How Much Does a Physical Therapy Aide Make in 2025?
Physical therapy aides, also known as PTAs, are responsible for the operation and maintenance of equipment. They assist in the preparation of patients for treatment under the supervision of a physical therapist.
The difference between physical therapy assistants and physical therapy aides is that assistants are directly involved in patient care and patient needs, while aides work with indirect tasks, such as cleaning and setting up treatment areas and doing clerical duties.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment for physical therapist assistants and aides has an estimated job growth of 16% from 2024 to 2034, with a projected 26,400 job openings every year over the decade.
Below is an overview of the salary for physical therapy aides, including pay ranges, averages, and factors that affect their pay.
What is the Average Physical Therapy Aide Salary?
As of September 3, 2025, the average salary of physical therapy aides in the United States is $37,100 per year and $18 per hour, with rates ranging from $15 to $23.
2025 Physical Therapy Aide Average Salary: $37,100 per year ($18 per hour)
Meanwhile, the average monthly and weekly salaries for physical therapy aides are $3,092 and $713, respectively.
What is the Pay Range for a Physical Therapy Aide?
According to Salary.com report, the salary range for physical therapy aides starts at $31,369 and can reach as high as $46,843 per year, with most earning between $34,100 and $42,200. Factors like education, level of experience, and geographic location have an impact on the pay ranges.
Physical Therapy Aide Salary Range: $31,369 to $46,843 per year ($15 to $23 per hour)
| Percentile | By Hour | By Week | By Month | By Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile | $15 | $603 | $2,614 | $31,369 |
| 25th Percentile | $16 | $656 | $2,842 | $34,100 |
| 50th Percentile (Median) | $18 | $713 | $3,092 | $37,100 |
| 75th Percentile | $20 | $812 | $3,517 | $42,200 |
| 90th Percentile | $23 | $901 | $3,904 | $46,843 |
Physical Therapy Aide Salary Factors
Experience level, place of work, and skills needed are important factors that can affect the salary for physical therapy aides. Here are the effects of these factors:
Years of Experience
The earnings of physical therapy aides increase as the experience level advances. An entry-level physical therapy aide earns $36,339. A senior physical therapy aide gets paid $40,601, while an expert-level with over 8 years of experience gets paid $41,287 on average.
| Levels | Years of Experience | Average Salary per year |
|---|---|---|
| Entry Level Physical Therapy Aide | <1 | $36,339 |
| Intermediate Level Physical Therapy Aide | 1-2 | $37,481 |
| Senior Level Physical Therapy Aide | 2-4 | $40,601 |
| Specialist Level Physical Therapy Aide | 5-8 | $41,058 |
| Expert Level Physical Therapy Aide | 8+ | $41,287 |
Place of Work
According to the BLS, physical therapy aides working in government, excluding state and local education and hospitals, earn up to 43% more than those working in offices of physical, occupational and speech therapists, and audiologists in 2024.
| Place of work | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals | $46,790 |
| Nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities) | $42,320 |
| Hospitals; state, local, and private | $38,080 |
| Offices of physicians | $36,660 |
| Offices of physical, occupational and speech therapists, and audiologists | $32,640 |
Skill Set
Healthcare professionals, like physical therapy aides, with more acquired skills get higher pay. Data from Salary.com's Real-time Job Posting Salary Data Report suggests that first aid skills can give the highest pay increase of 10.31%, followed by exercise physiology skills with 10.10%.
Some important skills that also lead to higher salary increases include athletic training, safety, injury prevention, and emergency procedures, as well as operating physical therapy equipment and conducting health screenings.
| Skill | Demand | Salary Increase |
|---|---|---|
| First Aid | 10.10% | +10.31% |
| Exercise Physiology | 10.30% | +10.10% |
| Athletic Training | 10.80% | +8.92% |
| Safety, Injury Prevention, and Emergency Procedures | 10.50% | +8.81% |
| Physical Therapy Equipment Operation | 10.60% | +8.77% |
| Health Screening | 10.90% | +7.69% |
Physical Therapy Aide Salary by City and State
The salary of physical therapy aides varies in individual cities and states of the US. This is because geographic location affects pay through the local economy, cost of living, and industry presence.
Highest Paying States for Physical Therapy Aides
Based on Salary.com's salary data, the District of Columbia offers the highest median annual wage for physical therapy aides in the United States, at $41,100 per year.
- District of Columbia: $41,100 (or $20 per hour)
- California: $40,900 (or $20 per hour)
- Massachusetts: $40,400 (or $19 per hour)
- Washington: $40,200 (or $19 per hour)
- New Jersey: $40,200 (or $19 per hour)
Physical Therapy Aide Salary by State
| State | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Alaska | $40,200 |
| Alabama | $34,100 |
| Arkansas | $33,500 |
| Arizona | $36,200 |
| California | $40,900 |
| Colorado | $37,900 |
| Connecticut | $39,600 |
| District of Columbia | $41,100 |
| Delaware | $37,600 |
| Florida | $35,100 |
| Georgia | $35,800 |
| Hawaii | $38,800 |
| Iowa | $35,500 |
| Idaho | $34,600 |
| Illinois | $37,800 |
| Indiana | $35,600 |
| Kansas | $35,300 |
| Kentucky | $34,900 |
| Louisiana | $35,300 |
| Massachusetts | $40,400 |
| Maryland | $38,300 |
| Maine | $36,200 |
| Michigan | $36,500 |
| Minnesota | $38,000 |
| Missouri | $35,300 |
| Mississippi | $33,100 |
| Montana | $35,000 |
| North Carolina | $35,300 |
| North Dakota | $36,600 |
| Nebraska | $35,000 |
| New Hampshire | $37,500 |
| New Jersey | $40,200 |
| New Mexico | $34,400 |
| Nevada | $36,700 |
| New York | $39,400 |
| Ohio | $36,100 |
| Oklahoma | $34,300 |
| Oregon | $37,700 |
| Pennsylvania | $36,900 |
| Rhode Island | $38,500 |
| South Carolina | $34,800 |
| South Dakota | $33,700 |
| Tennessee | $34,700 |
| Texas | $36,200 |
| Utah | $35,500 |
| Virginia | $37,400 |
| Vermont | $36,400 |
| Washington | $40,200 |
| Wisconsin | $36,500 |
| West Virginia | $33,400 |
| Wyoming | $35,600 |
Highest Paying Cities for Physical Therapy Aides
Salary.com also reported that the city of San Jose, California is the highest-paying city for physical therapy aides with $46,800 per year or $23 per hour.
- San Jose, California: $46,800 (or $23 per hour)
- San Francisco, California: $46,300 (or $22 per hour)
- Oakland, California: $45,300 (or $22 per hour)
- New York, New York: $43,000 (or $21 per hour)
- Queens Village, New York: $42,700 (or $21 per hour)
Ways to Increase Your Salary as a Physical Therapy Aide
Unlike physical therapy assistants, who require an associate's degree from an accredited PTA program, including subjects such as anatomy, physiology, and kinesiology, and a passed licensure exam, physical therapy aides usually require a high school diploma or equivalent and on-the-job training of 1 week to 1 month to gain hands-on experience.
The responsibilities that physical therapy aides are allowed to perform depend on each state, but they are usually responsible for maintaining a clean and organized treatment area, preparing a patient's therapy, and assisting patients as needed in the transition to or from the treatment area. They also do various clerical duties, such as ordering supplies, scheduling treatment sessions, and completing insurance forms.
This line of duty requires empathy, compassion, and physical stamina, so if you are a physical therapy aide looking for career advancement and a salary increase, here are ways to achieve that:
- Enhancing more skills: Some in-demand skills that will help increase a physical therapy aide salary are health screening, athletic training, healthcare data privacy and protection, physical therapy equipment operation, patient care, and first aid.
- Getting certification: Physical therapy aide certifications help in getting higher wages, improved employment opportunities, job security, and qualification for specialized clinical roles across practice settings. Examples include American Allied Health's Physical Therapy Aide certification and American Medical Certification Association's Physical Therapy Technician/Aide Certification program.
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Accessing top industries: For physical therapy aides, these are some of the highest-paying industries according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports:
- Local government, excluding schools and hospitals: $52,920
- Home health care services: $50,440
- Nursing care facilities: $48,970
- Continuing care retirement communities and assisted living facilities for the elderly: $48,050
- Outpatient care centers: $45,940
Average National Salaries by Source
As of September 3, 2025, the following are the reported salaries for physical therapy aides from five top salary-reporting sites, averaging $39,500.60 (unweighted) across these sources.
SALARY.COM AVG. SALARY
$37,100/ year
INDEED.COM AVG. SALARY
$40,617/ year
GLASSDOOR AVG. SALARY
$54,044/ year
COMPARABLY AVG. SALARY
$31,668/ year
ZIPRECRUITER AVG. SALARY
$34,074/ year
