How Much Does a Physical Therapist Make in Alaska in 2026?

A typical Physical Therapist in Alaska earns about $55.43 per hour, or $115,280 per year, according to the latest government wage data (May 2025). Calculated from that annual figure, pay works out to roughly $9,607 a month or $2,217 a week. These numbers reflect statewide typical pay for the profession as a whole, not what a new graduate would earn.

That figure sits 12% above the $102,760 national figure for Physical Therapists, and Alaska ranks No. 2 out of 51 states and jurisdictions for pay in this profession. About 680 Physical Therapists work in Alaska, a modest workforce compared with the 267,330 nationwide. The gap between Alaska and the national figure is one of the widest in the country.

Entry-level positions in Alaska typically offer around $47.09 an hour, or about $97,950 a year, for Physical Therapists just starting out. Some early-career postings run closer to $48.80 an hour, or $101,500 a year. Pay tends to move toward the statewide typical figure of $115,280 within the first several years on the job.

Experienced Physical Therapists in Alaska often earn upwards of $62.38 an hour, or about $129,760 a year. The top 10% of earners make over $64.28 an hour, or $133,690 a year. That leaves a spread of $35,740 between entry-level and top-tier pay, a gap that typically comes down to years of experience, practice setting, and which city a therapist works in.

Over the past decade, typical pay for Physical Therapists in Alaska climbed from $96,780 in 2015 to $115,280 in 2025, a gain of $18,500. That amounts to a 19% rise over ten years. Growth was not perfectly even along the way; pay dipped slightly in 2016 before climbing steadily through 2025.

Nationally, Physical Therapist pay rose 22% over the same decade, a somewhat faster pace than Alaska saw. The pace of increase in Alaska has picked up in the most recent years reported, with 2024 to 2025 alone accounting for a large share of the gain. Someone starting a career in Alaska today is entering a profession where pay has moved up steadily, though nothing about past gains guarantees future increases.

Fairbanks and College pay Physical Therapists the most in Alaska, at $113,570 a year ($54.60 an hour). That figure sits about 1% below the statewide typical pay of $115,280, meaning even the top-paying areas track close to the overall state figure. Anchorage, the state's largest metro area for the profession, pays a close $112,590 a year ($54.13 an hour).

Anchorage is also the lowest-paying of the three metro areas Alaska reports, though the gap is small: a $980 spread separates the highest and lowest city figures. Anchorage carries the largest Physical Therapist workforce in the state, with 460 employed there compared with 50 in the Fairbanks and College area. These figures cover each city's full metro area, and a difference this small usually comes down to local cost of living.

Physical Therapists in Alaska typically earn $115,280 a year ($55.43 an hour), a figure that has climbed 19% over the past decade and sits well above the national number. Pay varies little between Alaska's reporting metro areas, though Anchorage carries by far the largest workforce. Readers weighing a move or a new license should check Alaska's licensing requirements and the city-level pages here for local figures.