Physical Therapists Salary
The median pay for a physical therapists in Helena, MT is $84,390/year ($40.57/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $79K at the entry level to $108K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.67), that's roughly $88,209 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,404/month, or 26.3% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $84K actually covers in Helena, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Helena’s Regional Price Parity (95.67). 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 Helena
Pay for physical therapists in Helena runs about 18% below the U.S. median of $103K. Rent runs $1,404/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 26.4% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 95.67) 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 therapists in metros near Helena, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Billings | $97K | $104K |
| Missoula | $84K | $87K |
| Bozeman | $97K | $95K |
| Great Falls | $82K | $85K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Helena, MT
Entry-level physical therapists (10th percentile) start around $79K. Mid-career wages sit at $84K. Top earners bring in $108K or more, a $29K 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
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a physical therapist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Helena?
Yes — at the median salary of $84K, rent takes 26.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,404/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for physical therapists in Helena?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new physical therapists typically earn — is $79K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,015/month. At HUD’s $1,404/month FMR, rent would take 28% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is physical therapist a high-paying job in Helena?
Local pay runs 18% below the national median — $84K here vs. $103K nationally.
How does Helena compare to the national average for physical therapists?
Helena pays $84K median vs. the U.S. average of $103K — that’s -18%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.67), the purchasing-power equivalent is $88K — below the national median.
How much do physical therapists make in Helena, MT?
The median is $84,390 a year, that works out to about $41 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $78,640, and experienced physical therapists can clear $108,120. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $84K enough to live in Helena?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,324/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,404/month, which eats 26.4% 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 Helena?
Helena has a Regional Price Parity of 95.67 (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 $88,209 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.