Physical Therapists Salary
The median pay for a physical therapists in Bakersfield-Delano, CA is $125,490/year ($60.33/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $98K at the entry level to $156K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.89), that's roughly $124,383 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,483/month, or 20% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $125K get you in Bakersfield-Delano?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Bakersfield-Delano’s Regional Price Parity (100.89). 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 Bakersfield-Delano
Bakersfield-Delano sits well above the national pay line for physical therapists, local pay runs about 22% higher than the U.S. median of $103K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,483/month, 20.1% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 100.89) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Bakersfield-Delano offers a genuinely strong financial position for physical therapistss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for physical therapists in metros near Bakersfield-Delano, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $108K | $95K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $142K | $123K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $114K | $102K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $120K | $113K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Bakersfield-Delano, CA
Entry-level physical therapists (10th percentile) start around $98K. Mid-career wages sit at $125K. Top earners bring in $156K or more, a $58K 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
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Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a physical therapist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Bakersfield-Delano?
Yes — at the median salary of $125K, rent takes 20.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,483/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for physical therapists in Bakersfield-Delano?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new physical therapists typically earn — is $98K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,898/month. At HUD’s $1,483/month FMR, rent would take 25% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is physical therapist a high-paying job in Bakersfield-Delano?
Local pay is 22% above the national median — $125K here vs. $103K nationally.
How does Bakersfield-Delano compare to the national average for physical therapists?
Bakersfield-Delano pays $125K median vs. the U.S. average of $103K — that’s +22%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $124K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do physical therapists make in Bakersfield-Delano, CA?
The median is $125,490 a year, that works out to about $60 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $98,300, and experienced physical therapists can clear $156,370. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $125K enough to live in Bakersfield-Delano?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,393/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,483/month, which eats 20.1% 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 Bakersfield-Delano?
Bakersfield-Delano has a Regional Price Parity of 100.89 (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 therapists salary is worth about $124,383 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.