Entry-Level Physical Therapist Assistant Salary (2026): What New Grad PTAs Actually Make

The 10th percentile of BLS wage data is the standard proxy for entry-level PTA pay — it represents what the lowest-paid 10% of physical therapist assistants in a given metro area earn, predominantly new graduates in their first 12 months. Nationally, that sits at $50,024 ($24.05/hour) for 2026. New PTA offers vary by setting (outpatient ortho vs SNF vs home health vs hospital) and PT Compact state market.

What New Grad PTAs Actually Earn (Year 1)

• California new grad PTA (top tier) — Bay Area / LA / San Diego $58,000–$80,000 starting.
• Nevada, Texas, NJ, CT, MA, AK, HI, WA ($55,000–$72,000) — high COL anchors.
• NY, OR ($52,000–$68,000) — strong markets.
• Mid-Atlantic / Midwest / South $45,000–$58,000 — Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, NC, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Ohio.
• Outpatient ortho chain new grad PTA (most common entry) — Athletico, ATI Physical Therapy, Select Physical Therapy, Drayer Physical Therapy, FYZICAL, Physio Inc., Confluent Health, Ivy Rehab, U.S. Physical Therapy. Competitive starting plus production bonuses.
• SNF / skilled nursing new grad PTA — Aegis Therapies, Genesis Rehab, Encompass Health, Powerback Rehab, Reliant Rehabilitation. Hourly base plus PDPM productivity bonuses.
• Home health per-visit PTA new grad — Encompass Home Health, Amedisys, BAYADA, Aveanna, LHC Group, AccentCare. $50–$95 per visit. Mileage reimbursement.
• Acute care hospital PTA (limited) — most hospitals shifted toward DPTs. Remaining at LTACH, rehab.
• School-based PTA (IDEA contract) — Soliant Health, Cross Country Education, EBS Healthcare, TherapyTravelers, Procare. 15–30% premium over district direct-hire.
• Industrial / occupational PTA — onsite at manufacturers for ergonomics and return-to-work programs.

CAPTE Program and NPTE-PTA

• CAPTE-accredited PTA program — required entry credential. 2-year associate degree.
• NPTE-PTA exam — National Physical Therapy Examination for PTAs.
• State licensure — required in all 50 states.
• PT Compact — 30+ states have enacted Physical Therapy Licensure Compact. Multi-state practice and travel-PTA eligibility expanded.
• BLS / CPR certification — required for clinical PTA.
• APTA APP (Advanced Proficiency Pathway) — post-grad — MSK, geriatric, neurologic, CV-pulm, pediatric, oncology, women's health, acute care specialty pathways. Pursued at year 2–3.

Setting Selection: Outpatient Ortho / SNF / Home Health

• Outpatient ortho chain (production bonus model) — Athletico, ATI, Select PT, Drayer, FYZICAL, Confluent, Ivy Rehab. Competitive hourly plus production bonuses for visit volume above target.
• SNF (PDPM minute-based productivity) — Aegis, Genesis, Encompass, Powerback, Reliant. Strong starting plus PDPM minute-based bonuses.
• Home health per-visit — Encompass, Amedisys, BAYADA, Aveanna, LHC, AccentCare.
• Acute care hospital PTA (limited) — most hospitals shifted toward DPTs.
• Inpatient rehab (CARF) — Encompass Health, Select Medical, Shepherd Center.
• School-based PTA (IDEA) — contract agency 15–30% premium.
• Industrial / occupational PTA — manufacturer onsite.

Sign-On Bonuses and Specialty Path

• Outpatient ortho chain new grad sign-on — Athletico, ATI, Select PT offer $5,000–$15,000 sign-on for new grad PTAs.
• SNF chain sign-on — Aegis, Genesis, Encompass, Powerback offer $5,000–$20,000 for new grad PTAs.
• Rural shortage sign-on — $10,000–$25,000+ at critical-access SNF and rural ortho.
• Production bonus structure — outpatient chains pay base salary plus production bonus tied to visit volume above target (typically 9–10 visits/day baseline; bonuses at 11–14 visits/day).
• Tuition reimbursement for PTA-to-DPT bridge — many hospital systems pay toward DPT bridge programs.

Year-by-Year Progression to PTA National Median

• Year 0–1 (P10 baseline) — $50,024 national average. New PTA building therapeutic exercise, manual therapy assist, modality competency.
• Year 1–2 (P10 → P25) — 5–10% raise. Production bonus gains at outpatient ortho.
• Year 2–3 (P25 → mid-tier) — APTA APP specialty (MSK / geriatric / neurologic / CV-pulm / pediatric).
• Year 3–5 (approaching national median) — most PTAs reach state median with specialty and lead responsibilities.
• Year 5+ — PTA-to-DPT bridge programs, travel PTA strategy, lead positioning.

2026 New Grad PTA Salary Outlook

Entry-level PTA salary has grown at a compound annual rate of 2.73% nationally over the past five years — driven by sustained outpatient ortho demand, expansion of home health and SNF rehab volume, PT Compact telehealth normalization, aging-population-driven rehab demand, and structural PTA workforce shortage. The BLS projects PTA employment growth at 20% through 2033 — much faster than average.