Physical Therapists salary in Cedar Rapids, IA
Median pay for physical therapists in Cedar Rapids, IA: $87,440/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $70,640 – $110,030 · about 210 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($98,205) by −$10,765 (-11%).
What it's really worth in Cedar Rapids
With Cedar Rapids's cost of living at 90 (US=100), that $87,440 has the buying power of about $97,171 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $75,477 · median home $244,344 · median rent $1,234/mo.
How Cedar Rapids ranks for this job
On raw pay, Cedar Rapids, IA is 174th of the 186 metros we hold physical therapists wages for. Once Cedar Rapids's cost of living is applied, it ranks 145th.
Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — Cedar Rapids is one of the places where physical therapists gain ground in real terms, because local costs are low relative to what the job pays.
What that salary buys in Cedar Rapids
A median home in Cedar Rapids, IA costs $244,344 — about 2.8× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is more attainable here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $1,234/mo works out at 17% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
Where physical therapists earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Cedar Rapids.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Cedar Rapids | Rent vs Cedar Rapids |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Rosa, CA | $132,870 | +52% | 2.1× |
| San Jose, CA | $131,930 | +51% | 2.9× |
| Sacramento, CA | $131,760 | +51% | 1.9× |
| San Francisco, CA | $131,050 | +50% | 2.6× |
Same job elsewhere in IA
| Metro | Median pay | vs Cedar Rapids | Rent vs Cedar Rapids |
|---|---|---|---|
| Davenport, IA | $97,140 | +11% | 0.8× |
| Des Moines, IA | $90,790 | +4% | 1× |
Staying in IA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires physical therapists around Cedar Rapids
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- St. Luke's Hospital · Healthcare
Other jobs in Cedar Rapids
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 186 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.