Where PT, OT, SLP, & RT Salaries Are Highest & Lowest

Therapy roles are generally known to come with decent pay, but where are PTs, OTs, SLPs, and RTs earning the most and the least? Find out here.

Therapy roles are generally known to come with a decent wage, often ranking on lists of “Best Paying Jobs” both within and outside of healthcare.

Considering physical, occupational, speech, and respiratory therapists are highly-skilled, in-demand healthcare workers, this should not be surprising. However, where they are paid the highest and the lowest salaries may surprise you.

Below are the 10 states where PTs, OTs, SLPs, and RTs make the most and the least, on average, according to 2020 salary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Physical Therapists – Highest Paying States

  1. Nevada – $108,580
  2. California – $104,500
  3. Alaska – $101,190
  4. New Jersey – $100,740
  5. Connecticut – $100,580
  6. New Mexico – $98,580
  7. Delaware – $97,260
  8. Illinois – $97,060
  9. District of Columbia – $96,090
  10. Virginia – $94,370

Physical Therapists – Lowest Paying States

  1. South Dakota – $78,850
  2. Vermont – $81,580
  3. Idaho – $82,470
  4. Maine – $83,380
  5. Iowa – $83,640
  6. Arkansas – $84,410
  7. Montana – $84,600
  8. South Carolina – $84,640
  9. Missouri – $84,660
  10. North Dakota – $84,880

Occupational Therapists – Highest Paying States

  1. Nevada – $111,270
  2. California – $101,080
  3. Arizona – $99,950
  4. New Jersey – $98,750
  5. District of Columbia – $96,330
  6. Virginia – $95,170
  7. Alaska – $93,980
  8. Rhode Island – $93,330
  9. Connecticut – $92,000
  10. Colorado – $91,650

Occupational Therapists – Lowest Paying States

  1. Maine – $72,500
  2. North Dakota – $73,280
  3. South Dakota – $74,580
  4. Vermont – $75,330
  5. Montana – $76,200
  6. Wisconsin – $76,850
  7. Michigan – $77,600
  8. Minnesota – $77,790
  9. Missouri – $78,660
  10. South Carolina – $79,840

Speech-Language Pathologists – Highest Paying States

  1. District of Columbia – $101,920
  2. Connecticut – $100,590
  3. New Jersey – $100,330
  4. New York – $98,010
  5. California – $95,570
  6. Virginia – $92,520
  7. Colorado – $91,200
  8. Oregon – $87,850
  9. Rhode Island – $87,270
  10. Alaska – $87,250

Speech-Language Pathologists – Lowest Paying States

  1. South Dakota – $59,270
  2. Alabama – $66,400
  3. West Virginia – $67,010
  4. Mississippi – $67,250
  5. North Dakota – $67,790
  6. Maine – $69,250
  7. South Carolina – $71,340
  8. Nebraska – $71,940
  9. Montana – $72,220
  10. Idaho – $72,390

Respiratory Therapists – Highest Paying States

  1. California – $87,190
  2. District of Columbia – $82,940
  3. New York – $79,840
  4. Hawaii – $77,930
  5. Nevada – $77,380
  6. Massachusetts – $76,270
  7. Washington – $75,380
  8. New Jersey – $74,710
  9. Alaska – $74,390
  10. Oregon – $72,340

Respiratory Therapists – Lowest Paying States

  1. Mississippi – $51,480
  2. Kentucky – $51,800
  3. Alabama – $51,820
  4. West Virginia – $52,400
  5. South Dakota – $53,610
  6. Tennessee – $54,310
  7. Louisiana – $55,720
  8. Iowa – $56,260
  9. Arkansas – $56,400
  10. Georgia – $56,750

Ready to start your search for a higher paying therapy job? Click here.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Therapy’s Most In-Demand Roles

Despite being majorly impacted by the pandemic, healthcare employment is rebounding at a steady clip. What types of therapy professionals are needed the most right now, and where?

As the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in April of 2020, despite being, arguably, the most needed and relevant industry, healthcare accounted for approximately 6.8% of the more than 20 million jobs lost in the U.S. during that time.

Fast forward to present day, and healthcare is rebounding at a steady clip. Despite the current overall unemployment rate being 5.8%, unemployment in healthcare has dropped to only 3.1%. Healthcare has consistently seen notable job gains over the last several months, including most recently when it added 23,000 jobs in May of 2021.

What types of therapy professionals are needed the most right now? And where are they needed? We break it down for you below, according to data from our jobs site.

1. Speech-Language Pathologist

Percentage of Available Therapy Jobs on Our Site: 30%
Most Needed In: California, Texas, Illinois, New York, and Florida
View All SLP Jobs →

2. Physical Therapist

Percentage of Available Therapy Jobs on Our Site: 22.2%
Most Needed In: California, Florida, Texas, Georgia, and New York
View All PT Jobs →

3. Occupational Therapist

Percentage of Available Therapy Jobs on Our Site: 18.4%
Most Needed In: California, Texas, Illinois, Florida, and New York
View All OT Jobs →

4. Respiratory Therapist

Percentage of Available Therapy Jobs on Our Site: 16.1%
Most Needed In: Ohio, Texas, Florida, Michigan, and Georgia
View All RT Jobs →

5. Physical Therapist Assistant

Percentage of Available Therapy Jobs on Our Site: 7.3%
Most Needed In: California, New York, Massachusetts, Virginia, and Connecticut
View All PTA Jobs →

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

3 States with the Most Demand for Therapy Professionals

Given the pandemic, therapy professionals are essential in a way that most other professions are not at the moment. Where is demand the greatest?

The healthcare workforce, like nearly every other industry, was greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, seeing staggering job losses as the virus, and the economic fallout associated with it, swept across the nation. However, therapy professionals are essential in a way that most other professions are not at the moment, and hiring remains steady, with the healthcare industry adding back more than 250,000 jobs during July, August, and September.

Where is the demand for physical, occupational, and respiratory therapists the greatest, though? We analyzed data from our jobs website to determine what states currently have the highest inventory of openings. Here are the top three states where PTs, OTs, and RTs are needed most.

States with the Most Demand for Physical Therapists

1. California

Average Annual Physical Therapist Salary in California: $99,920

Noteworthy Openings in California:

Click Here to Search Physical Therapist Jobs in California →

2. Texas

Average Annual Physical Therapist Salary in Texas: $89,630

Noteworthy Openings in Texas:

Click Here to Search Physical Therapist Jobs in Texas →

3. Virginia

Average Annual Physical Therapist Salary in Virginia: $91,930

Noteworthy Openings in Virginia:

Click Here to Search Physical Therapist Jobs in Virginia →

States with the Most Demand for Occupational Therapists

1. California

Average Annual Occupational Therapist Salary in California: $98,450

Noteworthy Openings in California:

Click Here to Search Occupational Therapist Jobs in California →

2. Texas

Average Annual Occupational Therapist Salary in Texas: $85,090

Noteworthy Openings in Texas:

Click Here to Search Occupational Therapist Jobs in Texas →

3. Illinois

Average Annual Occupational Therapist Salary in Illinois: $84,700

Noteworthy Openings in Illinois:

Click Here to Search Occupational Therapist Jobs in Illinois →

States with the Most Demand for Respiratory Therapists

1. California

Average Annual Respiratory Therapist Salary in California: $83,920

Noteworthy Openings in California:

Click Here to Search Respiratory Therapist Jobs in California →

2. Colorado

Average Annual Respiratory Therapist Salary in Colorado: $64,450

Noteworthy Openings in Colorado:

Click Here to Search Respiratory Therapist Jobs in Colorado →

3. Texas

Average Annual Respiratory Therapist Salary in Texas: $60,560

Noteworthy Openings in Texas:

Click Here to Search Respiratory Therapist Jobs in Texas →

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

The Top 10 Pandemic-Proof Healthcare Jobs

Healthcare is often touted as a recession-proof industry. But is it pandemic-proof? Given the number of available jobs, it seems so. See the most in-demand position types here.

Healthcare is often touted as a recession-proof industry. This is typically believed, because, even in the worst economic times, people still require medical care. However, it is proving not to be entirely pandemic-proof, with more than 40,000 healthcare professionals being laid off in March, when COVID-19 began to significantly impact nearly every industry in the United States.

Healthcare is still hiring for a surprisingly large number of positions, though, despite the pandemic continuing on, and not all of them are related to COVID-19, either.

Here are the top ten most in-demand positions right now, according to data from our job board.

1. Registered Nurse

Number of Available Jobs: 7,761
States with the Most Available Jobs: California, New York, Massachusetts
View All Registered Nurse Jobs →

2. Physician

Number of Available Jobs: 4,141
States with the Most Available Jobs: California, New York, Pennsylvania
View All Physician Jobs →

3. Speech Language Pathologist

Number of Available Jobs: 3,462
States with the Most Available Jobs: California, Texas, Illinois
View All Speech Language Pathologist Jobs →

4. Physical Therapist

Number of Available Jobs: 2,840
States with the Most Available Jobs: California, Texas, Illinois
View All Physical Therapist Jobs →

5. Nurse Practitioner

Number of Available Jobs: 2,222
States with the Most Available Jobs: New York, California, Connecticut
View All Nurse Practitioner Jobs →

5. Occupational Therapist

Number of Available Jobs: 2,222
States with the Most Available Jobs: California, Texas, Illinois
View All Occupational Therapist Jobs →

7. Physical Therapist Assistant

Number of Available Jobs: 1,833
States with the Most Available Jobs: California, Texas, Illinois
View All Physical Therapist Assistant Jobs →

8. Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant

Number of Available Jobs: 1,725
States with the Most Available Jobs: California, Texas, Illinois
View All Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant Jobs →

9. Respiratory Therapist

Number of Available Jobs: 1,703
States with the Most Available Jobs: Pennsylvania, Alaska, Florida
View All Respiratory Therapist Jobs →

10. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist

Number of Available Jobs: 1,346
States with the Most Available Jobs: Texas, California, Virginia
View All Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist Jobs →

Don’t see your position listed? That doesn’t mean it isn’t hiring. Search for it on our job board by clicking here.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.