Physical Therapist Assistant Hourly Pay (2026 Data)
Advertised pay, starting pay, skills and experience from 12,964 US job postings by 2,220 employers. Data as of October 2026.
What US employers post for physical therapist assistants: advertised pay, the skills and experience they ask for, and the job titles they use, from 12,964 open job postings (October 2026).
- The median advertised pay for physical therapist assistants in US job postings is $34.52 an hour (2,951 postings from 491 employers, October 2026).
- The middle half of those postings offer $31.50 to $39.47 an hour.
- Postings that ask for up to 1 year of experience advertise a median of $37.00 an hour (411 postings).
- The skills that most set physical therapist assistant postings apart are compassionate, physical therapy treatments, therapeutic exercises.
- Postings that state a minimum ask for a median of 1 year of experience.
Physical Therapist Assistant job postings in the US, October 2026
- $34.52/hr
- Median advertised pay (2,951 postings)
- $31.50–$39.47
- Middle 50% of postings
- $37.00/hr
- Starting pay (postings asking up to 1 year)
- 12,964
- US job postings from 2,220 employers
How much does a physical therapist assistant make an hour?
The median advertised pay is $34.52 an hour, from 2,951 US job postings by 491 employers that state pay. That is about $73,000 a year at 2,080 hours.
Advertised pay in 2,951 US physical therapist assistant job postings: median $73,000 a year ($34.52 an hour), middle half $66,000 to $82,000.
- Median: $73,000 ($34.52/hr)
- 25th percentile: $66,000
- 75th percentile: $82,000
The figures as a table
| Annual pay | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| $10K–$20K | 0.1% |
| $30K–$40K | 1.4% |
| $40K–$50K | 2.1% |
| $50K–$60K | 9.8% |
| $60K–$70K | 28.6% |
| $70K–$80K | 28.8% |
| $80K–$90K | 15.0% |
| $90K–$100K | 6.1% |
| $100K–$110K | 4.4% |
| $110K–$120K | 1.2% |
| $120K–$130K | 1.2% |
| $130K–$140K | 0.6% |
Midpoint of each posting's pay range, hourly pay × 2,080 hours; at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026.
| Median | Middle 50% | Postings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Postings that state an hourly rate | $34.52 | $31.50–$39.47 | 1,419 |
| All pay postings, annualised | $73,000 | $66K–$82K | 2,951 |
For comparison, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the national median annual wage of Physical Therapist Assistants (31-2021) at $68,000 (May 2025). Postings advertise pay; the BLS measures what people earn, across all employers and levels.
What is the starting salary for a physical therapist assistant?
Postings that ask for up to 1 year of experience advertise a median of $37.00 an hour (411 postings).
| Experience asked | Median advertised pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1 years | $37.00/hr | 411 |
| 2-4 years | withheld | 97 |
| 5+ years | $34.00/hr | 297 |
Highest-paying physical therapist assistant jobs
Specializations with at least 250 postings that state pay.
| Specialization | Median pay | Postings with pay | Employers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) | $36.00/hr | 893 | 154 |
| Physical Therapist Assistant (general) | $34.00/hr | 1,853 | 342 |
Physical therapist assistant pay by state
Single-location US postings; states with at least 100 postings that state pay. States with pay-transparency laws (such as California, Colorado, New York and Washington) are over-represented among postings that state pay.
| State | Median pay | Middle 50% | Postings with pay | Share of postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $42.00/hr | $38.00–$47.50 | 145 | 6.7% |
| Massachusetts | $40.10/hr | $35.19–$42.50 | 114 | 3.0% |
| New Jersey | $36.06/hr | $34.52–$38.00 | 133 | 3.4% |
| Georgia | $34.00/hr | $31.12–$45.00 | 171 | 5.0% |
| New York | $34.00/hr | $30.50–$39.50 | 116 | 2.8% |
| Florida | $33.95/hr | $31.00–$36.56 | 177 | 8.7% |
| Maryland | $33.88/hr | $31.00–$35.99 | 124 | 2.2% |
| Colorado | $33.83/hr | $31.50–$36.00 | 106 | 2.4% |
| Texas | $33.00/hr | $31.12–$37.50 | 159 | 10.6% |
Skills employers ask for in physical therapist assistant job postings
| Skill | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| Communication | 31% |
| Interpersonal skills | 18% |
| Compassionate | 13% |
| Organizational skills | 10% |
| Teamwork | 6% |
| Time management | 6% |
| Work independently | 5% |
| Attention to detail | 4% |
| Therapeutic exercises | 4% |
| Physical therapy treatments | 4% |
Skills named in the posting text; at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026. Methodology.
Skills that set physical therapist assistants apart
- Compassionate4.6× as often as in all postings · 13%
Skills named in at least 5% of these postings and at least 3 times as often as in job postings overall.
Have a physical therapist assistant job posting in front of you? See which of its skills your resume is missing.
What does a physical therapist assistant do?
Employers post these jobs as Physical Therapy Assistant, Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA), Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA), PTA, Physical Therapist Assistant PTA and other titles. The largest specializations are Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) (25%), Home Health Physical Therapist Assistant (7%), Restorative Aide (under 1%).
The closest official occupation is Physical Therapist Assistants (31-2021.00). Its most important tasks:
- Instruct, motivate, safeguard, and assist patients as they practice exercises or functional activities.
- Document patient information, such as notes on their progress.
- Observe patients during treatments to compile and evaluate data on their responses and progress and provide results to physical therapist in person or through progress notes.
- Instruct patients in proper body mechanics and in ways to improve functional mobility, such as aquatic exercise.
- Secure patients into or onto therapy equipment.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
How much experience do you need to be a physical therapist assistant?
Among 1,279 postings that state a minimum, the median is 1 year. 6% say 0 years and 71% ask for 1 year or less.
Minimum experience asked in 1,279 US physical therapist assistant job postings: median 1 year, and 71% ask for 1 year or less.
The figures as a table
| Minimum experience asked | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| 0 yr | 9% |
| 1 yr | 62% |
| 2 yrs | 19% |
| 3-4 yrs | 6% |
| 5-7 yrs | 3% |
| 8-9 yrs | 0% |
| 10+ yrs | under 1% |
Postings that state a minimum (required or preferred); at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026.
We do not show a degree figure: in our checks, degree requirements in posting text were found too rarely to publish one. Why.
Full-time 82%, Part-time 18% of the 1,475 postings that state working hours.
Other names for a physical therapist assistant: job titles employers use
| Job title | Employers using it |
|---|---|
| Physical Therapist Assistant | 820 (36.9%) |
| Physical Therapy Assistant | 631 (28.4%) |
| Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) | 238 (10.7%) |
| Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA) | 192 (8.6%) |
| PTA | 141 (6.3%) |
| Physical Therapist Assistant PTA | 77 (3.5%) |
| Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant | 51 (2.3%) |
| PRN Physical Therapist Assistant | 49 (2.2%) |
| Licensed Physical Therapy Assistant | 44 (2.0%) |
| Physical Therapist Assistant PRN | 36 (1.6%) |
| Home Health Physical Therapist Assistant | 30 (1.4%) |
| Physical Therapy Assistant PTA | 28 (1.3%) |
| Physical Therapy Assistant PRN | 25 (1.1%) |
| Home Health Physical Therapy Assistant | 24 (1.1%) |
| PRN Physical Therapy Assistant | 21 (0.9%) |
| PTA Physical Therapist Assistant | 19 (0.9%) |
| Outpatient Physical Therapist Assistant | 18 (0.8%) |
| Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) PRN | 18 (0.8%) |
| PRN Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA) | 17 (0.8%) |
| Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) | 15 (0.7%) |
Titles read in our audit and used by at least 3 employers.
Physical therapist assistant job titles compared
The titles people search for most, from the US job postings that use each exact title (October 2026).
| Job title | Open postings | Employers | Median pay | Median experience | Skills named most |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physical Therapy Assistant | 2,143 | 631 | $36.00/hr | 1 year | communication, interpersonal skills, compassionate |
Physical Therapist Assistant compared with similar careers
| Career | Median pay | Median experience | Postings | Shares N of top 25 skills |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physical Therapist Assistant | $34.52/hr | 1 year | 12,964 | – |
| Occupational Therapy Assistant | $35.00/hr | 1 year | 6,754 | 18 |
| Physical Therapist | $104K | 1 year | 29,758 | 18 |
| Occupational Therapist | $52.00/hr | 1 year | 11,924 | 16 |
| Speech-Language Pathologist | $52.50/hr | 1 year | 13,892 | 17 |
Similar careers
| Career | Shares N of the top 25 skills | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Occupational Therapy Assistant | 18 | $35.00/hr |
| Physical Therapist | 18 | $104K |
| Occupational Therapist | 16 | $52.00/hr |
| Speech-Language Pathologist | 17 | $52.50/hr |
| Certified Nursing Assistant | 16 | $21.00/hr |
| Licensed Practical Nurse | 19 | $32.65/hr |
Applying for physical therapist assistant jobs?
- Physical therapist assistant resume examples: one-page examples for these roles
- Match your resume to a job: paste a posting and see the skills your resume is missing
- Check your resume: see how an applicant tracking system reads it
- Find physical therapist assistant jobs: search open postings
Frequently asked questions
How much does a physical therapist assistant make an hour?
What is the starting salary for a physical therapist assistant?
How much does a Physical Therapy Assistant make?
Source and method
Open US job postings collected from employers' applicant tracking systems, de-duplicated, counted only when their job title was read in our audit. Shares count at most 20 postings per employer, and franchise locations of one brand count as one employer. Pay uses hourly and annual figures only; a figure is shown when leaving out the largest employer moves it by 10% or less. Every figure states its number of postings. Methodology and measured accuracy.
Accuracy check: we read 20 randomly chosen postings counted on this page in full; 20 of them were this career or a closely related one (October 2026).
Download the figures on this page (CSV): every number above with its count of postings. Aggregate figures are licensed CC BY 4.0; cite the page when you reuse them.