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Therapy & rehab

Physical therapist salary in California

Open physical therapist jobs in California post a median of $65 an hour, the middle half $59–$72.25 (about $135,200 a year full time), $12 above the national posted median. From 191 jobs at 48 employers that state their pay.

$65
Median posted /hr
$59–$72
Middle half /hr
$135,200
A year, full time
estimate, 2,080 hours
$59.71
BLS median in CA
May 2025

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

What physical therapists 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 191 open jobs in California. Lowest posted $23, highest $130.

Posted on open jobs in California

$59–$72.25/hr

Middle half of 108 employer rates (each employer's advertised range once), median $65. 39% of the 493 open physical therapist jobs in California state an hourly rate.

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Physical therapist 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)
Los Angeles$68.50$33.63–$94.9621 (7)
San Francisco$70$50–$103.8412 (5)
Sacramento$68.50$33.63–$9510 (5)
Oakland$71.25$50–$89.289 (4)
San Jose$68.75$50–$878 (3)
Visalia$62.75$45–$75.368 (2)
San Diego$68.50$50–$877 (4)
Santa Rosa$67.50$56.67–$837 (2)
Monterey$63.25$50–$82.595 (2)
Loma Linda$62.25$49.48–$76.505 (1)
Pomona$57.50$45.92–$67.195 (4)
Santa Clara$74.75$66.69–$834 (1)
Mountain View$70.75$50–$874 (2)
Santa Cruz$70.25$33.63–$103.844 (3)
Redwood City$66.50$33.63–$94.564 (2)
Berkeley$76.50$63.78–$89.283 (1)
San Leandro$69.75$35–$82.243 (2)
Walnut Creek$68.50$50–$873 (3)
Oxnard$64.75$47.29–$79.133 (2)
San Bruno$63.50$56.67–$70.623 (1)
Santa Maria$62$47.29–$76.763 (1)
Santa Ana$61.25$51.26–$653 (2)
Apple Valley$60.50$51.76–$80.343 (2)
Huntington Park$56.25$35–$753 (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 pay by employer in California

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

EmployerMedian postedPosted rangeJobs stating pay
Kaiser Permanente$69.50$46.10–$94.9650
Sutter Health$76.50$56.07–$103.8421
CommonSpirit Health$64$23.05–$94.5611
Kaweah Health$62.75$50.24–$75.3610
Providence$68.75$44.18–$90.149
PACS Group$64.75$45–$758
Montage Health$63.25$48–$82.598
Cedars-Sinai$62.75$45.17–$84.086
Scripps Health$66.50$54.24–$82.595
Loma Linda University Health$58$49.48–$76.505
Alameda Health System$73.75$65.83–$82.243
El Camino Health$73$62.76–$83.413
Compassus$66.50$52.95–$86.033
Genesis HealthCare$65$35–$753
Stanford Medicine Children's Health$63.50$55.50–$71.623
AltaMed Health Services$57.75$51.26–$64.083
Plumas District Hospital$85$69.94–$99.962
By the Bay Health$79.25$69–$862
MarinHealth$64.50$54.32–$81.482
MemorialCare$60$602
Tenet Healthcare$60$50–$69.862
Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center$56.25$45.92–$67.192
Lompoc Valley Medical Center$55.75$46.47–$65.332
VNA$55$552
Access TLC$115$100–$1301
Southern Humboldt Community Healthcare District$78.75$66–$91.361
Crossover Health$75.25$65.32–$851
Sonoma Specialty Hospital$75$70–$801
Colusa Medical Center$74.50$70–$791
Valley Children's Healthcare$74.25$60.62–$87.901
Community Memorial Hospital - Ventura$72.25$72.261
John Muir Health$69.25$59.02–$79.671
Luna Physical Therapy$68.50$50–$871
InnovAge$67$38.80–$951
Salinas Valley Health$63.75$57.54–$69.941
Cornerstone Healthcare$62.50$55–$701
Select Medical$61$52–$69.981
Sharp HealthCare$60$52.36–$67.571
Shriners Children's$57.75$46.14–$69.221
Vista Community Clinic$57$50–$641

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 therapists nationwide when it has such a page.

Jobs that state a yearly salary

Measured on their own, never converted to hourly.

25 open jobs in California state a yearly salary: a median of $112,700, the middle half $98,600 to $124,600.

Best-paid open physical therapist 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 Therapists (29-1123)$41.15 (source: BLS OEWS, Physical Therapists, opens in a new tab)$48.46 (source: BLS OEWS, Physical Therapists, opens in a new tab)$59.71 (source: BLS OEWS, Physical Therapists, opens in a new tab)$67.91 (source: BLS OEWS, Physical Therapists, opens in a new tab)$78.83 (source: BLS OEWS, Physical Therapists, opens in a new tab)26,580 (source: BLS OEWS, Physical Therapists, opens in a new tab)

BLS median by metro area

Physical therapist salary in California: common questions

How much does a physical therapist make in California?

Open physical therapist jobs in California that state an hourly rate post a median of $65, the middle half $59–$72.25 (191 jobs from 48 employers). Full time that is about $135,200 a year. BLS measured a median of $59.71/hr ($124,190 a year) for people employed in the occupation in California (May 2025).

Where in California do physical therapists earn the most?

By the median rate open jobs post, in the towns with the most jobs stating pay: Los Angeles ($68.50), San Francisco ($70), Sacramento ($68.50) and Oakland ($71.25). The town table lists 24.

Which employers in California pay physical therapists the most?

Among employers stating a rate on at least three open jobs here: Sutter Health ($76.50), Alameda Health System ($73.75) and El Camino Health ($73).

How does California compare with the rest of the country?

The posted median in California ($65) is $12 above the national posted median of $53. 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: 191 of 493 open physical therapist jobs in California (39%) 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 pay in other states

Physical therapist 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 Therapists (SOC 29-1123), every state, published May 15, 2026
  3. BLS OEWS May 2025: Physical Therapists, national, published May 15, 2026
  4. BLS OEWS May 2025: Physical Therapists by metropolitan area, published May 15, 2026

Cite this page

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

How the board counts