Median annual wage
$124,190
Official BLS data · Salary Explorer
Physical Therapist Salary in California
See the latest Physical Therapist salary data for California from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, including median and mean pay, wage percentiles, employment, U.S. comparison, and local-area estimates.
Mean annual wage
$122,580
Median hourly wage
$59.71
Employment
26,580
State vs. U.S.
California Salary Compared With the U.S.
The median annual wage for Physical Therapists in California is 20.9% higher than the national median in the same OEWS release.
California median$124,190
U.S. median$102,760
This comparison describes the reported wage difference. It does not by itself establish why the difference exists.
Wage distribution
Physical Therapists Salary Range in California
Percentiles show positions in the reported wage distribution. They are not direct measures of years of experience.
10th$85,580
25th$100,790
Median$124,190
75th$141,260
90th$163,960
Visual comparison
Wage Distribution at a Glance
This chart uses the same BLS annual wage percentiles shown above. Longer bars represent higher annual wage estimates.
Local comparison
Highest-Paying Areas for Physical Therapists in California
These are the highest median annual wages among the 20 matching metropolitan or nonmetropolitan areas available to this page from the same BLS release.
| Area | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $141,980 | $145,040 | 3,140 |
| Vallejo, CA | $141,530 | $132,660 | 300 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $140,100 | $135,520 | 290 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $139,000 | $140,090 | 1,460 |
| Napa, CA | $138,540 | $136,360 | 50 |
| Chico, CA | $134,970 | $121,120 | 180 |
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $132,740 | $128,160 | 80 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $131,430 | $128,040 | 1,610 |
| North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $129,370 | $123,360 | 110 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $128,680 | $129,040 | 310 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $127,460 | $119,800 | 40 |
| Salinas, CA | $127,120 | $122,100 | 190 |
| Modesto, CA | $126,600 | $124,040 | 400 |
| Merced, CA | $126,000 | $132,390 | 60 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $125,490 | $124,100 | 310 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $124,790 | $126,730 | 160 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $124,260 | $121,990 | 350 |
| Fresno, CA | $123,820 | $121,460 | 620 |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $121,220 | $120,690 | 160 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $120,110 | $121,540 | 2,240 |
#1
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
Median annual$141,980
Mean annual$145,040
Employment3,140
#2
Vallejo, CA
Median annual$141,530
Mean annual$132,660
Employment300
#3
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
Median annual$140,100
Mean annual$135,520
Employment290
#4
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
Median annual$139,000
Mean annual$140,090
Employment1,460
#5
Napa, CA
Median annual$138,540
Mean annual$136,360
Employment50
#6
Chico, CA
Median annual$134,970
Mean annual$121,120
Employment180
#7
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area
Median annual$132,740
Mean annual$128,160
Employment80
#8
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
Median annual$131,430
Mean annual$128,040
Employment1,610
#9
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area
Median annual$129,370
Mean annual$123,360
Employment110
#10
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
Median annual$128,680
Mean annual$129,040
Employment310
#11
Hanford-Corcoran, CA
Median annual$127,460
Mean annual$119,800
Employment40
#12
Salinas, CA
Median annual$127,120
Mean annual$122,100
Employment190
#13
Modesto, CA
Median annual$126,600
Mean annual$124,040
Employment400
#14
Merced, CA
Median annual$126,000
Mean annual$132,390
Employment60
#15
Bakersfield-Delano, CA
Median annual$125,490
Mean annual$124,100
Employment310
#16
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
Median annual$124,790
Mean annual$126,730
Employment160
#17
Stockton-Lodi, CA
Median annual$124,260
Mean annual$121,990
Employment350
#18
Fresno, CA
Median annual$123,820
Mean annual$121,460
Employment620
#19
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area
Median annual$121,220
Mean annual$120,690
Employment160
#20
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
Median annual$120,110
Mean annual$121,540
Employment2,240
Area estimates can include metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. Cross-state metropolitan areas may span more than one state.
How Much Do Physical Therapists Make in California?
According to the OEWS figures used on this page, the median annual wage for Physical Therapists in California is $124,190, while the mean annual wage is $122,580. The employment estimate is 26,580. These measures describe the occupation in the BLS dataset and should not be read as a guaranteed salary for an individual worker.
How California Compares With the U.S.
The national median in the same release is $102,760. That puts the California median about 20.9% above the U.S. median. This is a direct comparison of reported wage estimates; the data alone do not establish the reasons for the difference.
How to Read the Wage Percentiles
The annual wage distribution runs from $85,580 at the 10th percentile to $163,960 at the 90th percentile. Percentiles describe positions in the wage distribution. They should not automatically be treated as experience levels, so the 10th percentile is not necessarily an entry-level salary.
How to Use This Data
Use the state median, national comparison, wage percentiles, and local-area estimates together when researching pay. Actual compensation can vary by employer, schedule, specialty, experience, and other factors not directly measured on this page. The calculator provides a simple gross-pay conversion and is an estimate rather than a prediction of take-home pay.
Tool
Salary Calculator
Convert hourly and annual gross pay for a simple 40-hour-week benchmark. This does not estimate taxes, overtime, bonuses, benefits, or deductions.
Calculated annual equivalents may differ slightly from published BLS annual wages because hourly figures are rounded.
Quick answers
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median salary for Physical Therapist in California?
The median annual wage in the May 2025 OEWS data shown on this page is $124,190.
What is the median hourly wage?
The median hourly wage shown for Physical Therapists in California is $59.71.
Is the 10th percentile an entry-level salary?
No. The 10th percentile describes a point in the wage distribution; OEWS does not make it a direct measure of experience level.
How often is this page checked?
Curiworld Data checks the source on a scheduled basis and records the last successful update. New values are validated before they are approved for indexing.
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Related Salary Data
Physical Therapist salary by state
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Transparency
Methodology & Sources
Primary source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS).
Data period: May 2025
Last successful update: Aug 31, 2026
How it is produced: Curiworld Data retrieves official BLS datasets, validates required fields and unexpected changes, calculates comparisons, and presents the results in a readable format. Automated refreshes do not overwrite human-edited explanatory text.