GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Physical Therapist Assistants
Best States to Be a Physical Therapist Assistants
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a physical therapist assistants salary goes furthest in Texas — a $78,000 BLS median worth $80,365 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 120.1).
Which US states are best for a physical therapist assistants after cost of living and tax?
For a physical therapist assistants, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks Texas #1: a $78,000 BLS median becomes $80,365 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 120.1). District of Columbia ranks last ($55,190, index 82.5). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 51 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
Texas ranks #1 of 51 states for a physical therapist assistants. Index 100 = the average state; 120.1 means pay goes 20.1% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedPhysical Therapist Assistants — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | $78,000 | — | 97.1 | $80,365 | 120.1 |
| 2 | Alaska | $77,640 | — | 102.4 | $75,851 | 113.4 |
| 3 | Nevada | $75,520 | — | 100.0 | $75,536 | 112.9 |
| 4 | Louisiana | $65,370 | $1,586 | 88.2 | $72,312 | 108.1 |
| 5 | South Carolina | $70,500 | $2,764 | 93.7 | $72,253 | 108.0 |
| 6 | Georgia | $72,800 | $3,277 | 96.3 | $72,199 | 107.9 |
| 7 | California | $83,110 | $3,607 | 110.7 | $71,805 | 107.3 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $79,460 | $3,753 | 105.8 | $71,586 | 107.0 |
| 9 | Arkansas | $64,520 | $2,308 | 86.9 | $71,560 | 107.0 |
| 10 | North Dakota | $63,520 | $1 | 89.0 | $71,403 | 106.7 |
| 11 | Delaware | $74,610 | $3,583 | 99.8 | $71,163 | 106.4 |
| 12 | Maryland | $77,670 | $3,357 | 105.0 | $70,802 | 105.8 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $75,880 | $2,598 | 103.6 | $70,728 | 105.7 |
| 14 | Vermont | $71,600 | $2,344 | 98.0 | $70,700 | 105.7 |
| 15 | Florida | $72,530 | — | 103.4 | $70,136 | 104.8 |
| 16 | Virginia | $73,760 | $3,441 | 101.1 | $69,551 | 104.0 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $78,440 | $2,807 | 108.8 | $69,513 | 103.9 |
| 18 | North Carolina | $67,540 | $2,329 | 94.3 | $69,134 | 103.4 |
| 19 | Mississippi | $61,770 | $1,913 | 87.0 | $68,839 | 102.9 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $71,440 | — | 104.2 | $68,583 | 102.5 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $63,550 | — | 92.7 | $68,561 | 102.5 |
| 22 | Kansas | $64,500 | $2,799 | 90.1 | $68,504 | 102.4 |
| 23 | Tennessee | $62,500 | — | 91.9 | $68,031 | 101.7 |
| 24 | Missouri | $63,770 | $2,116 | 90.8 | $67,888 | 101.5 |
| 25 | Indiana | $65,280 | $1,928 | 93.3 | $67,880 | 101.5 |
| 26 | Ohio | $63,820 | $973 | 92.8 | $67,742 | 101.3 |
| 27 | Iowa | $61,030 | $2,279 | 87.8 | $66,943 | 100.1 |
| 28 | Alabama | $61,430 | $2,807 | 88.8 | $66,000 | 98.7 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $61,370 | $2,095 | 90.1 | $65,786 | 98.3 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $64,080 | $2,244 | 94.1 | $65,717 | 98.2 |
| 31 | Kentucky | $61,480 | $2,328 | 90.2 | $65,608 | 98.1 |
| 32 | New Mexico | $62,280 | $1,813 | 92.2 | $65,574 | 98.0 |
| 33 | Oregon | $73,180 | $5,599 | 103.4 | $65,383 | 97.7 |
| 34 | Maine | $66,250 | $2,857 | 97.0 | $65,320 | 97.6 |
| 35 | West Virginia | $60,430 | $1,984 | 89.5 | $65,305 | 97.6 |
| 36 | Rhode Island | $68,640 | $1,974 | 102.3 | $65,180 | 97.4 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $59,480 | $2,288 | 87.8 | $65,107 | 97.3 |
| 38 | Minnesota | $66,770 | $3,051 | 98.6 | $64,609 | 96.6 |
| 39 | Montana | $62,650 | $2,558 | 94.6 | $63,492 | 94.9 |
| 40 | Arizona | $64,650 | $1,141 | 100.7 | $63,082 | 94.3 |
| 41 | Illinois | $65,240 | $3,088 | 100.0 | $62,178 | 93.0 |
| 42 | Pennsylvania | $62,580 | $1,921 | 97.6 | $62,168 | 92.9 |
| 43 | Washington | $66,450 | — | 107.0 | $62,095 | 92.8 |
| 44 | Michigan | $61,670 | $2,374 | 96.2 | $61,627 | 92.1 |
| 45 | Idaho | $61,020 | $2,355 | 95.5 | $61,433 | 91.8 |
| 46 | Colorado | $64,810 | $2,192 | 103.1 | $60,764 | 90.8 |
| 47 | Utah | $61,980 | $2,820 | 98.9 | $59,840 | 89.5 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $67,510 | $3,601 | 110.0 | $58,125 | 86.9 |
| 49 | New York | $64,100 | $2,921 | 107.9 | $56,689 | 84.7 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $49,310 | — | 88.6 | $55,663 | 83.2 |
| 51 | District of Columbia | $63,400 | $2,746 | 109.9 | $55,190 | 82.5 |
"Real pay" = BLS median − 2025 state income tax, divided by the state's 2024 BEA cost of living (US = 100). Only the 51 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 Texas, a $78,000 salary is worth about $80,365 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $0 (no state income tax) · take-home $78,000 · BEA cost of living 97.1 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $88,050, a $7,685 gain over Texas.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $88,050 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $86,221 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $85,776 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $85,757 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $85,499 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $85,489 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $84,903 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $84,577 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $84,151 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $83,424 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $83,053 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $82,953 | 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 Assistants — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a physical therapist assistants?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, Texas is the best state for a physical therapist assistants: a BLS median of $78,000 is worth $80,365 after the 2025 state income tax ($0) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 97.1), an index of 120.1 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. California has the highest headline BLS median for a physical therapist assistants at $83,110, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #7 of 51 on real pay (index 107.3). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a physical therapist assistants salary go least far?
- District of Columbia ranks last of 51 states for a physical therapist assistants: a $63,400 BLS median is worth only $55,190 after tax and cost of living (index 82.5). 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 assistants is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.