Physical Therapist Aides Salary
The median pay for a physical therapist aides in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA is $36,790/year ($17.69/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $50K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 108.8), so that salary is closer to $33,814 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,124/month, about 123% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $37K get you in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Santa Maria-Santa Barbara’s Regional Price Parity (108.8). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About physical therapist aides
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What this looks like in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
Physical therapist aides pay in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara tracks closely to the national median, $37K locally vs. $35K nationwide, a 4% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $3,124/month, which is 121.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 9% above the national average (BEA RPP 108.8), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for physical therapist aides in metros near Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $37K | $33K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $38K | $34K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $38K | $36K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $44K | $38K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
Entry-level physical therapist aides (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $37K. Top earners bring in $50K or more, a $14K spread from bottom to top.
Physical Therapist Aides pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Physical Therapist Aides salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $56K | +58% | 110 |
| Minnesota | $42K | +20% | 150 |
| Colorado | $42K | +19% | 360 |
| New Hampshire | $40K | +15% | 130 |
| Maine | $40K | +13% | 90 |
| Washington | $40K | +12% | 760 |
| District of Columbia | $39K | +11% | 30 |
| Montana | $39K | +11% | 110 |
| California | $38K | +9% | 7,330 |
| North Dakota | $38K | +7% | 120 |
| Massachusetts | $37K | +6% | 1,020 |
| Ohio | $37K | +6% | 760 |
| Wisconsin | $37K | +4% | 840 |
| Illinois | $37K | +4% | 680 |
| Oregon | $36K | +2% | 1,090 |
| Connecticut | $36K | +2% | 520 |
| Pennsylvania | $36K | +1% | 1,200 |
| Kentucky | $35K | +1% | 160 |
| New York | $35K | +0% | 4,950 |
| Arizona | $35K | +0% | 1,340 |
| Florida | $35K | -0% | 1,210 |
| Indiana | $35K | -0% | 860 |
| West Virginia | $35K | -1% | 170 |
| Maryland | $35K | -1% | 830 |
| North Carolina | $35K | -1% | 1,050 |
| New Jersey | $34K | -2% | 2,230 |
| Delaware | $34K | -3% | 300 |
| Hawaii | $34K | -4% | 60 |
| Virginia | $33K | -5% | 1,260 |
| South Carolina | $33K | -6% | 370 |
| New Mexico | $32K | -9% | 240 |
| Nevada | $32K | -9% | 900 |
| Texas | $32K | -10% | 5,710 |
| South Dakota | $31K | -11% | 70 |
| Rhode Island | $31K | -11% | 280 |
| Georgia | $31K | -13% | 1,200 |
| Wyoming | $30K | -14% | 240 |
| Tennessee | $30K | -14% | 710 |
| Arkansas | $29K | -16% | 160 |
| Michigan | $29K | -17% | 1,810 |
| Missouri | $29K | -17% | 750 |
| Utah | $29K | -17% | 1,130 |
| Iowa | $29K | -17% | 390 |
| Idaho | $29K | -19% | 540 |
| Nebraska | $28K | -20% | 670 |
| Oklahoma | $28K | -22% | 370 |
| Mississippi | $27K | -22% | 270 |
| Alabama | $27K | -23% | 750 |
| Kansas | $25K | -28% | 440 |
| Louisiana | $22K | -36% | 1,380 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track physical therapist aides salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Santa Maria-Santa Barbara numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a physical therapist aide afford a 2BR apartment alone in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $37K, rent takes 121.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $3,124/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for physical therapist aides in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new physical therapist aides typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,126/month. At HUD’s $3,124/month FMR, rent would take 147% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is physical therapist aide a high-paying job in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $37K locally vs. $35K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Santa Maria-Santa Barbara compare to the national average for physical therapist aides?
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara pays $37K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s +4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 108.8), the purchasing-power equivalent is $34K — below the national median.
How much do physical therapist aides make in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?
The median is $36,790 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,430, and experienced physical therapist aides can clear $49,870. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $37K enough to live in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,579/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,124/month, which eats 121.1% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a physical therapist aides salary go in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara has a Regional Price Parity of 108.8 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median physical therapist aides salary is worth about $33,814 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do physical therapist aides get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.