 | 48 | 44 | 41 | 33 | 22 |
50 | Louisiana | 46 | 47 | 47 | 47 | 48 | 42 | 50 | 49 |
Source: U.S. News & World Report's Best States 2021 Rankings (January 2021)
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)
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