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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019

31-2021 Physical Therapist Assistants

Assist physical therapists in providing physical therapy treatments and procedures. May, in accordance with state laws, assist in the development of treatment plans, carry out routine functions, document the progress of treatment, and modify specific treatments in accordance with patient status and within the scope of treatment plans established by a physical therapist. Generally requires formal training.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
96,840 1.5 % $28.14 $58,520 0.5 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $16.08 $22.93 $28.26 $33.60 $38.87
Annual Wage (2) $33,450 $47,690 $58,790 $69,880 $80,840


Industry profile for this occupation:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 45,400 4.75 $27.28 $56,740
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 18,810 0.34 $27.02 $56,210
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) 9,420 0.59 $31.79 $66,120
Home Health Care Services 8,820 0.59 $31.46 $65,430
Offices of Physicians 5,030 0.19 $26.58 $55,300

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 45,400 4.75 $27.28 $56,740
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals 2,820 1.06 $28.63 $59,550
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) 9,420 0.59 $31.79 $66,120
Home Health Care Services 8,820 0.59 $31.46 $65,430
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 18,810 0.34 $27.02 $56,210

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) 9,420 0.59 $31.79 $66,120
Child Day Care Services 50 0.01 $31.75 $66,040
Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly 1,060 0.11 $31.63 $65,800
Home Health Care Services 8,820 0.59 $31.46 $65,430
Employment Services 1,150 0.03 $30.99 $64,460


Geographic profile for this occupation:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 7,550 0.61 0.92 $33.02 $68,680
Florida 6,780 0.77 1.17 $30.48 $63,410
Ohio 6,040 1.11 1.68 $28.57 $59,410
California 5,750 0.33 0.50 $31.81 $66,150
New York 5,410 0.57 0.86 $26.43 $54,970




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Arkansas 1,370 1.13 1.71 $28.45 $59,180
Ohio 6,040 1.11 1.68 $28.57 $59,410
Tennessee 3,290 1.09 1.66 $27.15 $56,470
West Virginia 760 1.08 1.64 $25.68 $53,410
Arizona 2,900 1.01 1.54 $20.91 $43,500




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New Jersey 1,420 0.35 0.53 $33.40 $69,480
Texas 7,550 0.61 0.92 $33.02 $68,680
California 5,750 0.33 0.50 $31.81 $66,150
Connecticut 630 0.38 0.57 $31.50 $65,510
Rhode Island 390 0.80 1.21 $31.48 $65,480





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 4,610 0.48 0.72 $28.93 $60,160
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 2,670 0.57 0.87 $29.21 $60,760
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 2,130 1.01 1.53 $20.84 $43,350
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 1,790 0.68 1.03 $29.80 $61,980
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 1,770 0.28 0.43 $32.44 $67,480
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 1,760 0.61 0.93 $27.59 $57,390
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 1,600 0.57 0.87 $31.49 $65,500
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 1,520 0.48 0.73 $25.72 $53,490
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 1,470 0.74 1.13 $26.23 $54,560
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 1,470 0.48 0.73 $37.75 $78,530




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Homosassa Springs, FL 170 5.25 7.96 $28.50 $59,270
Cumberland, MD-WV 140 3.83 5.80 $31.55 $65,620
Gadsden, AL 120 3.25 4.93 $28.44 $59,160
Canton-Massillon, OH 460 2.70 4.09 $27.33 $56,840
Pocatello, ID 90 2.56 3.88 $28.10 $58,450
Lewiston, ID-WA 60 2.36 3.58 $24.76 $51,510
Johnson City, TN 180 2.31 3.51 $21.74 $45,220
New Bern, NC 90 2.13 3.23 $32.55 $67,710
Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA 450 2.12 3.22 $28.06 $58,370
Jackson, TN 140 2.07 3.14 $27.90 $58,020




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 1,470 0.48 0.73 $37.75 $78,530
Victoria, TX 70 1.86 2.82 $37.53 $78,070
Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA 400 0.40 0.60 $36.28 $75,470
Laredo, TX 120 1.18 1.78 $35.80 $74,470
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX 80 0.48 0.73 $35.68 $74,220
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX 250 0.95 1.44 $35.06 $72,920
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 590 0.46 0.69 $34.90 $72,600
Tyler, TX (8) (8) (8) $34.89 $72,570
Punta Gorda, FL (8) (8) (8) $34.74 $72,250
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 320 0.32 0.48 $34.45 $71,650

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
North Northeastern Ohio non-metropolitan area (non-contiguous) 530 1.59 2.41 $26.46 $55,030
Southern Ohio non-metropolitan area 340 2.16 3.28 $31.19 $64,870
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 340 0.86 1.30 $27.48 $57,150
Southeast Missouri nonmetropolitan area 260 1.61 2.45 $25.94 $53,950
Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area 260 2.13 3.23 $28.62 $59,540

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
North Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area 260 2.35 3.56 $26.34 $54,790
Southern Ohio non-metropolitan area 340 2.16 3.28 $31.19 $64,870
Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area 260 2.13 3.23 $28.62 $59,540
Central Louisiana nonmetropolitan area 140 1.74 2.64 $34.84 $72,480
Northwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area 110 1.65 2.50 $30.09 $62,580

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $35.65 $74,140
Southeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area 200 1.19 1.80 $35.55 $73,940
Central Louisiana nonmetropolitan area 140 1.74 2.64 $34.84 $72,480
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 210 0.76 1.15 $33.63 $69,950
Middle Georgia nonmetropolitan area 40 0.28 0.43 $33.31 $69,280


About May 2019 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2019 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: July 6, 2020