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Therapy & rehab

Physical therapist assistant salary in California

Open physical therapist assistant jobs in California post a median of $43 an hour, the middle half $40.25–$47.50 (about $89,400 a year full time), $8 above the national posted median. From 59 jobs at 32 employers that state their pay.

$43
Median posted /hr
$40–$48
Middle half /hr
$89,400
A year, full time
estimate, 2,080 hours
$39.96
BLS median in CA
May 2025

The jobs themselves: Physical therapist assistant jobs in California · Physical therapist assistant pay nationwide

What physical therapist assistants are paid in California

Each bar counts the open jobs posting an hourly rate in its step of pay (a range at its midpoint).

Posted hourly rates of 59 open jobs in California. Lowest posted $20.65, highest $70.

Posted on open jobs in California

$40.25–$47.50/hr

Middle half of 52 employer rates (each employer's advertised range once), median $43. 40% of the 146 open physical therapist assistant jobs in California state an hourly rate.

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Physical therapist assistant pay by town in California

Towns where at least three open jobs state an hourly rate, the towns with the most such jobs first.

TownMedian postedPosted rangeJobs (employers)
Visalia$42$33.27–$49.905 (2)
Los Angeles$43.75$33.05–$53.123 (3)
Santa Maria$39$20.65–$513 (2)

Median of employers' rates in the town, the lowest and highest rate posted, and the jobs and employers behind them. A town opens its own job page.

Physical therapist assistant pay by employer in California

What each employer posts for physical therapist assistants here, the employers with the most jobs stating pay first.

EmployerMedian postedPosted rangeJobs stating pay
PACS Group$42.50$30–$6113
Kaiser Permanente$51.50$43.96–$53.315
Sutter Health$49.25$37.58–$60.774
Access TLC$61.25$35–$702
Scripps Health$42.75$34.97–$50.692
Kaweah Health$41.50$33.27–$49.902
Providence$41.25$24.18–$56.172
CommonSpirit Health$38$20.65–$50.672
Emanate Health$37.50$28.14–$42.212
Marshall Medical Center$36.50$33.17–$39.812
PT Solutions$36.50$27–$502
By the Bay Health$50.50$45–$561
Genesis HealthCare$48$481
Colusa Medical Center$47.50$45–$501
Covenant Living$47.50$45–$501
Plumas District Hospital$47$38.85–$55.391
Coalinga Regional Medical Center$45$40–$501
Cornerstone Healthcare$45$40–$501
Ernest Health$45$451
Cedars-Sinai$43.75$34.27–$53.121
Select Medical$43.75$37.25–$50.151
Central Valley Specialty Hospital$43$38–$481
Southern Humboldt Community Healthcare District$43$36–$49.831
Compassus$42.75$31.43–$53.941
Ridgecrest Regional Hospital$42$31.67–$52.231
U.S. Physical Therapy$41$37–$451
InnovAge$40.50$31.01–$49.761
Compass Health$40$35–$451
Livingston Memorial VNA$39$36.45–$41.301
Movement For Life Physical Therapy$39$27–$511
Trinity Health$38.50$32.03–$44.831
Loma Linda University Health$37.75$32.25–$43.381

Median of each employer's jobs in California (a range at its midpoint), and its lowest and highest rate here. An employer's name opens its pay for physical therapist assistants nationwide when it has such a page.

Best-paid open physical therapist assistant jobs in California

The open jobs posting the highest hourly rates tonight, at most two from one employer.

What BLS measures in California

What people employed in the occupation earned in the state, at every level of experience, from the BLS survey. A posting advertises what a new hire is offered.

Hourly wages, BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, California. Each figure opens its BLS page.
BLS occupation10th pct25th pctMedian75th pct90th pctEmployed
Physical Therapist Assistants (31-2021)$28.61 (source: BLS OEWS, Physical Therapist Assistants, opens in a new tab)$36.49 (source: BLS OEWS, Physical Therapist Assistants, opens in a new tab)$39.96 (source: BLS OEWS, Physical Therapist Assistants, opens in a new tab)$45.64 (source: BLS OEWS, Physical Therapist Assistants, opens in a new tab)$49.42 (source: BLS OEWS, Physical Therapist Assistants, opens in a new tab)9,400 (source: BLS OEWS, Physical Therapist Assistants, opens in a new tab)

BLS median by metro area

Physical therapist assistant salary in California: common questions

How much does a physical therapist assistant make in California?

Open physical therapist assistant jobs in California that state an hourly rate post a median of $43, the middle half $40.25–$47.50 (59 jobs from 32 employers). Full time that is about $89,400 a year. BLS measured a median of $39.96/hr ($83,110 a year) for people employed in the occupation in California (May 2025).

Where in California do physical therapist assistants earn the most?

By the median rate open jobs post, in the towns with the most jobs stating pay: Visalia ($42), Los Angeles ($43.75) and Santa Maria ($39). The town table lists 3.

Which employers in California pay physical therapist assistants the most?

Among employers stating a rate on at least three open jobs here: Kaiser Permanente ($51.50), Sutter Health ($49.25) and PACS Group ($42.50).

How does California compare with the rest of the country?

The posted median in California ($43) is $8 above the national posted median of $35. In the BLS survey California ranks 1 of 52 by median wage.

Where do these figures come from?

From the pay open jobs state, read every night from each employer's own job board: 59 of 146 open physical therapist assistant jobs in California (40%) state an hourly rate. No pay is estimated for a job that states none; "up to" ceilings and weekly travel rates are left out.

Physical therapist assistant pay in other states

Physical therapist assistant salary nationwide →Every healthcare salary →

Sources and method

Only pay a job states is used, a range at its midpoint. In the state's median and middle half each employer's advertised range counts once, so an employer posting one range in many towns does not set the figure; a town's median follows the same rule. "Up to" ceilings, weekly travel rates and rates far from the occupation's median are left out. A state has a page while at least 8 jobs from 3 employers state a rate there. The yearly estimate is the hourly rate times 2,080 hours. BLS figures are as published.
  1. CareJobs.Now job board: the pay open jobs state, read nightly from each employer's own careers site, published October 24, 2026
  2. BLS OEWS May 2025: Physical Therapist Assistants (SOC 31-2021), every state, published May 15, 2026
  3. BLS OEWS May 2025: Physical Therapist Assistants, national, published May 15, 2026
  4. BLS OEWS May 2025: Physical Therapist Assistants by metropolitan area, published May 15, 2026

Cite this page

CareJobs.Now. (2026). Physical therapist assistant salary in California. Data as of October 24, 2026. https://carejobs.now/salaries/physical-therapist-assistant/california

How the board counts