Physical Therapists Salary
The median pay for a physical therapists in El Centro, CA is $116,950/year ($56.22/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $82K at the entry level to $149K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.17), that's roughly $122,885 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,362/month, or 18.9% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $117K get you in El Centro?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by El Centro’s Regional Price Parity (95.17). 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 El Centro
El Centro sits well above the national pay line for physical therapists, local pay runs about 14% higher than the U.S. median of $103K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,362/month, 19.5% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 95.17) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, El Centro offers a genuinely strong financial position for physical therapistss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for physical therapists in metros near El Centro, 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, El Centro, CA
Entry-level physical therapists (10th percentile) start around $82K. Mid-career wages sit at $117K. Top earners bring in $149K or more, a $68K 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 El Centro numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a physical therapist afford a 2BR apartment alone in El Centro?
Yes — at the median salary of $117K, rent takes 19.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,362/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for physical therapists in El Centro?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new physical therapists typically earn — is $82K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,897/month. At HUD’s $1,362/month FMR, rent would take 28% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is physical therapist a high-paying job in El Centro?
Local pay is 14% above the national median — $117K here vs. $103K nationally.
How does El Centro compare to the national average for physical therapists?
El Centro pays $117K median vs. the U.S. average of $103K — that’s +14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.17), the purchasing-power equivalent is $123K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do physical therapists make in El Centro, CA?
The median is $116,950 a year, that works out to about $56 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $81,620, and experienced physical therapists can clear $149,200. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $117K enough to live in El Centro?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,971/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,362/month, which eats 19.5% 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 El Centro?
El Centro has a Regional Price Parity of 95.17 (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 $122,885 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.