Physical Therapists Salary
The median pay for a physical therapists in Illinois is $105,250/year ($50.6/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $83K at the entry level to $140K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.85), which stretches that salary to about $112,147 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,407/month, or 21.1% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Illinois. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $105K actually covers in Illinois, month by month
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What this looks like in Illinois
Physical therapists pay in Illinois tracks closely to the national median, $105K locally vs. $103K nationwide, a 2% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,407/month, 21.9% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.85 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Illinois
Entry-level physical therapists (10th percentile) start around $83K. Mid-career wages sit at $105K. Top earners bring in $140K or more, a $57K spread from bottom to top.
Physical Therapists salary by metro in Illinois
8 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur | $126K | +19% | 40 |
| Springfield | $116K | +10% | 150 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $106K | +0% | 7,880 |
| Rockford | $101K | -4% | 190 |
| Kankakee | $100K | -5% | 60 |
| Peoria | $99K | -6% | 300 |
| Champaign-Urbana | $98K | -7% | 140 |
| Bloomington | $97K | -8% | 100 |
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BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Illinois numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a physical therapist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Illinois?
Yes — at the median salary of $105K, rent takes 21.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,407/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for physical therapists in Illinois?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new physical therapists typically earn — is $83K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,222/month. At HUD’s $1,407/month FMR, rent would take 27% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is physical therapist a high-paying job in Illinois?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $105K locally vs. $103K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Illinois compare to the national average for physical therapists?
Illinois pays $105K median vs. the U.S. average of $103K — that’s +2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $112K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do physical therapists make in Illinois?
The median is $105,250 a year, that works out to about $51 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $83,000, and experienced physical therapists can clear $140,410. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $105K enough to live in Illinois?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,435/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,407/month, which eats 21.9% 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 Illinois?
Illinois has a Regional Price Parity of 93.85 (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 $112,147 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.