Physical therapist · Merced, CA

Physical therapist in Merced: $3,944/mo left

BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median physical therapist wage in Merced at $126,000 a year. About 60 physical therapist jobs are in the metro. The job is a smaller share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 0.45). The 10th percentile is $89,730 and the 90th is $203,820. Pay ranks 12th-highest of 384 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 8.3× a year of one-bedroom rent ($1,271/mo). California taxes wage income on a bracket schedule. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $3,944 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Chico, about 177 miles away, at $4,529 left over a month.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

Left over each month

$3,944

1 adult, 1 bd

Pay

$126,000

$89,730 to $203,820

Rent (1 bd)

$1,271

$1,513 (2 bd)

Employment

Location quotient 0.45

Pay rank

12th of 384

Metros with a published median

Pay vs rent

8.3×

Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent

Where the money goes

1 adult, 1 bd, physical therapist pay of $126,000.

Taxes$3,073
Rent$1,271
Other living costs$2,212
Left over$3,944

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay: $126,000
Federal income tax: −$19,487
Social Security and Medicare: −$9,639
State income tax (CA): −$7,745
Take-home pay: $89,129
Effective tax rate: 29.3%

Living costs, per month

Rent, 1br: $1,271
Groceries: $433
Getting around: $642
Healthcare: $487
Utilities and internet: $271
Everything else: $379
Total spending: $3,483

Left over each month

$10,500 gross, minus $3,073 in tax and $3,483 in living costs.

$3,944

Rank every metro for a physical therapist

Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Chico, $4,529/mo.

Physical therapist leftover by city →Best cities for physical therapists to move to →

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Questions

What does a physical therapist make in Merced?

$126,000 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 60 physical therapist jobs are in the metro.

What is left after tax and rent for a physical therapist in Merced?

$3,944 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. California taxes wage income on a bracket schedule Rent is $1,271, and pay covers 8.3× a year of it.

Where nearby would a physical therapist keep more?

Chico, about 177 miles away, leaves $4,529 a month, more than Merced.