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

A typical Physical Therapist in Alabama earns about $46.77 per hour ($97,290 per year), per the latest government wage data (May 2025). Calculated from that annual figure, pay works out to roughly $8,108 a month or $1,871 a week. Those weekly and monthly numbers are useful for budgeting, even though therapists are typically paid on a salaried or hourly basis rather than by the week.

That figure sits 5% below the national typical pay of $102,760, placing Alabama 46th out of 51 states and D.C. for Physical Therapist pay. Lower pay in Alabama tends to track its lower cost of living compared with higher-cost states. About 3,040 Physical Therapists work across the state, giving a sense of scale for these figures.

Entry-level positions for Physical Therapists in Alabama typically offer around $35.95 an hour, or about $74,770 a year, for those just starting out. Pay tends to move up toward the state's typical figure of $97,290 within the first several years on the job. New graduates often begin in outpatient clinics or hospital settings before moving into more specialized roles. Where someone starts their career in the state can also shape how quickly pay rises.

Experienced Physical Therapists in Alabama often earn upwards of $64.29 an hour, and the top 10% of earners make over $133,710 a year. That's a spread of $58,940 between entry-level and top-tier pay in the state. Setting and years of experience help explain the gap, along with which city a therapist works in, since pay varies noticeably across Alabama's metro areas.

Alabama's typical Physical Therapist pay rose from $86,820 in 2015 to $97,290 in 2025, a gain of $10,470. That amounts to a 12% increase over the decade, according to the latest government wage data. Pay didn't rise every year; it dipped slightly between 2016 and 2017, and again between 2022 and 2023, before recovering. Overall, the trend across the decade has been upward.

Nationally, typical Physical Therapist pay rose 22% over the same decade, faster than Alabama's climb. That means Alabama's pay gap with the rest of the country has widened somewhat rather than narrowed. For someone starting a career now, this history shows pay has moved upward over time, though it makes no promises about future increases.

Pay runs highest in Gadsden, where Physical Therapists earn a typical $106,720 a year ($51.31 an hour), about 10% above the state figure. Tuscaloosa follows closely at $106,450, and Huntsville comes in at $99,760. These figures cover each city's full metro area, not just the city limits. Smaller metro areas in northern Alabama tend to lead the state on typical pay.

At the other end, Florence pays the least at $84,750 a year ($40.74 an hour), a spread of $21,970 between the top and bottom of the state's city figures. Birmingham has the largest Physical Therapist workforce in Alabama, with 1,030 employed there at a typical $97,750 a year ($47.00 an hour). Higher pay often tracks a higher cost of living, while Florence tends to cost less to live in.

Alabama's typical Physical Therapist pay trails all four of its neighbors. Georgia pays the most nearby at $102,700, about 6% higher, while Florida ($101,040), Tennessee ($100,140), and Mississippi ($99,990) each run 3% to 4% above Alabama's figure. None of the differences are dramatic, but they add up over a career. Physical therapy licenses can often be transferred or endorsed between neighboring states, which makes comparing job offers across state lines a realistic option.

Physical Therapists in Alabama typically earn $97,290 a year, or $46.77 an hour, as of the latest government wage data (May 2025). That's up 12% over the past decade, though it still trails the national figure and most neighboring states. Anyone considering this career in Alabama can check the state licensing board for requirements and look at city-level pages for local pay figures in places like Birmingham, Gadsden, or Mobile.