Physical Therapists salary in Asheville, NC
Median pay for physical therapists in Asheville, NC: $96,620/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $68,220 – $121,160 · about 420 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($98,205) by −$1,585 (-2%).
What it's really worth in Asheville
With Asheville's cost of living at 97 (US=100), that $96,620 has the buying power of about $99,207 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $64,538 · median home $428,742 · median rent $1,708/mo.
How Asheville ranks for this job
On raw pay, Asheville, NC is 119th of the 186 metros we hold physical therapists wages for. Once Asheville's cost of living is applied, it ranks 121st.
Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Asheville sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.
What that salary buys in Asheville
A median home in Asheville, NC costs $428,742 — about 4.4× 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 $1,708/mo works out at 21% 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 Asheville.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Asheville | Rent vs Asheville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Rosa, CA | $132,870 | +38% | 1.5× |
| San Jose, CA | $131,930 | +37% | 2.1× |
| Sacramento, CA | $131,760 | +36% | 1.3× |
| San Francisco, CA | $131,050 | +36% | 1.9× |
Same job elsewhere in NC
| Metro | Median pay | vs Asheville | Rent vs Asheville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winston-Salem, NC | $100,880 | +4% | 0.9× |
| Hickory, NC | $99,100 | +3% | 0.9× |
| Greensboro, NC | $98,050 | +1% | 0.8× |
| Charlotte, NC | $96,780 | +0% | 1× |
Staying in NC keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires physical therapists around Asheville
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Mission Health Hospital · Healthcare
- Buncombe County Schools · Education
Other jobs in Asheville
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.