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

A typical Physical Therapist in Colorado earns about $49.05 per hour ($102,030 per year), per the latest government wage data (May 2025). That works out to roughly $8,502 a month, or about $1,962 a week, when the annual figure is broken down. These figures represent the midpoint of pay across the state's Physical Therapists. They set a baseline before experience, city, and setting are factored in.

Colorado pay runs about 1% below the national figure of $102,760 a year ($49.40 an hour), according to the same wage data. That puts the state 17th among all states and Washington, D.C., for Physical Therapist pay. Colorado employs about 5,630 Physical Therapists, a workforce large enough to produce reliable pay figures across cities and experience levels.

Entry-level positions in Colorado typically offer around $36.76 an hour ($76,460 a year), the pay range where most new Physical Therapists start. That figure reflects the lower end of the state's pay range rather than a fixed starting wage. Pay tends to move toward the state's typical figure of $102,030 within the first few years on the job.

Experienced Physical Therapists in Colorado often earn upwards of $118,980 a year, and the top 10% of earners make over $132,010. The gap between entry-level and top pay comes to $55,550, one of the wider spreads in the profession. Setting, years of experience, and city all factor into where a given Physical Therapist lands within that range.

Colorado's typical Physical Therapist pay rose from $74,630 in 2015 to $102,030 in 2025, a gain of $27,400 over the decade. That amounts to a 37% increase, according to the same wage data. The rise has been steady rather than sudden, with pay climbing in nearly every year of the ten-year stretch.

Nationally, Physical Therapist pay rose 22% over the same decade, meaning Colorado's gain outpaced the national trend by a wide margin. For someone starting a Physical Therapist career in Colorado now, that decade of pay growth reflects what has already happened rather than a promise of future gains. Pay in the state has moved consistently upward over the past ten years, though past trends don't guarantee future pay.

Boulder pays Physical Therapists the most in Colorado, at $102,430 a year ($49.24 an hour), just above the statewide figure of $102,030. Denver and Aurora follow closely, both at $102,340 a year. Pay across Colorado's largest metro areas stays close together, with only a few thousand dollars separating the top cities.

Fort Collins and Loveland pay the least among Colorado's listed cities, at $86,840 a year ($41.75 an hour), a spread of $15,590 between the highest- and lowest-paying areas. Denver holds the largest Physical Therapist workforce in the state, with 2,730 employed there. Each of these figures covers the full metro area around a given city, and lower pay in an area usually tracks a lower cost of living.

Colorado's neighbors show a mixed picture. New Mexico pays Physical Therapists the most nearby, at $106,880 a year, about 5% above Colorado's figure, while Nebraska pays the least among neighbors at $97,090, about 5% below. Arizona sits close to Colorado at $103,220, roughly 1% higher. Physical Therapist licensure in one state can often be transferred or endorsed into a neighboring state, which can simplify a move across the region.

Physical Therapists in Colorado typically earn $102,030 a year, close to the national figure and up 37% over the past decade. That growth has been steady rather than sudden, moving pay from $74,630 in 2015 to today's figure. Anyone weighing a move or a new license in Colorado should check the state licensing board's requirements and review city-level pay figures for the specific metro area they're considering.