Physical Therapists Salary
The median pay for a physical therapists in Ames, IA is $90,610/year ($43.56/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $68K at the entry level to $120K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.83), which stretches that salary to about $102,004 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,153/month, or 20.1% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $91K get you in Ames?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Ames’s Regional Price Parity (88.83). 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 therapists
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What this looks like in Ames
Pay for physical therapists in Ames runs about 12% below the U.S. median of $103K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,153/month, 20.5% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.83 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Ames can be a reasonable trade-off for physical therapistss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for physical therapists in metros near Ames, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $98K | $107K |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $99K | $112K |
| Cedar Rapids | $95K | $106K |
| Iowa City | $94K | $103K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Ames, IA
Entry-level physical therapists (10th percentile) start around $68K. Mid-career wages sit at $91K. Top earners bring in $120K or more, a $52K spread from bottom to top.
Physical Therapists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Physical Therapists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $124K | +21% | 26,580 |
| Alaska | $115K | +12% | 680 |
| New Jersey | $112K | +9% | 9,750 |
| Nevada | $111K | +8% | 2,030 |
| Maryland | $107K | +4% | 3,940 |
| New Mexico | $107K | +4% | 1,330 |
| Washington | $106K | +3% | 5,370 |
| Texas | $106K | +3% | 21,870 |
| Illinois | $105K | +2% | 9,800 |
| Connecticut | $104K | +2% | 4,060 |
| Massachusetts | $104K | +1% | 6,850 |
| Oregon | $104K | +1% | 3,210 |
| Arizona | $103K | +0% | 5,170 |
| Ohio | $103K | +0% | 10,280 |
| Georgia | $103K | -0% | 6,780 |
| Delaware | $102K | -1% | 1,260 |
| Colorado | $102K | -1% | 5,630 |
| Minnesota | $102K | -1% | 5,180 |
| Wisconsin | $102K | -1% | 5,580 |
| Hawaii | $102K | -1% | 950 |
| District of Columbia | $102K | -1% | 610 |
| Indiana | $102K | -1% | 6,130 |
| Virginia | $101K | -1% | 7,630 |
| Pennsylvania | $101K | -1% | 11,710 |
| South Carolina | $101K | -1% | 3,930 |
| Florida | $101K | -2% | 16,290 |
| Michigan | $101K | -2% | 8,630 |
| Kentucky | $101K | -2% | 3,390 |
| New York | $101K | -2% | 20,940 |
| Wyoming | $100K | -2% | 560 |
| Tennessee | $100K | -3% | 4,800 |
| Mississippi | $100K | -3% | 1,980 |
| North Carolina | $100K | -3% | 7,350 |
| Utah | $100K | -3% | 2,300 |
| New Hampshire | $100K | -3% | 1,960 |
| Maine | $100K | -3% | 1,860 |
| Rhode Island | $99K | -3% | 1,020 |
| Missouri | $99K | -3% | 4,900 |
| Arkansas | $99K | -4% | 2,680 |
| Idaho | $99K | -4% | 1,030 |
| Oklahoma | $99K | -4% | 2,560 |
| Louisiana | $99K | -4% | 3,280 |
| Kansas | $98K | -4% | 2,660 |
| Vermont | $98K | -5% | 760 |
| Iowa | $98K | -5% | 2,530 |
| Alabama | $97K | -5% | 3,040 |
| Nebraska | $97K | -6% | 2,140 |
| West Virginia | $97K | -6% | 1,310 |
| South Dakota | $93K | -10% | 1,060 |
| Montana | $91K | -11% | 1,180 |
| North Dakota | $85K | -17% | 830 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track physical therapists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Ames numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a physical therapist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Ames?
Yes — at the median salary of $91K, rent takes 20.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,153/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for physical therapists in Ames?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new physical therapists typically earn — is $68K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,052/month. At HUD’s $1,153/month FMR, rent would take 28% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is physical therapist a high-paying job in Ames?
Local pay runs 12% below the national median — $91K here vs. $103K nationally. Cost of living is 11% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Ames compare to the national average for physical therapists?
Ames pays $91K median vs. the U.S. average of $103K — that’s -12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.83), the purchasing-power equivalent is $102K — below the national median.
How much do physical therapists make in Ames, IA?
The median is $90,610 a year, that works out to about $44 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $67,530, and experienced physical therapists can clear $119,890. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $91K enough to live in Ames?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,616/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,153/month, which eats 20.5% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a physical therapists salary go in Ames?
Ames has a Regional Price Parity of 88.83 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median physical therapists salary is worth about $102,004 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do physical therapists 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.