Salary. The median annual wage for physical therapists was $81,030 in 2013, according to the BLS. The best-paid 10 percent made $113,340, while the bottom 10 percent made $56,280. The highest wages go to physical therapists working in schools, home health care or nursing care facilities. The best-paid physical therapists live in the metropolitan areas of Laredo, Texas; Las Vegas; and Brownsville, Texas.