Physical therapists

Detailed Occupation

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2024 Workforce

289k

Average Age

41.6

Estimated Job Growth

10.9%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$85,987

Average Male Salary

$99,381

Average Female Salary

$78,686

About

Physical therapists are most often employed by the Outpatient care centers industry. The average yearly wage for Physical therapists was $85,987 in 2024.

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

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

Employment and salary information for the Physical therapists workforce. Physical therapists workforce in 2024 was 289,276 people, of which 64.7% were women and 35.3% were men. Physical therapists are paid most in Cameron County (East)--Brownsville City (North) PUMA, TX but are relatively concentrated in Austin City (Northwest) PUMA, TX.

Employment Over Time

Metric

Grouping

102,062

Male Workforce

± 7.84k

187,214

Female Workforce

± 10.6k

The Physical therapists workforce in 2024 was 289,276 people (64.7% women and 35.3% men). This implies an average annual growth of 42.4% between 2014 (203,129) and 2024 (289,276).

Employment by Location

Level

Metric

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

During 2024, the states that concentrated the best average annual wage were Alaska ($117,987), District of Columbia ($103,408), and California ($97,744).

Yearly Wage Ranking

$85,987

AVERAGE WAGE

#100 in the ranking (2014)

$69,878

NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE

For all occupations across the US

In 2024, Physical therapists earned an average of $85,987, $16,110 more than the average national salary of $69,878

The graph shows the ranking of Physical therapists in relation to all Detailed Occupation in 2014.

Wage Distribution

Gender

0.274

WAGE GINI

In 2024, Physical therapists had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.274, which is lower than the national average of 0.474. 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 Pharmacies & drug retailers ($143,499).

Occupations by Industries

Metric

Value

289k

2024 Workforce

± 13,192

2.98%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 6.31%

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 33.1% and Home health care services with 9.2%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Physical therapists in the US. The workforce of Physical therapists in 2024 was 289,276 people, with 64.7% woman, and 35.3% men. The average age of male Physical therapists in the workforce is 41.5 and of female Physical therapists is 41.7, and the most common race/ethnicity for Physical therapists is White.

Gender and Age

Metric

The workforce of Physical therapists in 2024 was 289,276 people, with 64.7% woman, and 35.3% men.

The age ranges that concentrated the largest workforce were 30 to 34 years (50,555 people), 25 to 29 years (44,667 people), and 35 to 39 years (40,115 people). Among them they concentrated 46.8% of the total workforce.

Ethnicity

Gender

In 2024, 7.77% of Physical therapists workers were Hispanic and 92.2% non-Hispanic.

The treemap shows the distribution of Hispanic workers according to their origin, highlighting Mexican (45.8%), Puerto Rican (13.5)%, and Cuban (8.68)%

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

Races

In 2024, 73% 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 (12.7%) and Two or More Races (7.56%).

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 2024 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 2024 (counting all academic degrees) were Health (115,040 people), Parks, Recreation, & Leisure (42,347 people), and Biology (42,215 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 (202,140 people), Bachelors Degree (68,912 people), and Associates Degree (9,192 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 3.07%, but Physical Therapists are expected to see a growth of 10.9% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow more than the national average.

Job Growth

10.9%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

3.07%

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 3.07%, the average rate of national job growth.