How Much Does a Physical Therapist Make in Gainesville, FL in 2026?
Typical pay for Physical Therapists in Gainesville, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Florida.
BLS OES May 2025 · Gainesville metro area
A typical Physical Therapist in Gainesville, Florida earns $47.45 per hour, or $98,700 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $8,225 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $80,650, and the top 10% of earners make over $118,040.
That pay is 2% below the Florida figure of $101,040 and 4% below the national figure of $102,760. Gainesville ranks 17th of 22 metro areas in Florida for Physical Therapist pay. About 430 Physical Therapists work in the Gainesville area.
Physical Therapist pay in Gainesville at a glance
- Typical pay is $47.45 an hour, or $98,700 a year.
- That is 2% below the Florida figure, ranking 17th of 22 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $80,650; the top 10% make over $118,040.
- Typical pay rose +27% from 2015 to 2025, against +21% for Florida as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Physical Therapist make in Gainesville?
Pay in Gainesville runs from entry-level positions at around $38.77 an hour to more than $56.75 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Florida and national figures.
Physical Therapist pay by career stage in Gainesville
| Career stage | Gainesville | Florida | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $80,650$38.77 an hour | $73,630$35.40 an hour | $77,140$37.09 an hour |
| First years | $87,080$41.86 an hour | $83,650$40.22 an hour | $86,160$41.42 an hour |
| Typical Physical Therapist | $98,700$47.45 an hour | $101,040$48.58 an hour | $102,760$49.40 an hour |
| Experienced | $104,670$50.32 an hour | $107,520$51.69 an hour | $121,160$58.25 an hour |
| Top 10% | $118,040$56.75 an hour | $122,880$59.08 an hour | $135,140$64.97 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Gainesville area as BLS defines it
Physical Therapist pay growth in Gainesville
Typical (median) annual wage for Physical Therapists in the Gainesville area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Physical Therapist pay in Gainesville was $77,730 a year. By 2025 it had reached $98,700, a change of +27%, compared with +21% for Florida over the same years.
How Gainesville compares with other Florida cities
Marco Island pays Physical Therapists the most in Florida at $105,440 a year, $6,740 more than Gainesville. The lowest-paying area in the state is Panama City at $92,690.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Gainesville | Physical Therapists employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marco Island metro incl. Naples | $105,440 | $50.69 | +7% | 300 |
| 2 | Port St. Lucie | $105,240 | $50.60 | +7% | 380 |
| 3 | Bradenton metro incl. Sarasota · North Port | $104,020 | $50.01 | +5% | 680 |
| 4 | Homosassa Springs | $103,510 | $49.77 | +5% | 170 |
| 5 | Clearwater metro incl. St. Petersburg · Tampa | $102,430 | $49.25 | +4% | 2,350 |
| 6 | Fort Myers metro incl. Cape Coral | $101,870 | $48.98 | +3% | 630 |
| 7 | Kissimmee | $101,530 | $48.81 | +3% | 1,560 |
| 8 | Punta Gorda | $101,030 | $48.57 | +2% | 160 |
| 9 | Sebastian metro incl. Vero Beach · West Vero Corridor | $100,890 | $48.50 | +2% | 160 |
| 10 | Fort Lauderdale metro incl. Miami · West Palm Beach | $100,870 | $48.50 | +2% | 4,950 |
| 11 | Jacksonville | $100,150 | $48.15 | +1% | 1,330 |
| 12 | Destin metro incl. Fort Walton Beach · Crestview | $100,040 | $48.09 | +1% | 180 |
| 13 | The Villages metro incl. Wildwood | $99,610 | $47.89 | +1% | 80 |
| 14 | Ormond Beach metro incl. Deltona · Daytona Beach | $99,500 | $47.84 | +1% | 440 |
| 15 | Palm Bay metro incl. Titusville · Melbourne | $98,990 | $47.59 | 0% | 450 |
| 16 | Winter Haven metro incl. Lakeland | $98,740 | $47.47 | 0% | 360 |
| 17 | Gainesville | $98,700 | $47.45 | this city | 430 |
| 18 | Sebring | $98,370 | $47.30 | 0% | 60 |
| 19 | Pensacola metro incl. Brent · Ferry Pass | $98,340 | $47.28 | 0% | 400 |
| 20 | Tallahassee | $96,180 | $46.24 | -3% | 250 |
| 21 | Ocala | $94,130 | $45.25 | -5% | 240 |
| 22 | Panama City Beach metro incl. Panama City | $92,690 | $44.56 | -6% | 160 |
Every metro area in Florida with Physical Therapist wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Florida typical pay $101,040
Is Gainesville a good place to work as a Physical Therapist?
Physical Therapist pay in Gainesville sits close to the national figure: $98,700 a year, 4% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Gainesville area, about 2.8 are Physical Therapist positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 1.7. That makes the local economy more reliant on Physical Therapists than most places, and turnover keeps positions opening through the year.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Physical Therapist make in Gainesville, FL?
- A typical Physical Therapist in Gainesville earns $98,700 a year, or $47.45 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $80,650 and the top 10% earn over $118,040.
- How much does a Physical Therapist make an hour in Gainesville?
- Typical hourly pay for Physical Therapists in Gainesville is $47.45. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $38.77, and the top 10% earn over $56.75 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Physical Therapist in Gainesville?
- Entry-level Physical Therapist positions in Gainesville typically offer around $38.77 an hour, or $80,650 a year.
- Is Physical Therapist pay in Gainesville higher than in the rest of Florida?
- Gainesville pay is 2% below the Florida figure of $101,040 a year, ranking 17th of 22 metro areas in the state. Marco Island pays the most in Florida at $105,440.