How Much Does a Physical Therapist Make in Buffalo, NY in 2026?
Typical pay for Physical Therapists in Buffalo, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across New York.
BLS OES May 2025 · Buffalo · Cheektowaga metro area
A typical Physical Therapist in Buffalo, New York earns $46.06 per hour, or $95,800 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $7,983 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $66,210, and the top 10% of earners make over $116,420.
That pay is 5% below the New York figure of $100,660 and 7% below the national figure of $102,760. Buffalo ranks 6th of 13 metro areas in New York for Physical Therapist pay. About 1,410 Physical Therapists work in the Buffalo · Cheektowaga area. Buffalo is part of the Buffalo · Cheektowaga metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Cheektowaga share these figures.
Physical Therapist pay in Buffalo at a glance
- Typical pay is $46.06 an hour, or $95,800 a year.
- That is 5% below the New York figure, ranking 6th of 13 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $66,210; the top 10% make over $116,420.
- Typical pay rose +32% from 2015 to 2025, against +23% for New York as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Physical Therapist make in Buffalo?
Pay in Buffalo runs from entry-level positions at around $31.83 an hour to more than $55.97 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the New York and national figures.
Physical Therapist pay by career stage in Buffalo
| Career stage | Buffalo | New York | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $66,210$31.83 an hour | $73,580$35.37 an hour | $77,140$37.09 an hour |
| First years | $77,160$37.09 an hour | $81,470$39.17 an hour | $86,160$41.42 an hour |
| Typical Physical Therapist | $95,800$46.06 an hour | $100,660$48.39 an hour | $102,760$49.40 an hour |
| Experienced | $104,940$50.45 an hour | $121,270$58.30 an hour | $121,160$58.25 an hour |
| Top 10% | $116,420$55.97 an hour | $136,120$65.44 an hour | $135,140$64.97 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Buffalo · Cheektowaga area as BLS defines it
Physical Therapist pay growth in Buffalo
Typical (median) annual wage for Physical Therapists in the Buffalo · Cheektowaga area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Physical Therapist pay in Buffalo was $72,320 a year. By 2025 it had reached $95,800, a change of +32%, compared with +23% for New York over the same years.
How Buffalo compares with other New York cities
New York pays Physical Therapists the most in New York at $107,650 a year, $11,850 more than Buffalo. The lowest-paying area in the state is Rochester at $83,070.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Buffalo | Physical Therapists employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $107,650 | $51.75 | +12% | 21,240 |
| 2 | Ithaca | $101,290 | $48.70 | +6% | 110 |
| 3 | Binghamton | $99,670 | $47.92 | +4% | 240 |
| 4 | Newburgh metro incl. Kiryas Joel · Poughkeepsie | $97,110 | $46.69 | +1% | 640 |
| 5 | Glens Falls | $96,170 | $46.24 | 0% | 100 |
| 6 | Buffalo metro incl. Cheektowaga | $95,800 | $46.06 | this city | 1,410 |
| 7 | Albany metro incl. Schenectady · Troy | $94,020 | $45.20 | -2% | 790 |
| 8 | Syracuse | $92,080 | $44.27 | -4% | 700 |
| 9 | Kingston | $91,460 | $43.97 | -5% | 90 |
| 10 | Fort Drum metro incl. Watertown | $87,200 | $41.93 | -9% | 90 |
| 11 | Elmira | $86,680 | $41.67 | -10% | 60 |
| 12 | Utica metro incl. Rome | $85,930 | $41.31 | -10% | 250 |
| 13 | Rochester | $83,070 | $39.94 | -13% | 1,140 |
Every metro area in New York with Physical Therapist wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · New York typical pay $100,660
Is Buffalo a good place to work as a Physical Therapist?
Physical Therapists in Buffalo earn less than the national figure: typical pay is $95,800 a year, 7% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Buffalo · Cheektowaga area, about 2.6 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 Buffalo, NY?
- A typical Physical Therapist in Buffalo earns $95,800 a year, or $46.06 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $66,210 and the top 10% earn over $116,420.
- How much does a Physical Therapist make an hour in Buffalo?
- Typical hourly pay for Physical Therapists in Buffalo is $46.06. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $31.83, and the top 10% earn over $55.97 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Physical Therapist in Buffalo?
- Entry-level Physical Therapist positions in Buffalo typically offer around $31.83 an hour, or $66,210 a year.
- Is Physical Therapist pay in Buffalo higher than in the rest of New York?
- Buffalo pay is 5% below the New York figure of $100,660 a year, ranking 6th of 13 metro areas in the state. New York pays the most in New York at $107,650.