SOC 29-1123 · Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro

Physical Therapists Salary in Riverside, CA

The average salary for physical therapists in Riverside, California is $121,540 a year ($58.43 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $120,110: half of the 2,240 people in this job in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 15% more than the U.S. average for this job ($105,280).

$121,540average per year

$58.43 / hourMedian $120,110Take-home ≈ $87,122

  • $97K10th
  • $100K25th
  • $120KMedian
  • $135K75th
  • $164K90th

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

2,240people in this job
+15%vs U.S. average
#14 of 25California metros
106cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Physical Therapists pay range in Riverside

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $97,370 a year or less, while the top 10% make $164,370 or more. The middle half of physical therapists in Riverside earn between $99,850 and $134,720.

  • $97K10th
  • $100K25th
  • $120KMedian
  • $135K75th
  • $164K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$121,540$10,128$58.43
Median$120,110$10,009$57.75
Entry level (25th percentile)$99,850$8,321$48.00
Experienced (75th percentile)$134,720$11,227$64.77

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

Physical Therapists pay in Riverside vs. California and the U.S.

Physical therapists in Riverside earn about the same as the California average ($122,580) and 15% more than the U.S. average ($105,280). At the median the gap is +17% against the U.S. median of $102,760.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Riverside$121,540$120,110$97,370$164,3702,240
California$122,580$124,190$85,580$163,96026,580
United States$105,280$102,760$77,140$135,140267,330

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

Physical Therapists salary after taxes in Riverside

On the average salary of $121,540, a single filer in Riverside takes home about $87,122 a year, or $7,260 a month and $3,351 every two weeks. Taxes take 28% 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 Riverside a good place for physical therapists? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Riverside area are 6% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 106.4), so the average $121,540 buys what about $114,184 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.5 times the median wage of all jobs in Riverside ($48,400). A typical home costs $585,378, or 4.8 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $121,540 is worth in another city

Physical Therapists salary in other California cities

Riverside ranks 14th of 25 California metro areas for this job; San Francisco pays the most ($145,040).

All Physical Therapists salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for physical therapists

San Francisco, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($145,040).

Physical Therapists salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Physical Therapists in Riverside, CA.

Physical Therapists salary in Riverside: questions

How much do physical therapists make an hour in Riverside?

$58.43 an hour on average, and $57.74 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level physical therapists salary in Riverside?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $97,370 a year and the 25th percentile is $99,850, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the physical therapists take-home pay in Riverside?

About $87,122 a year ($7,260 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $121,540. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do physical therapists earn more in Riverside than elsewhere?

The average here is 15% more than the U.S. average for this job ($105,280).

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 29-1123; area Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA (40140). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.9%.
  • 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 0.76, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.76).

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