PTA Salary Calculator 2026: Physical Therapist Assistant Pay

By Jordan Wells, Financial Research Editor | Updated April 16, 2026 | 9 min read | Educational, not career advice.

This pta salary calculator converts BLS OEWS data for SOC 31-2021 Physical Therapist Assistants into state-adjusted, setting-adjusted, and experience-adjusted figures for Physical Therapist Assistants (PTAs). A senior NPTE-PTA credentialed PTA in Austin, Texas earning about $71,800 annually at a large outpatient orthopedic practice with eight years of post-licensure experience sits between the BLS 50th percentile ($62,770) and 75th percentile ($72,720), consistent with senior PTA pay at established Austin metro orthopedic groups and the Texas no-state-income-tax advantage.

Physical Therapist Assistant is the full occupation name, and the PTA acronym is commonly confused with Parent Teacher Association, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, or even the initials of filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson, all of which dominate the broad “pta” Google search results. This calculator and article are strictly about the Physical Therapist Assistant healthcare profession under BLS SOC code 31-2021, distinct from both those unrelated uses and from Physical Therapists (PTs) who hold a different credential and earn materially more.

Quick version: The 2026 national median pta salary is $62,770 per year or $30.18 per hour per BLS OEWS May 2024 data for SOC 31-2021 Physical Therapist Assistants. The 10th percentile earned less than $37,710 and the 90th percentile more than $80,140 on a 2,080-hour year. Home health and skilled nursing facilities pay the highest PTA wages (around $71,000 to $73,000 annual mean) while outpatient clinics pay lower ($60,000 to $64,000) because of Medicare reimbursement structure. PTAs are licensed in all 50 states plus DC, unlike some allied health roles with geography constraints. BLS projects 19 percent PTA employment growth from 2024 to 2034.

This salary tool produces educational estimates built on BLS government wage data. It is not personal career or tax advice. For net take-home math with state and federal layers, pair it with the kalkfy paycheck calculator.

How to Use This PTA Salary Calculator

Pick your state from the dropdown and the calculator pulls the BLS OES annual mean wage for SOC 31-2021 Physical Therapist Assistants in that jurisdiction, which routes to a data table covering all 50 states plus DC. Select your career stage: entry (0-2 years post-NPTE-PTA), mid-career (3-7 years), senior (8-15 years), or peak (15+ years). Pick your practice setting: outpatient orthopedic clinic, community hospital inpatient rehab, skilled nursing facility, home health agency, school-based pediatric, or sports medicine specialty. Enter your years of post-licensure experience to apply a fine-grained adjustment within the stage band, and toggle the inflation layer to subtract the March 2026 Consumer Price Index reading of 3.3 percent for a real-wage view. The tool does not apply hidden multipliers; every output line traces back to a BLS percentile or an industry survey figure cited in the Sources section below.

The result panel shows projected gross annual salary, hourly equivalent at 2,080 hours, monthly and biweekly breakdowns, and a percentile comparison to the BLS SOC 31-2021 distribution.

How Much Does a Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Make in 2026?

Per BLS OEWS May 2024, SOC 31-2021 Physical Therapist Assistants show a national median annual wage of $62,770, a mean near $64,500, and 10th / 25th / 75th / 90th percentiles at $37,710 / $47,430 / $72,720 / $80,140 respectively. This translates to an hourly median of $30.18 and a 90th-percentile hourly rate of $38.53 at a 2,080-hour work year. National employment stood at approximately 98,000 PTA positions in May 2024. BLS projects Physical Therapist Assistant employment to grow by roughly 19 percent from 2024 to 2034, much faster than the 3 percent all-occupation average, driven by aging population demand for physical rehabilitation services and the continued shift of post-acute care to outpatient, home health, and skilled nursing settings that rely heavily on PTA labor. Entry-level PTAs earn closer to the 25th percentile at $47,430, mid-career PTAs land near the median, and senior PTAs with 10-plus years at the 75th percentile or above.

Entry into PTA practice requires a 2-year Associate of Applied Science degree from a CAPTE-accredited program followed by passing the NPTE-PTA exam.

PTA Salary by State

BLS OEWS tracks annual mean wages by state for SOC 31-2021, and PTA compensation follows the same geographic pattern as most licensed healthcare occupations with high-cost-of-living states clustering at the top. Per BLS May 2024 rankings, California leads the nation at approximately $80,000 annual mean, followed by New Jersey near $76,000, Connecticut around $75,000, Texas at roughly $72,000, Nevada near $71,500, Washington at about $71,000, Massachusetts near $70,500, and Colorado around $69,000. The top 10 also typically includes Alaska, Hawaii, and Oregon in the $68,000 to $72,000 band depending on the year. At the low end, Mississippi sits near $48,000, West Virginia near $50,000, Arkansas near $52,000, and Alabama near $53,000 on annual mean wages. The Tax Foundation 2026 state tax rates matter for net take-home: a $72,000 gross in Texas (no state income tax) keeps meaningfully more annually than the same gross in California (top marginal rate 13.3 percent) or New Jersey (10.75 percent).

All 50 states plus DC license PTAs via the NPTE-PTA exam and state-specific jurisprudence requirements, so unlike Anesthesiologist Assistants there is no geographic licensure constraint on PTA practice.

Setting Paradox: Home Health and Skilled Nursing Beat Outpatient Clinics

The biggest counter-intuitive finding in PTA compensation is that home health agencies and skilled nursing facilities pay the highest wages, not the outpatient orthopedic clinics and academic medical centers that pay top dollar in most other allied health roles. Per BLS May 2024 industry breakdown for SOC 31-2021, home health care services pay PTAs approximately $73,000 annual mean, skilled nursing facilities pay around $71,000, and offices of physical and occupational therapists pay closer to $60,500. Hospitals sit in the middle near $63,500. The driver is Medicare Part A reimbursement for skilled nursing facilities under the Patient Driven Payment Model and Home Health 60-day episode billing, both of which compensate per-visit rehabilitation at substantially higher rates than outpatient clinic per-session reimbursement. PTAs in home health also often see per-visit or per-diem pay structures that add 10 to 20 percent over salaried equivalent when factoring in mileage and travel time.

Outpatient orthopedic clinics offer other advantages, predictable Monday-to-Friday schedules, lighter documentation, and lower clinical acuity, but pure base compensation favors the home-based and post-acute settings.

PTA vs PT (Physical Therapist): Pay, Education, and Scope Comparison

Readers searching for pta salary frequently conflate Physical Therapist Assistants with Physical Therapists, which are two distinct occupations with separate BLS SOC codes, licenses, and wage bands. PTs (SOC 29-1123) earn a BLS May 2024 median of $97,720 versus PTAs (SOC 31-2021) at $62,770, a difference of $34,950 per year at the median. PTs complete a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree taking 3 years after a 4-year bachelor’s, for a total of 7 years of higher education, and pass the NPTE-PT licensure exam. PTAs complete a 2-year Associate of Applied Science degree from a CAPTE-accredited community college or technical school and pass the NPTE-PTA, a different exam administered by the same FSBPT body. Scope-of-practice is distinct: PTs evaluate patients, diagnose movement disorders, design plans of care, and modify treatment; PTAs implement the plan of care under the supervising PT’s direction and cannot independently evaluate or modify.

Both are licensed in all 50 states plus DC, and both work in the same clinical settings. The career decision is typically education time and debt load: PTA recoups investment faster ($10,000 to $50,000 in tuition vs $80,000 to $150,000 for DPT) while PT earns higher lifetime ceiling.

Can a PTA Make $100,000 a Year?

The Google related-questions panel surfaces “Can a PTA make 100k a year?” as a direct salary ceiling question that deserves a bounded answer rather than marketing fluff. Per BLS OEWS May 2024, the 90th percentile for Physical Therapist Assistants under SOC 31-2021 sits at $80,140 annual base, which means roughly 10 percent of PTAs earn more than that figure before any overtime or per-diem work. Reaching $100,000 requires combining a premium-state salary (California, New Jersey, Connecticut, or Texas at the top of the state rankings), a high-paying setting like home health per-visit contracts or skilled nursing facility per-diem work, 15-plus years of experience, and either significant overtime, weekend coverage, or per-diem supplementation at another facility on off days. A full-time salaried PTA at an outpatient orthopedic clinic will not reach $100,000 regardless of experience because the setting ceiling is around $72,000 at the 75th percentile, even in the top-paying states for outpatient PT settings.

The realistic peak-career PTA compensation target is $85,000 to $95,000 total pay including overtime and per-diem pickups. The $100,000 plus figure circulates in career-marketing content but requires atypical arrangements that most PTAs neither want nor sustain long-term.

CAPTE-Accredited Education Path and NPTE-PTA Exam

Entry into PTA practice runs through a 2-year Associate of Applied Science degree from a program accredited by CAPTE accreditation, the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education. Approximately 400 CAPTE-accredited PTA programs operate nationwide, most housed at community colleges and technical schools with tuition typically running $10,000 to $20,000 total for in-state students. Private-college PTA programs cost $30,000 to $50,000. The curriculum covers anatomy, kinesiology, therapeutic exercise, modalities (ultrasound, electrical stimulation, heat and cold), gait training, and supervised clinical rotations totaling 16 to 20 weeks across two or three rotation sites. After graduation candidates sit for the National Physical Therapy Examination for Physical Therapist Assistants (NPTE-PTA) administered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy. The exam fee is approximately $400 with additional state licensing application fees of $50 to $200.

Most graduates pass NPTE-PTA on first attempt (FSBPT first-time pass rate typically around 80-85 percent). Re-sit is permitted after 60 days with additional fees.

How to Increase Your PTA Salary

The largest short-term lever on a PTA salary is setting migration. Moving from an outpatient orthopedic clinic (around $60,500 annual mean) to a home health agency (around $73,000) or a skilled nursing facility (around $71,000) raises base salary by 15 to 20 percent per BLS May 2024 industry data, though the trade-off is heavier documentation, more geographically dispersed patient visits for home health, and higher clinical acuity in skilled nursing. A second lever is per-diem or locum supplementation at an adjacent facility on off days, which can add $8,000 to $15,000 per year at typical per-visit rates of $50 to $75. A third lever is geographic relocation to a premium state such as California, New Jersey, Connecticut, or Texas, which can add 10 to 25 percent on base salary depending on the origin state.

Advancement into PTA leadership roles, such as lead PTA, PTA program clinical coordinator at an educational institution, or rehabilitation manager, typically adds $8,000 to $15,000 over base and requires 5-plus years of clinical experience plus strong clinical instructor history.

FAQ

How much does a PTA make per year in 2026?

The 2026 national median pta salary is $62,770 per year per BLS OEWS May 2024 data for SOC 31-2021 Physical Therapist Assistants. The 10th percentile earned less than $37,710 and the 90th percentile more than $80,140. California, New Jersey, Connecticut, Texas, and Nevada lead state annual mean wages. PTAs are licensed in all 50 states plus DC so geography flexibility is high compared to other allied health roles.

How much does a physical therapy assistant (PTA) make per hour?

At the BLS May 2024 median of $62,770 per year and a 2,080-hour work year, a PTA makes approximately $30.18 per hour. The 25th percentile lands at $22.80 per hour, the 75th at $34.96 per hour, and the 90th at $38.53 per hour. Home health and skilled nursing PTAs typically earn $34 to $40 per hour because of higher Medicare per-visit reimbursement, while outpatient clinic PTAs earn closer to $29 to $31 per hour.

Can a PTA make $100,000 a year?

Rarely, and only under specific conditions. BLS 90th percentile for SOC 31-2021 is $80,140 annual base. Reaching $100,000 requires combining a premium-state salary (California, New Jersey, Connecticut, Texas), a home health or skilled nursing setting, 15-plus years of experience, plus per-diem or overtime supplementation at a second facility. Most PTAs peak at $85,000 to $95,000 total compensation. Outpatient clinic PTAs will not reach $100,000 regardless of experience because the setting pay ceiling is lower.

What is the difference between PTA and PT (Physical Therapist)?

PT and PTA are distinct occupations with separate BLS SOC codes, licenses, and wage bands. PTs (SOC 29-1123) earn a May 2024 median of $97,720 and hold a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree (7 years total education). PTAs (SOC 31-2021) earn $62,770 median and hold a 2-year Associate degree. PTs evaluate, diagnose, and design treatment plans; PTAs implement those plans under PT supervision. Both are licensed in all 50 states plus DC, and both work in the same clinical settings.

What state pays physical therapy assistants (PTAs) the most?

California leads PTA pay at approximately $80,000 annual mean per BLS OEWS May 2024, followed by New Jersey at $76,000, Connecticut at $75,000, Texas at $72,000, and Nevada at $71,500. The top paying states reflect high cost of living and dense healthcare labor markets. Alaska, Hawaii, Washington, and Massachusetts also cluster in the top 10 at $68,000 to $71,000. Texas stands out because it combines competitive wages with no state income tax, yielding the highest net take-home in the top tier.

How long does it take to become a PTA?

The typical path runs 2 years for the Associate of Applied Science degree from a CAPTE-accredited community college or technical school program. After graduation, candidates sit for the NPTE-PTA exam (approximately $400 fee), pass a state jurisprudence exam where required, and apply for state licensure (additional $50 to $200 fee). Total time from high school graduation to entry-level PTA practice runs 2.5 to 3 years including summer session scheduling.

Do physical therapy assistants earn more in home health or outpatient clinics?

Home health agencies and skilled nursing facilities pay PTAs the highest wages, contrary to the pattern in most allied health roles where outpatient specialty clinics lead. Per BLS May 2024 industry data, home health PTAs earn approximately $73,000 annual mean, skilled nursing facilities pay $71,000, and outpatient orthopedic clinics pay $60,500. The driver is Medicare Part A skilled nursing reimbursement and Home Health 60-day episode billing, which compensate rehabilitation per-visit at higher rates than outpatient per-session.

What is NPTE-PTA and is it required?

NPTE-PTA stands for the National Physical Therapy Examination for Physical Therapist Assistants, administered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy. It is a 200-question multiple-choice computer-based exam required for PTA licensure in all 50 states plus DC. The exam fee is approximately $400, with additional state jurisprudence and licensing application fees of $50 to $200. FSBPT reports first-time pass rate typically around 80-85 percent. Candidates can retake after 60 days if they fail.

Is PTA a good career choice in 2026?

On BLS data, yes. The occupation pays a median of $62,770, well above the all-occupation national median near $49,500, and BLS projects approximately 19 percent growth from 2024 to 2034, much faster than average. The 2-year Associate education path yields fast return on investment: typical tuition of $10,000 to $20,000 at community college is recovered within 3 to 6 months of practice. Main friction points are the physical workload (lifting and transferring patients contributes to musculoskeletal injury rates higher than office-based allied health roles) and the supervision requirement that limits career autonomy relative to the PT doctoral pathway.

How does PTA pay compare to other allied health roles?

PTAs earn comparable pay to other credentialed allied health associate-degree roles. The BLS May 2024 median of $62,770 for PTAs sits above medical assistants ($44,200), anesthesia technicians near Cer-AT ($72,000 to $82,000 per ASATT survey), and ultrasound technologists ($89,340 median for SOC 29-2032). Occupational Therapy Assistants (SOC 31-2011), the closest analog, earn similar PTA-level wages with a median near $63,500 per BLS May 2024 data.

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Sources

Federal data

• BLS OEWS SOC 31-2021 Physical Therapist Assistants: bls.gov OEWS 31-2021
• BLS OOH Physical Therapist Assistants and Aides: bls.gov OOH PTA
• BLS OEWS SOC 29-1123 Physical Therapists (PT comparison): bls.gov OEWS 29-1123
• BLS CPI March 2026: bls.gov CPI
• Texas Comptroller (no state income tax): Texas Comptroller

Credentialing and industry

• CAPTE accreditation: CAPTE homepage
• FSBPT NPTE-PTA: FSBPT homepage
• APTA professional association: APTA homepage
• Tax Foundation 2026 state rates: Tax Foundation 2026

Conclusion

The pta salary calculator above converts the BLS OEWS May 2024 median of $62,770 for SOC 31-2021 Physical Therapist Assistants into state-adjusted, setting-adjusted, and experience-adjusted figures, plus a real-wage reading against the March 2026 Consumer Price Index at 3.3 percent. An Austin, Texas senior PTA earning approximately $71,800 at an outpatient orthopedic practice sits between the BLS 50th and 75th percentiles, benefits from Texas no state income tax, and reflects typical senior outpatient PTA pay in a growing Sun Belt metro. California, New Jersey, Connecticut, Texas, and Nevada anchor the top of the state rankings, while Mississippi, West Virginia, and Arkansas anchor the bottom.

The largest lever on a pta salary short of changing states is setting migration into home health or skilled nursing facility work, worth approximately 15 to 20 percent on base over outpatient clinic pay. For net-of-tax estimates pair this tool with the kalkfy state paycheck calculator. This pta salary calculator provides educational estimates only and is not personal career, legal, medical, or tax advice.

Jordan Wells

Jordan spent four years in payroll processing before joining Kalkfy as a financial research editor. He is not a CPA, career counselor, or licensed Physical Therapist Assistant; this content is educational, not personal financial or career advice.