SOC 31-2022 · Modesto, CA metro

Physical Therapist Aides Salary in Modesto, CA

The average salary for physical therapist aides in Modesto, California is $40,170 a year ($19.31 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $36,640: half of the 80 people in this job in the Modesto, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 10% more than the U.S. average for this job ($36,430).

$40,170average per year

$19.31 / hourMedian $36,640Take-home ≈ $33,714

  • $35K10th
  • $36K25th
  • $37KMedian
  • $45K75th
  • $48K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

80people in this job
+10%vs U.S. average
#15 of 21California metros
104cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Physical Therapist Aides pay range in Modesto

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,320 a year or less, while the top 10% make $48,410 or more. The middle half of physical therapist aides in Modesto earn between $35,570 and $44,550.

  • $35K10th
  • $36K25th
  • $37KMedian
  • $45K75th
  • $48K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$40,170$3,348$19.31
Median$36,640$3,053$17.62
Entry level (25th percentile)$35,570$2,964$17.10
Experienced (75th percentile)$44,550$3,712$21.42

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Physical Therapist Aides pay in Modesto vs. California and the U.S.

Physical therapist aides in Modesto earn 8% less than the California average ($43,470) and 10% more than the U.S. average ($36,430). At the median the gap is +4% against the U.S. median of $35,240.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Modesto$40,170$36,640$35,320$48,41080
California$43,470$38,330$34,690$60,2007,330
United States$36,430$35,240$25,360$47,78048,150

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Physical Therapist Aides salary after taxes in Modesto

On the average salary of $40,170, a single filer in Modesto takes home about $33,714 a year, or $2,810 a month and $1,297 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

California paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Modesto a good place for physical therapist aides? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Modesto area are 4% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 104.1), so the average $40,170 buys what about $38,585 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Modesto ($50,610). A typical home costs $468,302, or 11.7 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $40,170 is worth in another city

Physical Therapist Aides salary in other California cities

Modesto ranks 15th of 21 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($51,380).

All Physical Therapist Aides salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for physical therapist aides

Anchorage, AK pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($57,940).

Physical Therapist Aides salary by city

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Physical Therapist Aides salary in Modesto: questions

How much do physical therapist aides make an hour in Modesto?

$19.31 an hour on average, and $17.62 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level physical therapist aides salary in Modesto?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,320 a year and the 25th percentile is $35,570, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the physical therapist aides take-home pay in Modesto?

About $33,714 a year ($2,810 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $40,170. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do physical therapist aides earn more in Modesto than elsewhere?

The average here is 10% more than the U.S. average for this job ($36,430).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 31-2022; area Modesto, CA (33700). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.5%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.36, this job is 1.4 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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