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

A typical Physical Therapist in Ohio earns about $49.54 per hour ($103,050 per year), per the latest government wage data (May 2025). That translates to roughly $8,588 a month and $1,982 a week, both calculated from the annual figure. These figures describe the middle of the Ohio pay scale for this profession.

Ohio's typical pay is about on par with the national figure of $102,760 a year, less than one percent apart, and the state ranks 14th out of 51 states and D.C. for Physical Therapist pay. Ohio employs about 10,280 Physical Therapists statewide. That places Ohio in the middle tier of states for Physical Therapist pay, close to neighboring Midwest and Appalachian states.

Entry-level positions for Physical Therapists in Ohio typically offer around $38.02 an hour, or about $79,070 a year, according to the same May 2025 wage data. Pay for newcomers in this range reflects the first few years on the job. Within several years of experience, pay tends to move up toward the state's typical figure of $103,050 a year. Setting and location both play a role in how quickly that happens.

Experienced Physical Therapists in Ohio often earn upwards of $54.45 an hour ($113,260 a year), and the top 10% of earners make over $60.61 an hour ($126,060 a year). That leaves a spread of $46,990 between entry-level and top-tier pay in the state. Setting, years of experience, and city all factor into where an individual PT falls within that range.

Ohio's typical pay for Physical Therapists rose from $81,910 in 2015 to $103,050 in 2025, a gain of $21,140 over that span. That amounts to a 26% rise over the decade, based on the same government wage data trend. The increase was not perfectly steady; the largest single-year jump came between 2020 and 2021, when pay moved from $89,680 to $95,620.

Nationally, Physical Therapist pay rose 22% over the same ten years, so Ohio's gain outpaced the national trend by four points. The increase in Ohio has been broadly steady year over year rather than concentrated in one jump. Someone starting as a Physical Therapist in Ohio now enters the field at a higher starting point than a decade ago. Past growth is no guarantee of future increases, but the decade-long direction has been upward.

Pay for Physical Therapists runs highest in Columbus, where the typical figure reaches $105,130 a year, about 2% above the statewide figure. Springfield and Toledo follow closely, at $104,870 and $104,750 a year. These figures cover each city's full metro area, not just the city center. Pay across Ohio's largest metro areas stays within a fairly narrow band near the state figure.

At the other end, Steubenville pays the least among Ohio's metro areas, with a typical figure of $94,550 a year, a spread of $10,580 between the highest- and lowest-paying cities. Cincinnati employs the most Physical Therapists of any Ohio metro area, at 2,090, even though its typical pay of $102,890 sits below Columbus. Lower pay in smaller metro areas like Steubenville usually tracks lower living costs in those areas.

Ohio pays Physical Therapists more than each of its neighbors. Indiana comes closest, at $101,560 a year, about 1% below Ohio's figure. Pennsylvania ($101,380), Michigan ($100,900), and Kentucky ($100,710) each sit roughly 2% lower. West Virginia trails furthest behind, at $96,600, a gap of 6%. Physical Therapist licenses can often transfer or be endorsed between neighboring states, making cross-border moves relatively straightforward.

Physical Therapists in Ohio typically earn $103,050 a year, close to the national figure and up 26% over the past decade. Pay runs highest in Columbus and lowest in Steubenville, with most metro areas falling in between. Readers weighing a move to or within Ohio can check the state licensing board's requirements or look at city-level figures for a closer picture of local pay before deciding where to practice.