How Much Does a Physical Therapist Make in San Jose, CA in 2026?
Typical pay for Physical Therapists in San Jose, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across California.
BLS OES May 2025 · San Jose · Sunnyvale · Santa Clara metro area
A typical Physical Therapist in San Jose, California earns $66.83 per hour, or $139,000 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $11,583 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $104,000, and the top 10% of earners make over $171,560.
That pay is 12% above the California figure of $124,190 and 35% above the national figure of $102,760. San Jose ranks 4th of 25 metro areas in California for Physical Therapist pay. About 1,460 Physical Therapists work in the San Jose · Sunnyvale · Santa Clara area. San Jose is part of the San Jose · Sunnyvale · Santa Clara metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Sunnyvale and Santa Clara share these figures.
Physical Therapist pay in San Jose at a glance
- Typical pay is $66.83 an hour, or $139,000 a year.
- That is 12% above the California figure, ranking 4th of 25 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $104,000; the top 10% make over $171,560.
- Typical pay rose +42% from 2015 to 2025, against +32% for California as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Physical Therapist make in San Jose?
Pay in San Jose runs from entry-level positions at around $50.00 an hour to more than $82.48 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the California and national figures.
Physical Therapist pay by career stage in San Jose
| Career stage | San Jose | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $104,000$50.00 an hour | $85,580$41.15 an hour | $77,140$37.09 an hour |
| First years | $123,130$59.20 an hour | $100,790$48.46 an hour | $86,160$41.42 an hour |
| Typical Physical Therapist | $139,000$66.83 an hour | $124,190$59.71 an hour | $102,760$49.40 an hour |
| Experienced | $165,170$79.41 an hour | $141,260$67.91 an hour | $121,160$58.25 an hour |
| Top 10% | $171,560$82.48 an hour | $163,960$78.83 an hour | $135,140$64.97 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the San Jose · Sunnyvale · Santa Clara area as BLS defines it
Physical Therapist pay growth in San Jose
Typical (median) annual wage for Physical Therapists in the San Jose · Sunnyvale · Santa Clara area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Physical Therapist pay in San Jose was $98,100 a year. By 2025 it had reached $139,000, a change of +42%, compared with +32% for California over the same years.
How San Jose compares with other California cities
Oakland pays Physical Therapists the most in California at $141,980 a year, $2,980 more than San Jose. The lowest-paying area in the state is San Luis Obispo at $101,860.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs San Jose | Physical Therapists employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oakland metro incl. Fremont · San Francisco | $141,980 | $68.26 | +2% | 3,140 |
| 2 | Vallejo | $141,530 | $68.04 | +2% | 300 |
| 3 | Petaluma metro incl. Santa Rosa | $140,100 | $67.36 | +1% | 290 |
| 4 | San Jose metro incl. Sunnyvale · Santa Clara | $139,000 | $66.83 | this city | 1,460 |
| 5 | Napa | $138,540 | $66.61 | 0% | 50 |
| 6 | Chico | $134,970 | $64.89 | -3% | 180 |
| 7 | Roseville metro incl. Folsom · Sacramento | $131,430 | $63.19 | -5% | 1,610 |
| 8 | Santa Barbara metro incl. Santa Maria | $128,680 | $61.87 | -7% | 310 |
| 9 | Corcoran metro incl. Hanford | $127,460 | $61.28 | -8% | 40 |
| 10 | Salinas | $127,120 | $61.12 | -9% | 190 |
| 11 | Modesto | $126,600 | $60.86 | -9% | 400 |
| 12 | Merced | $126,000 | $60.58 | -9% | 60 |
| 13 | Bakersfield metro incl. Delano | $125,490 | $60.33 | -10% | 310 |
| 14 | Watsonville metro incl. Santa Cruz | $124,790 | $60.00 | -10% | 160 |
| 15 | Stockton metro incl. Lodi | $124,260 | $59.74 | -11% | 350 |
| 16 | Fresno | $123,820 | $59.53 | -11% | 620 |
| 17 | Ontario metro incl. Riverside · San Bernardino | $120,110 | $57.74 | -14% | 2,240 |
| 18 | El Centro | $116,950 | $56.22 | -16% | 70 |
| 19 | Thousand Oaks | $116,770 | $56.14 | -16% | 550 |
| 20 | Carlsbad metro incl. Chula Vista · San Diego | $113,850 | $54.74 | -18% | 2,680 |
| 21 | Los Angeles metro incl. Long Beach · Anaheim | $108,170 | $52.01 | -22% | 9,750 |
| 22 | Redding | $107,980 | $51.91 | -22% | 150 |
| 23 | Yuba City | $106,600 | $51.25 | -23% | 70 |
| 24 | Visalia | $105,210 | $50.58 | -24% | 230 |
| 25 | Paso Robles metro incl. San Luis Obispo | $101,860 | $48.97 | -27% | 190 |
Every metro area in California with Physical Therapist wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · California typical pay $124,190
Is San Jose a good place to work as a Physical Therapist?
Physical Therapists in San Jose earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $139,000 a year, 35% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the San Jose · Sunnyvale · Santa Clara area, about 1.3 are Physical Therapist positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 1.7. That makes Physical Therapists a smaller part of the local job market than usual, so employers draw from a smaller pool of qualified candidates.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Physical Therapist make in San Jose, CA?
- A typical Physical Therapist in San Jose earns $139,000 a year, or $66.83 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $104,000 and the top 10% earn over $171,560.
- How much does a Physical Therapist make an hour in San Jose?
- Typical hourly pay for Physical Therapists in San Jose is $66.83. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $50.00, and the top 10% earn over $82.48 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Physical Therapist in San Jose?
- Entry-level Physical Therapist positions in San Jose typically offer around $50.00 an hour, or $104,000 a year.
- Is Physical Therapist pay in San Jose higher than in the rest of California?
- San Jose pay is 12% above the California figure of $124,190 a year, ranking 4th of 25 metro areas in the state. Oakland pays the most in California at $141,980.