Physical Therapist Assistants Salary
The median pay for a physical therapist assistants in Trenton-Princeton, NJ is $75,410/year ($36.25/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $82K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.18), that's roughly $73,086 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,950/month, about 39.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $75K get you in Trenton-Princeton?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Trenton-Princeton’s Regional Price Parity (103.18). 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 assistants
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What this looks like in Trenton-Princeton
Physical therapist assistants pay in Trenton-Princeton tracks closely to the national median, $75K locally vs. $68K nationwide, a 10% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,950/month, which is 39.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.18) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for physical therapist assistants in metros near Trenton-Princeton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Atlantic City-Hammonton | $73K | $74K |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $76K | $67K |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $72K | $70K |
| Pittsburgh | $56K | $59K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Trenton-Princeton, NJ
Entry-level physical therapist assistants (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $75K. Top earners bring in $82K or more, a $47K spread from bottom to top.
Physical Therapist Assistants pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Physical Therapist Assistants salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $83K | +22% | 9,400 |
| Massachusetts | $79K | +16% | 2,640 |
| New Jersey | $78K | +15% | 1,810 |
| Texas | $78K | +14% | 10,510 |
| Maryland | $78K | +14% | 1,430 |
| Alaska | $78K | +14% | 110 |
| Connecticut | $76K | +11% | 980 |
| Nevada | $76K | +10% | 560 |
| Delaware | $75K | +9% | 340 |
| Virginia | $74K | +8% | 3,370 |
| Oregon | $73K | +7% | 890 |
| Georgia | $73K | +6% | 2,620 |
| Florida | $73K | +6% | 9,870 |
| Vermont | $72K | +5% | 100 |
| New Hampshire | $71K | +4% | 500 |
| South Carolina | $71K | +3% | 1,870 |
| Rhode Island | $69K | +0% | 420 |
| North Carolina | $68K | -1% | 3,280 |
| Hawaii | $68K | -1% | 250 |
| Minnesota | $67K | -2% | 1,230 |
| Washington | $66K | -3% | 2,150 |
| Maine | $66K | -3% | 410 |
| Louisiana | $65K | -4% | 1,670 |
| Indiana | $65K | -5% | 2,830 |
| Illinois | $65K | -5% | 4,890 |
| Colorado | $65K | -5% | 1,350 |
| Arizona | $65K | -5% | 2,010 |
| Arkansas | $65K | -6% | 1,620 |
| Kansas | $65K | -6% | 1,300 |
| New York | $64K | -6% | 3,620 |
| Wisconsin | $64K | -6% | 1,650 |
| Ohio | $64K | -7% | 7,040 |
| Missouri | $64K | -7% | 2,490 |
| Wyoming | $64K | -7% | 240 |
| North Dakota | $64K | -7% | 120 |
| District of Columbia | $63K | -7% | 40 |
| Montana | $63K | -8% | 250 |
| Pennsylvania | $63K | -8% | 4,270 |
| Tennessee | $63K | -9% | 3,390 |
| New Mexico | $62K | -9% | 700 |
| Utah | $62K | -9% | 970 |
| Mississippi | $62K | -10% | 1,150 |
| Michigan | $62K | -10% | 4,520 |
| Kentucky | $61K | -10% | 2,580 |
| Alabama | $61K | -10% | 2,700 |
| Nebraska | $61K | -10% | 980 |
| Iowa | $61K | -11% | 1,060 |
| Idaho | $61K | -11% | 560 |
| West Virginia | $60K | -12% | 980 |
| Oklahoma | $59K | -13% | 2,380 |
| South Dakota | $49K | -28% | 300 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track physical therapist assistants salary changes
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Related careers in Healthcare Support
Frequently asked questions
Can a physical therapist assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Trenton-Princeton?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $75K, rent takes 39.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,950/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,500/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for physical therapist assistants in Trenton-Princeton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new physical therapist assistants typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,087/month. At HUD’s $1,950/month FMR, rent would take 93% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is physical therapist assistant a high-paying job in Trenton-Princeton?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $75K locally vs. $68K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Trenton-Princeton compare to the national average for physical therapist assistants?
Trenton-Princeton pays $75K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s +10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.18), the purchasing-power equivalent is $73K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do physical therapist assistants make in Trenton-Princeton, NJ?
The median is $75,410 a year, that works out to about $36 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,790, and experienced physical therapist assistants can clear $82,220. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $75K enough to live in Trenton-Princeton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,897/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,950/month, which eats 39.8% 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 assistants salary go in Trenton-Princeton?
Trenton-Princeton has a Regional Price Parity of 103.18 (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 assistants salary is worth about $73,086 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do physical therapist assistants 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.