How Much Does a Physical Therapist Make in Detroit, MI in 2026?
Typical pay for Physical Therapists in Detroit, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Michigan.
BLS OES May 2025 · Detroit · Warren · Dearborn metro area
A typical Physical Therapist in Detroit, Michigan earns $49.51 per hour, or $102,970 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $8,581 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $80,690, and the top 10% of earners make over $131,140.
That pay is 2% above the Michigan figure of $100,900 and right at the national figure of $102,760. Detroit ranks 6th of 16 metro areas in Michigan for Physical Therapist pay. About 3,770 Physical Therapists work in the Detroit · Warren · Dearborn area. Detroit is part of the Detroit · Warren · Dearborn metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Dearborn and Warren share these figures.
Physical Therapist pay in Detroit at a glance
- Typical pay is $49.51 an hour, or $102,970 a year.
- That is 2% above the Michigan figure, ranking 6th of 16 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $80,690; the top 10% make over $131,140.
- Typical pay rose +22% from 2015 to 2025, against +24% for Michigan as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Physical Therapist make in Detroit?
Pay in Detroit runs from entry-level positions at around $38.79 an hour to more than $63.05 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Michigan and national figures.
Physical Therapist pay by career stage in Detroit
| Career stage | Detroit | Michigan | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $80,690$38.79 an hour | $79,600$38.27 an hour | $77,140$37.09 an hour |
| First years | $88,190$42.40 an hour | $86,120$41.40 an hour | $86,160$41.42 an hour |
| Typical Physical Therapist | $102,970$49.51 an hour | $100,900$48.51 an hour | $102,760$49.40 an hour |
| Experienced | $112,120$53.90 an hour | $108,760$52.29 an hour | $121,160$58.25 an hour |
| Top 10% | $131,140$63.05 an hour | $123,980$59.61 an hour | $135,140$64.97 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Detroit · Warren · Dearborn area as BLS defines it
Physical Therapist pay growth in Detroit
Typical (median) annual wage for Physical Therapists in the Detroit · Warren · Dearborn area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Physical Therapist pay in Detroit was $84,140 a year. By 2025 it had reached $102,970, a change of +22%, compared with +24% for Michigan over the same years.
How Detroit compares with other Michigan cities
Ann Arbor pays Physical Therapists the most in Michigan at $106,980 a year, $4,010 more than Detroit. The lowest-paying area in the state is Midland at $92,620.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Detroit | Physical Therapists employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ann Arbor | $106,980 | $51.44 | +4% | 570 |
| 2 | Niles | $106,020 | $50.97 | +3% | 80 |
| 3 | Jackson | $104,000 | $50.00 | +1% | 90 |
| 4 | Battle Creek | $103,920 | $49.96 | +1% | 100 |
| 5 | Saginaw | $103,760 | $49.89 | +1% | 130 |
| 6 | Detroit | $102,970 | $49.51 | this city | 3,770 |
| 7 | Monroe | $102,510 | $49.29 | 0% | 50 |
| 8 | Traverse City | $101,640 | $48.86 | -1% | 240 |
| 9 | East Lansing metro incl. Lansing | $99,310 | $47.75 | -4% | 310 |
| 10 | Wyoming metro incl. Grand Rapids · Kentwood | $99,100 | $47.65 | -4% | 1,460 |
| 11 | Mishawaka | $98,270 | $47.24 | -5% | 200 |
| 12 | Portage metro incl. Kalamazoo | $97,920 | $47.08 | -5% | 190 |
| 13 | Norton Shores metro incl. Muskegon | $97,710 | $46.98 | -5% | 120 |
| 14 | Flint | $95,960 | $46.14 | -7% | 260 |
| 15 | Bay City | $93,450 | $44.93 | -9% | 120 |
| 16 | Midland | $92,620 | $44.53 | -10% | 90 |
Every metro area in Michigan with Physical Therapist wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Michigan typical pay $100,900
Is Detroit a good place to work as a Physical Therapist?
Physical Therapist pay in Detroit sits close to the national figure: $102,970 a year, right at the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Detroit · Warren · Dearborn area, about 2.0 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 Detroit, MI?
- A typical Physical Therapist in Detroit earns $102,970 a year, or $49.51 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $80,690 and the top 10% earn over $131,140.
- How much does a Physical Therapist make an hour in Detroit?
- Typical hourly pay for Physical Therapists in Detroit is $49.51. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $38.79, and the top 10% earn over $63.05 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Physical Therapist in Detroit?
- Entry-level Physical Therapist positions in Detroit typically offer around $38.79 an hour, or $80,690 a year.
- Is Physical Therapist pay in Detroit higher than in the rest of Michigan?
- Detroit pay is 2% above the Michigan figure of $100,900 a year, ranking 6th of 16 metro areas in the state. Ann Arbor pays the most in Michigan at $106,980.