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Physical Therapists is a notable career in the 29 category. This page provides verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0 (2024), helping you compare Physical Therapists against similar careers and make data-driven decisions.
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| soc | 29-1123 |
| title | Physical Therapists |
| onet code | 29-1123.00 |
| description | Assess, plan, organize, and participate in rehabilitative programs that improve mobility, relieve pain, increase strength, and improve or correct disabling conditions resulting from disease or injury. |
| job zone | 5 |
| major group | 29 |
| tot emp | 248,630 |
| a mean | 102,400 |
| a median | 101,020 |
| a pct10 | 74,420 |
| a pct25 | 83,470 |
| a pct75 | 117,190 |
| a pct90 | 132,500 |
| h mean | 49 |
| h median | 48 |
The day-to-day work of a physical therapists typically centers on plan, prepare, or carry out individually designed programs of physical treatment to maintain, improve, or restore physical functioning, alleviate pain, or prevent physical dysfunction in patients. Every task listed below is classified as Core in O*NET — they collectively define the role. Task descriptions below are quoted from the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET 29.0 occupation profile.
Workers in this occupation rely most on Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, and Speaking. Across the top 10 skills, the average O*NET importance score is 3.91 out of 5 — highly rated for this role. Importance reflects how essential each skill is for adequate job performance.
Among working physical therapists, the most common entry qualification is a Doctoral Degree (47.1%). Bachelor's-degree-or-higher credentials are reported by 94% of incumbents. This is a degree-heavy profession — most incumbents hold a four-year degree or beyond.
Median annual pay is highest in California at $123,300 and lowest in North Dakota at $86,180 — a 1.4× spread. The top five states (California, Alaska, New Jersey, Nevada, Oregon) average $109,570. Figures reflect BLS OEWS May 2024 state-level wage estimates; percentiles shown are for full-time wage-earners in each state.
| State | Median | Mean | 10th % | 90th % | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $123,300 | $120,970 | $81,910 | $161,230 | 24,380 |
| Alaska | $108,640 | $113,190 | $87,080 | $135,610 | 600 |
| New Jersey | $106,310 | $109,470 | $80,220 | $138,640 | 7,760 |
| Nevada | $105,170 | $113,700 | $83,680 | $149,700 | 1,670 |
| Oregon | $104,430 | $104,150 | $79,610 | $129,540 | 3,000 |
| Maryland | $104,330 | $107,690 | $80,940 | $133,770 | 4,420 |
| Connecticut | $103,720 | $102,420 | $78,360 | $125,340 | 4,310 |
| Texas | $103,710 | $106,450 | $74,380 | $135,390 | 18,930 |
| Illinois | $103,380 | $107,980 | $82,590 | $140,670 | 10,390 |
| Delaware | $103,120 | $106,450 | $80,480 | $135,990 | 910 |
| Rhode Island | $102,900 | $98,190 | $74,000 | $130,180 | 1,420 |
| Massachusetts | $102,260 | $104,130 | $79,930 | $128,160 | 6,600 |
| Washington | $102,140 | $102,830 | $75,040 | $134,430 | 5,460 |
| Georgia | $101,930 | $101,610 | $76,450 | $131,030 | 5,480 |
| Arizona | $101,660 | $104,250 | $79,040 | $131,380 | 4,540 |
| West Virginia | $101,210 | $99,470 | $70,790 | $127,860 | 1,330 |
| New Mexico | $101,130 | $99,360 | $57,040 | $137,040 | 1,350 |
| Wyoming | $101,130 | $100,100 | $78,540 | $121,780 | 510 |
| South Carolina | $100,950 | $96,630 | $73,420 | $119,560 | 4,170 |
| District of Columbia | $100,760 | $109,970 | $84,510 | $131,810 | 850 |
| Hawaii | $100,740 | $100,900 | $81,210 | $121,760 | 990 |
| Virginia | $100,710 | $102,990 | $75,830 | $129,440 | 6,700 |
| Tennessee | $100,660 | $98,090 | $74,160 | $123,800 | 4,420 |
| Louisiana | $100,550 | $101,380 | $65,190 | $133,760 | 2,930 |
| Wisconsin | $100,440 | $99,340 | $78,870 | $121,780 | 5,240 |
| Colorado | $100,240 | $100,430 | $70,070 | $127,870 | 5,430 |
| Ohio | $99,740 | $99,500 | $75,070 | $123,330 | 9,240 |
| Pennsylvania | $99,570 | $98,830 | $74,000 | $125,810 | 11,100 |
| New York | $99,430 | $100,770 | $66,680 | $130,350 | 15,810 |
| Indiana | $99,310 | $98,320 | $69,990 | $125,090 | 5,180 |
| Oklahoma | $99,220 | $97,760 | $66,000 | $127,880 | 2,430 |
| Michigan | $98,960 | $96,840 | $75,440 | $118,940 | 7,800 |
| Florida | $98,880 | $94,690 | $60,430 | $123,700 | 17,050 |
| Minnesota | $98,870 | $98,700 | $81,630 | $115,860 | 5,220 |
| Kansas | $98,840 | $96,250 | $67,780 | $123,700 | 2,640 |
| Utah | $97,580 | $96,920 | $53,470 | $132,970 | 2,330 |
| Kentucky | $97,500 | $93,370 | $61,810 | $121,590 | 3,570 |
| New Hampshire | $97,200 | $93,750 | $72,460 | $115,410 | 1,610 |
| Mississippi | $97,080 | $95,090 | $66,050 | $121,350 | 2,070 |
| Alabama | $97,040 | $97,890 | $68,030 | $128,810 | 2,750 |
| Arkansas | $96,840 | $96,510 | $70,990 | $129,260 | 2,740 |
| North Carolina | $96,670 | $95,600 | $72,850 | $121,380 | 7,350 |
| Nebraska | $96,540 | $93,510 | $76,140 | $115,310 | 2,380 |
| Iowa | $95,890 | $92,630 | $69,990 | $116,390 | 2,800 |
| Maine | $93,890 | $92,780 | $74,880 | $113,410 | 1,780 |
| Vermont | $93,840 | $94,060 | $77,410 | $113,940 | 690 |
| Missouri | $93,750 | $94,760 | $71,150 | $119,980 | 4,090 |
| Idaho | $93,610 | $93,470 | $72,180 | $122,630 | 1,170 |
| Montana | $92,910 | $91,290 | $75,880 | $112,620 | 1,230 |
| South Dakota | $89,240 | $90,270 | $67,670 | $106,710 | 940 |
| North Dakota | $86,180 | $89,870 | $72,750 | $109,620 | 860 |
Recruiters and job boards use several alternate titles for physical therapists. Knowing these variants widens your job search — listings for Acute Care PT (Acute Care Physical Therapist) or Acute Physical Therapist (Acute PT) frequently describe the same role. The list below is a sample of the most common industry variants.
This data helps you understand how Physical Therapists compares to others in the 29 category. Use it to make informed decisions based on verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0.
careers with the closest data values to Physical Therapists
The CertifyWize editorial team aggregates and verifies careers data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
Read our full methodology or contact us with corrections.
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