Physical Therapists salary in Olympia, WA
Median pay for physical therapists in Olympia, WA: $99,670/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $73,400 – $124,710 · about 170 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($98,205) by +$1,465 (+1%).
What it's really worth in Olympia
With Olympia's cost of living at 106 (US=100), that $99,670 has the buying power of about $93,710 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $88,895 · median home $533,918 · median rent $2,041/mo.
How Olympia ranks for this job
On raw pay, Olympia, WA is 70th of the 186 metros we hold physical therapists wages for. Once Olympia's cost of living is applied, it ranks 162nd.
The headline number flatters Olympia. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, physical therapists here keep less of what they earn than the raw salary implies.
What that salary buys in Olympia
A median home in Olympia, WA costs $533,918 — about 5.4× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $2,041/mo works out at 25% 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 Olympia.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Olympia | Rent vs Olympia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Rosa, CA | $132,870 | +33% | 1.3× |
| San Jose, CA | $131,930 | +32% | 1.8× |
| Sacramento, CA | $131,760 | +32% | 1.1× |
| San Francisco, CA | $131,050 | +31% | 1.6× |
Same job elsewhere in WA
| Metro | Median pay | vs Olympia | Rent vs Olympia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yakima, WA | $104,800 | +5% | 0.7× |
| Seattle, WA | $104,690 | +5% | 1.1× |
| Kennewick, WA | $100,930 | +1% | 0.8× |
| Spokane, WA | $93,980 | −6% | 0.8× |
Staying in WA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Other jobs in Olympia
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.