Physical Therapist Salary in Tennessee
What physical therapists earn across Tennessee, and what they keep after tax, rent and everyday costs.
- Median salary
- $100,140
- Median hourly wage
- $48.15
- Top 10% earn
- $127,500
- Kept after costs
- $48,444
Pay range
Half of Tennessee's 4,800 physical therapists earn more than $100,140 a year, and half earn less. The US median for the same job is $102,760.
Pay over time
In Tennessee, physical therapist pay rose 18% from 2015 to 2025, but fell 13% after inflation.
Yearly figures, 2015 to 2025
| May | Median pay | In 2025 dollars | US median |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | $84,770 | $115,144 | $84,020 |
| 2016 | $85,420 | $114,582 | $85,400 |
| 2017 | $84,920 | $111,535 | $86,850 |
| 2018 | $85,240 | $109,286 | $87,930 |
| 2019 | $86,690 | $109,167 | $89,440 |
| 2020 | $88,880 | $110,561 | $91,010 |
| 2021 | $95,370 | $113,310 | $95,620 |
| 2022 | $95,380 | $104,925 | $97,720 |
| 2023 | $98,690 | $104,274 | $99,710 |
| 2024 | $100,660 | $103,309 | $101,020 |
| 2025 | $100,140 | $100,140 | $102,760 |
BLS designs these estimates as yearly snapshots and cautions against reading small year-to-year changes as trends. 2025 dollars use the CPI-U annual average.
What a physical therapist keeps in Tennessee
The median salary, after federal, payroll and state taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Median salary
- $100,140
- Federal income tax
- −$13,201
- Payroll taxes
- −$7,661
- State income tax
- $0
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$14,352
- Everyday costs
- −$16,482
a year, or $4,037 a month
Wages: BLS OEWS. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents, statewide. Taxes: 2026 federal and state schedules, single filer.
At three pay levels
Half of physical therapists in Tennessee earn between the lower and higher pay shown here. Same statewide rent, everyday costs and taxes.
| Pay level | Salary | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Lower-paid (25th percentile) | $80,930 | $34,930 |
| Typical (median) | $100,140 | $48,444 |
| Higher-paid (75th percentile) | $111,140 | $56,183 |
Compare cities in Tennessee
Pay and rent change from city to city. Here is what a physical therapist keeps in each Tennessee city we cover, using local pay and rent.
| City | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Memphis | $100,000 | $48,122 |
| Chattanooga | $99,120 | $46,002 |
| Knoxville | $96,110 | $45,246 |
| Nashville | $103,380 | $44,153 |
Workers and pay are BLS metro-area estimates; the middle half earns between the 25th and 75th percentile.
Try a city with your own salary
- Median salary
- $100,000
- Federal income tax
- −$13,170
- Payroll taxes
- −$7,650
- State income tax
- $0
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$14,508
- Everyday costs
- −$16,550
a year, or $4,010 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS metro estimates. Rent: HUD FY2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents. Taxes: 2026 schedules, single filer.
Physical therapist pay in other states
Ranked by what's left after taxes, rent and everyday costs, Tennessee comes 7 of 51. The ten states where a physical therapist keeps the most:
- Alaska$56,371
- Nevada$53,118
- Wyoming$52,273
- Texas$51,064
- New Mexico$50,708
- Ohio$49,827
- Tennessee$48,444
- Kentucky$48,279
- Arkansas$48,069
- Mississippi$48,053
Compare this job in two places: any two cities or states, at three pay levels.
Physical therapist salary by state
Pay and what's kept for physical therapists in every other state we cover, A–Z.
Other jobs in Tennessee
The 10 jobs closest to a physical therapist in what they keep: median pay and what's left after the same costs.
| Job | You keep |
|---|---|
| Veterinarian$16,981 more | $65,425 |
| Software engineer$15,669 more | $64,113 |
| Physician assistant$12,734 more | $61,178 |
| Nurse practitioner$12,276 more | $60,720 |
| Data scientist$134 more | $48,578 |
| Mechanical engineer$415 less | $48,029 |
| Occupational therapist$1,716 less | $46,728 |
| Civil engineer$2,975 less | $45,469 |
| Financial analyst$5,030 less | $43,414 |
| Project manager$10,025 less | $38,419 |
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Questions people ask
How much does a physical therapist make in Tennessee?
The median physical therapist salary in Tennessee is $100,140 a year ($48.15 an hour). The lowest-paid 10% earn under $67,280 and the top 10% earn over $127,500 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What does a physical therapist take home in Tennessee?
On the median salary, a physical therapist in Tennessee pays about $20,862 in federal, payroll and state taxes. After a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, they keeps $48,444 a year.
Where in Tennessee do physical therapists keep the most?
Of the Tennessee cities we cover, physical therapists keep the most in Memphis: a median salary of $100,000 and a $1,209 1-bedroom leave $48,122 a year after taxes and everyday costs.
Which states are best for physical therapists after costs?
Ranked by what's left after taxes, rent and everyday costs, Tennessee comes 7 of 51. The top states are Alaska ($56,371), Nevada ($53,118), Wyoming ($52,273).
Do physical therapists in Tennessee earn more than the US average?
No. The Tennessee median of $100,140 is $2,620 below the US median of $102,760.
Sources and method
Occupation codes (SOC): 29-1123. Statewide figures use the state median wage, a population-weighted statewide rent and state price levels; city figures use metro wages and city rents.
- BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
- HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate