Physical Therapists salary in Salinas, CA
Median pay for physical therapists in Salinas, CA: $113,570/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $74,990 – $146,000 · about 190 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($98,205) by +$15,365 (+16%).
What it's really worth in Salinas
With Salinas's cost of living at 113 (US=100), that $113,570 has the buying power of about $100,344 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $91,043 · median home $850,461 · median rent $2,895/mo.
How Salinas ranks for this job
On raw pay, Salinas, CA is 9th of the 186 metros we hold physical therapists wages for. Once Salinas's cost of living is applied, it ranks 113th.
The headline number flatters Salinas. 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 Salinas
A median home in Salinas, CA costs $850,461 — about 7.5× 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 $2,895/mo works out at 31% of gross pay — above the conventional 30% affordability ceiling, so renting would stretch this salary.
Where physical therapists earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Salinas.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Salinas | Rent vs Salinas |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Rosa, CA | $132,870 | +17% | 0.9× |
| San Jose, CA | $131,930 | +16% | 1.3× |
| Sacramento, CA | $131,760 | +16% | 0.8× |
| San Francisco, CA | $131,050 | +15% | 1.1× |
Same job elsewhere in CA
| Metro | Median pay | vs Salinas | Rent vs Salinas |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Rosa, CA | $132,870 | +17% | 0.9× |
| San Jose, CA | $131,930 | +16% | 1.3× |
| Sacramento, CA | $131,760 | +16% | 0.8× |
| San Francisco, CA | $131,050 | +15% | 1.1× |
Staying in CA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Other jobs in Salinas
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.