Physical Therapists salary in St. Louis, MO
Median pay for physical therapists in St. Louis, MO: $97,200/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $69,750 – $118,560 · about 2,380 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($98,205) by −$1,005 (-1%).
What it's really worth in St. Louis
With St. Louis's cost of living at 95 (US=100), that $97,200 has the buying power of about $102,345 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $75,316 · median home $276,878 · median rent $1,451/mo.
How St. Louis ranks for this job
On raw pay, St. Louis, MO is 108th of the 186 metros we hold physical therapists wages for. Once St. Louis's cost of living is applied, it ranks 94th.
Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so St. Louis sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.
What that salary buys in St. Louis
A median home in St. Louis, MO costs $276,878 — about 2.8× 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 $1,451/mo works out at 18% 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 St. Louis.
| Metro | Median pay | vs St. Louis | Rent vs St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Rosa, CA | $132,870 | +37% | 1.8× |
| San Jose, CA | $131,930 | +36% | 2.5× |
| Sacramento, CA | $131,760 | +36% | 1.6× |
| San Francisco, CA | $131,050 | +35% | 2.2× |
Same job elsewhere in MO
| Metro | Median pay | vs St. Louis | Rent vs St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City, MO | $95,920 | −1% | 1.1× |
| Springfield, MO | $86,040 | −11% | 0.9× |
Staying in MO keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires physical therapists around St. Louis
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- BJC HealthCare · Healthcare
- Washington University · Education
- Barnes Jewish Hospital · Healthcare
Other jobs in St. Louis
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.