Physical therapists

Detailed Occupation

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2023 Workforce

281k

Average Age

41.6

Estimated Job Growth

14.2%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$85,535

Average Male Salary

$99,799

Average Female Salary

$77,727

About

Physical therapists are most often employed by the Outpatient care centers industry. The average yearly wage for Physical therapists was $85,535 in 2023.

The locations that employ the most Physical therapists are Seacoast Region--Rockingham County (Southern), Portsmouth City PUMA, NH, Multnomah County--Portland City (Northwest & Southwest) PUMA, OR, and Austin City (Northwest) PUMA, TX. The locations with a relatively high concentration of Physical therapists are San Antonio City (Northeast)--Inside Loop I-410 PUMA, TX, Union County (Northwest)--Summit & Cranford PUMA, NJ, and Austin City (Northwest) PUMA, TX.

Management, business, science, & arts occupations Healthcare practitioners & technical occupations

Employment and salary information for the Physical therapists workforce. Physical therapists workforce in 2023 was 280,893 people, of which 64.6% were women and 35.4% were men. Physical therapists are paid most in West Howard County--Ellicott City (North & West), Fulton & Highland PUMA, MD but are relatively concentrated in San Antonio City (Northeast)--Inside Loop I-410 PUMA, TX.

Employment Over Time

Metric

Grouping

99,366

Male Workforce

± 7.74k

181,527

Female Workforce

± 10.5k

The Physical therapists workforce in 2023 was 280,893 people (64.6% women and 35.4% men). This implies an average annual growth of 38.3% between 2014 (203,129) and 2023 (280,893).

Employment by Location

Level

Metric

This map shows the states in the United States shaded by average wage for Physical therapists.

During 2023, the states that concentrated the best average annual wage were West Virginia ($107,896), Alaska ($102,916), and District of Columbia ($99,116).

Yearly Wage Ranking

$85,535

AVERAGE WAGE

#121 in the ranking (2023)

$67,727

NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE

For all occupations across the US

In 2023, Physical therapists earned an average of $85,535, $17,808 more than the average national salary of $67,727

The graph shows the ranking of Physical therapists in relation to all Detailed Occupation in 2023.

Wage Distribution

Gender

0.274

WAGE GINI

In 2023, Physical therapists had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.274, which is lower than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly for Physical therapists (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

The graphic shows the distribution of average salaries by buckets for Physical therapists compared to the entire workforce in the country.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Physical therapists and on wages for those in the field. Outpatient care centers is the industry that employs the most Physical therapists, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Physical therapists, by average wage, is Insurance carriers ($102,821).

Occupations by Industries

Metric

Value

281k

2023 Workforce

± 13,000

3.2%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 6.39%

This graphic shows the share of Physical therapists employed by various industries. Outpatient care centers employs the largest share of Physical therapists at 52.4%, followed by General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals with 32.4% and Home health care services with 9.63%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Physical therapists in the US. The workforce of Physical therapists in 2023 was 280,893 people, with 64.6% woman, and 35.4% men. The average age of male Physical therapists in the workforce is 41.5 and of female Physical therapists is 41.6, and the most common race/ethnicity for Physical therapists is White.

Gender and Age

Metric

The workforce of Physical therapists in 2023 was 280,893 people, with 64.6% woman, and 35.4% men.

The age ranges that concentrated the largest workforce were 30 to 34 years (48,612 people), 25 to 29 years (43,247 people), and 35 to 39 years (38,602 people). Among them they concentrated 46.5% of the total workforce.

Ethnicity

Gender

In 2023, 7.05% of Physical therapists workers were Hispanic and 92.9% non-Hispanic.

The treemap shows the distribution of Hispanic workers according to their origin, highlighting Mexican (47.2%), Puerto Rican (12.7)%, and Cuban (9.16)%

You can review this information by gender using the selectors above.

Races

In 2023, 74.4% of the Physical therapists workforce were White, of which 66.6% were women and 33.4% men. Other races that concentrated a significant number of workers were Asian (12.6%) and Two or More Races (6.44%).

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices for Physical therapists from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Physical therapists is Health but the most specialized major according to RCA in 2023 were Parks, Recreation, & Leisure.

Among the necessary skills for Physical therapists, Reading Comprehension stands, but the revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that Physical therapists need more than the average amount of Science.

Majors

ACS PUMS data only shows the major for bachelor's degrees. However, we can filter the data based on highest degree obtained.

Type of Majors

Degree

The most common majors achieved by Physical therapists in 2023 (counting all academic degrees) were Health (114,310 people), Biology (40,464 people), and Parks, Recreation, & Leisure (40,000 people).

You can review this information for different academic grades by modifying the option selected in the selector above.

Education Levels

Metric

The main educational levels achieved by the Physical therapists workers were Graduate Degree (193,168 people), Bachelors Degree (70,057 people), and Associates Degree (9,060 people).

The graphic shows the Physical therapists workforce by gender and educational level.

Skills

Chart

Value

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for Physical therapists from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Physical therapists need many skills, but most especially Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking.

Projections

Projections on job growth for Physical Therapists from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 4.02%, but Physical Therapists are expected to see a growth of 14.2% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow more than the national average.

Job Growth

14.2%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

4.02%

National Growth

10-year Projection

This line chart shows the projected 10-year growth in the number of jobs for Physical therapists. This profession is expected to grow more than than 4.02%, the average rate of national job growth.