GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Physical Therapist Aides
Best States to Be a Physical Therapist Aides
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a physical therapist aides salary goes furthest in Alaska — a $55,760 BLS median worth $54,475 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 159.3).
Which US states are best for a physical therapist aides after cost of living and tax?
For a physical therapist aides, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks Alaska #1: a $55,760 BLS median becomes $54,475 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 159.3). Louisiana ranks last ($25,124, index 73.5). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 50 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
Alaska ranks #1 of 50 states for a physical therapist aides. Index 100 = the average state; 159.3 means pay goes 59.3% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedPhysical Therapist Aides — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $55,760 | — | 102.4 | $54,475 | 159.3 |
| 2 | North Dakota | $37,680 | — | 89.0 | $42,357 | 123.9 |
| 3 | Minnesota | $42,330 | $1,465 | 98.6 | $41,437 | 121.2 |
| 4 | Montana | $38,950 | $1,160 | 94.6 | $39,928 | 116.8 |
| 5 | Ohio | $37,220 | $241 | 92.8 | $39,859 | 116.6 |
| 6 | Maine | $39,660 | $1,132 | 97.0 | $39,700 | 116.1 |
| 7 | Colorado | $41,970 | $1,187 | 103.1 | $39,575 | 115.7 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $40,460 | — | 104.2 | $38,842 | 113.6 |
| 9 | Wisconsin | $36,820 | $861 | 94.1 | $38,216 | 111.8 |
| 10 | Kentucky | $35,490 | $1,289 | 90.2 | $37,934 | 110.9 |
| 11 | West Virginia | $34,840 | $927 | 89.5 | $37,893 | 110.8 |
| 12 | Washington | $39,500 | — | 107.0 | $36,911 | 108.0 |
| 13 | Indiana | $35,100 | $1,023 | 93.3 | $36,513 | 106.8 |
| 14 | North Carolina | $34,760 | $935 | 94.3 | $35,859 | 104.9 |
| 15 | South Dakota | $31,330 | — | 88.6 | $35,367 | 103.4 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $35,520 | $1,090 | 97.6 | $35,286 | 103.2 |
| 17 | South Carolina | $33,280 | $456 | 93.7 | $35,013 | 102.4 |
| 18 | Illinois | $36,650 | $1,673 | 100.0 | $34,992 | 102.3 |
| 19 | Arizona | $35,260 | $407 | 100.7 | $34,619 | 101.3 |
| 20 | District of Columbia | $38,950 | $1,237 | 109.9 | $34,315 | 100.4 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $31,990 | $456 | 92.2 | $34,198 | 100.0 |
| 22 | California | $38,330 | $545 | 110.7 | $34,127 | 99.8 |
| 23 | Florida | $35,140 | — | 103.4 | $33,980 | 99.4 |
| 24 | Connecticut | $35,770 | $685 | 103.6 | $33,863 | 99.0 |
| 25 | Massachusetts | $37,440 | $1,652 | 105.8 | $33,840 | 99.0 |
| 26 | Tennessee | $30,320 | — | 91.9 | $33,003 | 96.5 |
| 27 | Delaware | $34,060 | $1,213 | 99.8 | $32,910 | 96.3 |
| 28 | Wyoming | $30,470 | — | 92.7 | $32,873 | 96.1 |
| 29 | Arkansas | $29,450 | $940 | 86.9 | $32,794 | 95.9 |
| 30 | Oregon | $36,060 | $2,351 | 103.4 | $32,613 | 95.4 |
| 31 | Texas | $31,590 | — | 97.1 | $32,548 | 95.2 |
| 32 | Nevada | $31,970 | — | 100.0 | $31,977 | 93.5 |
| 33 | Iowa | $29,120 | $1,067 | 87.8 | $31,965 | 93.5 |
| 34 | Virginia | $33,390 | $1,120 | 101.1 | $31,917 | 93.3 |
| 35 | Maryland | $34,780 | $1,319 | 105.0 | $31,880 | 93.2 |
| 36 | Missouri | $29,250 | $494 | 90.8 | $31,664 | 92.6 |
| 37 | New York | $35,380 | $1,341 | 107.9 | $31,541 | 92.2 |
| 38 | New Jersey | $34,430 | $515 | 108.8 | $31,170 | 91.2 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $27,370 | $399 | 87.0 | $31,018 | 90.7 |
| 40 | Georgia | $30,550 | $1,000 | 96.3 | $30,688 | 89.8 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $28,080 | $470 | 90.1 | $30,642 | 89.6 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $27,630 | $775 | 87.8 | $30,572 | 89.4 |
| 43 | Rhode Island | $31,200 | $570 | 102.3 | $29,947 | 87.6 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $33,810 | $1,149 | 110.0 | $29,705 | 86.9 |
| 45 | Alabama | $27,290 | $1,100 | 88.8 | $29,486 | 86.2 |
| 46 | Idaho | $28,660 | $512 | 95.5 | $29,476 | 86.2 |
| 47 | Michigan | $29,350 | $1,001 | 96.2 | $29,464 | 86.2 |
| 48 | Utah | $29,150 | $1,326 | 98.9 | $28,143 | 82.3 |
| 49 | Kansas | $25,280 | $651 | 90.1 | $27,345 | 80.0 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $22,460 | $299 | 88.2 | $25,124 | 73.5 |
"Real pay" = BLS median − 2025 state income tax, divided by the state's 2024 BEA cost of living (US = 100). Only the 50 states for which BLS publishes a median for this occupation are ranked; suppressed cells are excluded, never set to zero.
Where does your salary go furthest?
Enter a salary and a state. We adjust for 2025 state income tax and the 2024 BEA cost of living to show your real, purchasing-power-equivalent pay — then rank every state.
In Alaska, a $55,760 salary is worth about $54,475 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $0 (no state income tax) · take-home $55,760 · BEA cost of living 102.4 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $62,944, a $8,470 gain over Alaska.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $62,944 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $61,637 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $61,318 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $61,305 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $61,121 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $61,114 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $60,694 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $60,462 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $60,157 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $59,638 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $59,372 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $59,301 | 89.5 |
Estimate only. State income tax is approximated from each state's 2025 flat rate (or top marginal rate as an upper bound for graduated states) and ignores federal tax, deductions and credits. The pre-published occupation and state pages use exact 2025 bracket math. Cost of living is the 2024 BEA Regional Price Parity (All Items).
Physical Therapist Aides — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a physical therapist aides?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, Alaska is the best state for a physical therapist aides: a BLS median of $55,760 is worth $54,475 after the 2025 state income tax ($0) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 102.4), an index of 159.3 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. Alaska has the highest headline BLS median for a physical therapist aides at $55,760, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #1 of 50 on real pay (index 159.3). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a physical therapist aides salary go least far?
- Louisiana ranks last of 50 states for a physical therapist aides: a $22,460 BLS median is worth only $25,124 after tax and cost of living (index 73.5). Higher local prices and/or income tax less far than the national average erode the headline pay.
Compare other occupations
- Home Health and Personal Care AidesWashington
- Retail SalespersonsNorth Dakota
- Fast Food and Counter WorkersCalifornia
- General and Operations ManagersSouth Dakota
- Registered NursesCalifornia
- CashiersWashington
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, HandNorth Dakota
- Stockers and Order FillersWyoming
- Customer Service RepresentativesIowa
- Office Clerks, GeneralNorth Dakota
- Waiters and WaitressesVermont
- Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping CleanersWashington
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Related on GeraJobs
- Gera US Real Pay Index — all states ranked — and how the index is calculated.
- Methodology — the exact BLS + BEA + tax computation.
- Browse US jobs with salary ranges — roles hiring now.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2025 state estimates, US federal public domain); U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities (All Items), by state (2024 (US = 100)); Tax Foundation — 2025 State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets. The Gera US Real Pay Index for a physical therapist aides is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.