SOC 31-2022 · San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro

Physical Therapist Aides Salary in San Francisco, CA

The average salary for physical therapist aides in San Francisco, California is $49,270 a year ($23.69 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $44,440: half of the 680 people in this job in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 35% more than the U.S. average for this job ($36,430).

$49,270average per year

$23.69 / hourMedian $44,440Take-home ≈ $40,620

  • $38K10th
  • $41K25th
  • $44KMedian
  • $54K75th
  • $69K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

680people in this job
+35%vs U.S. average
#3 of 21California metros
116cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Physical Therapist Aides pay range in San Francisco

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,610 a year or less, while the top 10% make $69,400 or more. The middle half of physical therapist aides in San Francisco earn between $40,550 and $54,350.

  • $38K10th
  • $41K25th
  • $44KMedian
  • $54K75th
  • $69K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$49,270$4,106$23.69
Median$44,440$3,703$21.37
Entry level (25th percentile)$40,550$3,379$19.50
Experienced (75th percentile)$54,350$4,529$26.13

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Physical Therapist Aides pay in San Francisco vs. California and the U.S.

Physical therapist aides in San Francisco earn 13% more than the California average ($43,470) and 35% more than the U.S. average ($36,430). At the median the gap is +26% against the U.S. median of $35,240.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
San Francisco$49,270$44,440$37,610$69,400680
California$43,470$38,330$34,690$60,2007,330
United States$36,430$35,240$25,360$47,78048,150

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Physical Therapist Aides salary after taxes in San Francisco

On the average salary of $49,270, a single filer in San Francisco takes home about $40,620 a year, or $3,385 a month and $1,562 every two weeks. Taxes take 18% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

California paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is San Francisco a good place for physical therapist aides? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the San Francisco area are 16% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 115.6), so the average $49,270 buys what about $42,616 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in San Francisco ($74,260). A typical home costs $1,149,215, or 23.3 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $49,270 is worth in another city

Physical Therapist Aides salary in other California cities

San Francisco ranks 3rd of 21 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($51,380).

All Physical Therapist Aides salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for physical therapist aides

Anchorage, AK pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($57,940).

Physical Therapist Aides salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Physical Therapist Aides in San Francisco, CA.

Physical Therapist Aides salary in San Francisco: questions

How much do physical therapist aides make an hour in San Francisco?

$23.69 an hour on average, and $21.36 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level physical therapist aides salary in San Francisco?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,610 a year and the 25th percentile is $40,550, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the physical therapist aides take-home pay in San Francisco?

About $40,620 a year ($3,385 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $49,270. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do physical therapist aides earn more in San Francisco than elsewhere?

The average here is 35% more than the U.S. average for this job ($36,430).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 31-2022; area San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA (41860). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.1%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.93, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.