Physical Therapists in Illinois. BLS OES + DOL OFLC + reader-reported submissions. How this is built →
What the numbers say
Illinois sits almost exactly at the national midpoint for Physical Therapist pay. The 2024 median was $103,380, about $820 above the US median of $102,556. That is a gap of under 1%. For most practical purposes, Illinois pays in line with the country as a whole.
The spread across earners is wider than the headline suggests. The bottom 10% of Physical Therapists in Illinois earned $82,590. The top 10% earned $140,670. That is a difference of $58,080 between the two ends, or roughly 70% more at the top than at the bottom. Setting aside the specific numbers, the gap reflects how much setting, specialization, and years of experience matter in this field. A newer PT in an outpatient clinic and a senior PT in an acute care or specialty hospital are doing similar work under the same license but earning very different wages.
Illinois has a cost-of-living index of 99.5, nearly identical to the national baseline of 100. That means the nominal wage is also close to its real value. There is no meaningful premium or discount to apply. What BLS reports is roughly what the paycheck buys.
BLS projects Physical Therapist employment to grow 10.9% between 2024 and 2034, which it classifies as faster than average. That projection applies nationally. Illinois employs about 10,390 Physical Therapists in 2024, which puts it among the mid-to-larger state markets by headcount.
The average wage of $107,980 sits about $4,600 above the median. The gap is modest, which suggests the top earners are not pulling the average dramatically higher. The distribution is reasonably compact by professional-occupation standards.
Salary distribution
Where Illinois physical therapists fall on the wage curve.
Shaded band = interquartile range (where most full-time workers fall)
The middle 50% of workers earn between $95,940 and $122,920, with a median of $105,250.
Physical Therapists in Illinois: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 396 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $80,330. Every figure below is an actual offered salary an employer attested to under federal law.
By DOL wage level
DOL classifies every offer into one of four wage levels based on the role's experience and skill requirements.
| Level | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|
| Level I — entry | 383 | $79,560 |
| Level II — qualified | 9 | $93,267 |
| Level III — experienced | 4 | $106,784 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Physical Therapists in Illinois. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grandison Management, Inc. | Physical Therapist | 355 | $78,354 |
| REHAB MAXX THERAPY SERVICES, LLC | Physical Therapist | 6 | $81,089 |
| Rehab Maxx, LLC | Physical Therapist | 5 | $81,058 |
| ATI HOLDINGS, LLC | Physical Therapist | 3 | $94,000 |
| HealthPRO Heritage LLC | Physical Therapist | 3 | $90,459 |
| Advocate Health and Hospitals Corporation | Physical Therapist | 2 | $84,750 |
| Crawford Hospital District | Physical Therapist | 2 | $105,269 |
| Northwestern Memorial HealthCare | Physical Therapist | 2 | $85,280 |
| OSF Healthcare System | Physical Therapist | 2 | $92,747 |
| Aging Well Health Care, LLC | Physical Therapist | 1 | $93,600 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- Physical Therapist at HealthPRO Heritage LLC$84,885CobdenWage Level IDecided Mar 31, 2026I-200-26084-727438
- Physical Therapist at Rush University Medical Center$81,557ChicagoWage Level IDecided Mar 26, 2026I-200-26078-714769
- Physical Therapist at Grandison Management, Inc.$82,534FreeportWage Level IDecided Jan 15, 2026I-200-26008-544521
- Physical Therapist at ATI HOLDINGS, LLC$97,323WillowbrookWage Level IIDecided Dec 19, 2025I-200-25346-478563
- Physical Therapist at Grandison Management, Inc.$70,928KewaneeWage Level IDecided Dec 11, 2025I-200-25338-458251
- Physical Therapist at Grandison Management, Inc.$70,928East MolineWage Level IDecided Dec 11, 2025I-200-25338-458387
- Physical Therapist at Grandison Management, Inc.$70,179RobinsonWage Level IDecided Dec 11, 2025I-200-25338-457225
- Physical Therapist at Grandison Management, Inc.$70,928AledoWage Level IDecided Dec 11, 2025I-200-25338-458444
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification. Disclosed wages reflect what employers attested to pay; actual paid wages may differ. Only certified filings are shown — denied and withdrawn cases are excluded.
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Physical Therapists pay by experience level in Illinois
Each band reflects DOL Wage Levels I-IV mapped onto a four-step ladder. Click a level to see the disclosed-wage range for that segment.
Physical Therapists in Illinois, by industry
Median offered wage across 396 certified filings, grouped by NAICS industry sector. Professional services leads with a median of $78,354.
| Industry | Largest employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional services | Grandison Management, Inc. | 356 | $78,354 |
| Healthcare | REHAB MAXX THERAPY SERVICES, LLC | 40 | $85,634 |
Sectors with at least 25 filings link to a dedicated page with full distribution and sample employer breakdown.
Wage trend
Median annual wage in Illinois over the past 3 BLS OES releases. Real values are CPI-adjusted to 2025 dollars.
Typical entry
Education
Doctoral or professional degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Top skills (O*NET)
- 4.6 / 5
Customer and Personal Service
Knowledge
- 4.6 / 5
Therapy and Counseling
Knowledge
- 4.6 / 5
Medicine and Dentistry
Knowledge
- 4.1 / 5
Psychology
Knowledge
- 4.0 / 5
Reading Comprehension
Basic skill
- 4.0 / 5
Critical Thinking
Cross-functional
- 4.0 / 5
Social Perceptiveness
Technical
- 4.0 / 5
Active Listening
Basic skill
Common tasks (O*NET)
- 01
Plan, prepare, or carry out individually designed programs of physical treatment to maintain, improve, or restore physical functioning, alleviate pain, or prevent physical dysfunction in patients.
- 02
Perform and document an initial exam, evaluating data to identify problems and determine a diagnosis prior to intervention.
- 03
Record prognosis, treatment, response, and progress in patient's chart or enter information into computer.
- 04
Instruct patient and family in treatment procedures to be continued at home.
- 05
Evaluate effects of treatment at various stages and adjust treatments to achieve maximum benefit.
- 06
Confer with the patient, medical practitioners, or appropriate others to plan, implement, or assess the intervention program.
- 07
Administer manual exercises, massage, or traction to help relieve pain, increase patient strength, or decrease or prevent deformity or crippling.
- 08
Obtain patients' informed consent to proposed interventions.
10-year outlook
Growth 2024 → 2034
+10.9%
Projected annual openings
—
BLS outlook
Growing faster than average
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034 cycle.
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Metro-level salary data for physical therapists in major Illinois metropolitan areas.
- Chicago$105,720
Compare Physical Therapists pay across nearby states
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Frequently asked questions
- What is the median salary for Physical Therapists in Illinois?
- According to BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, the median annual wage for Physical Therapists in Illinois is $105,250.
- How does Illinois compare to the national median for Physical Therapists?
- The Illinois median is +0.7% versus the BLS national figure of $104,506.
- What is the salary range for Physical Therapists in Illinois?
- BLS reports the 10th-percentile annual wage at $83,000 and the 90th-percentile at $140,410, which captures most full-time workers in the role.
- Is Physical Therapists a growing field?
- BLS Employment Projections show employment growing by 10.9% over the projection cycle. See the 10-year outlook section above for details.
- What education is required for Physical Therapists?
- BLS lists the typical entry-level education as Doctoral or professional degree. Many employers also weigh prior experience and credentials.
Information on this page is for general educational purposes only. It is not career, financial, or tax advice. Wage data reflects BLS estimates for the reference year shown and may not match individual offers, employer-specific ranges, or current market conditions. Confirm with a licensed professional before making career or compensation decisions.