Physical Therapist.
Raleigh.
$102,000
median salary, 1% above the national average
$84,000 to $118,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Orbyt estimates Physical Therapist pay in Raleigh at $102,000, within a range of $84,000 to $118,000. That is 1% above the national average. Raleigh sits at the heart of the Research Triangle, one of America's premier tech and life sciences corridors. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Physical Therapist in Raleigh, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $99,900 for Physical Therapists (SOC 29-1123) in the Raleigh-Cary, NC metropolitan area, based on 1,190 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$78,490
25th percentile
$85,320
Median
$99,900
75th percentile
$110,740
90th percentile
$127,530
Workers surveyed
1,190
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Physical Therapists (SOC 29-1123) rather than Physical Therapist specifically. The Raleigh range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 29-1123Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $92,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$66,000
to $82,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$87,000
to $107,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$112,000
to $133,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$128,000
to $158,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $25,000 to the total package.
Base
$102,000
Equity
$14,000
Bonus
$9,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $127,000
How Raleigh compares.
Raleigh, NC
$102,000
Cost of living: 1% below average
National Average
$101,000
Raleigh is $1,000 above
Physical Therapist salary by city.
Salary by role in Raleigh.
What you should know.
Before you negotiate a Physical Therapist offer in Raleigh, understand the terrain. Raleigh sits at the heart of the Research Triangle, one of America's premier tech and life sciences corridors. Cisco, Red Hat, Epic Games, and numerous biotech firms drive strong demand for engineering, research, and product roles. The combination of top tier universities and moderate living costs creates an exceptionally favorable salary to expense ratio. Setting drives the biggest pay differences, with home health and travel PT positions paying 15 to 25% above outpatient clinics. Board-certified specialists in areas like orthopedics or neurology earn premiums. Geographic cost of living and state reimbursement rates also create significant variance across markets.
New-graduate PTs start at $70,000 to $80,000 in outpatient settings. With board certification and five years of experience, salaries reach $90,000 to $105,000. Clinical directors and practice owners can earn $110,000 to $130,000 depending on practice size and revenue. In Raleigh, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. Benefits typically include CEU reimbursement of $1,500 to $3,000, student loan repayment assistance, and health insurance. Travel PTs receive housing stipends and per diems that can add $15,000 to $25,000 in effective annual compensation. And on the tax side: north Carolina's flat 4.5% income tax keeps the burden low. Raleigh has no city income tax, and the Triangle's affordable housing amplifies your take home purchasing power. When someone quotes you $102,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Cite Research Triangle talent competition in your negotiation. Employers here compete directly with each other and with remote offers, creating favorable leverage for candidates. The range for Physical Therapists in Raleigh runs from $84,000 to $118,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- An Occupational Therapist in Raleigh earns $101,000 (1% less)
- The highest-paying role in Raleigh is CTO at $291,000
Common questions.
Physical Therapist salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Raleigh.
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Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Physical Therapist Salary in Raleigh, NC." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/physical-therapist/raleigh
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