Physical therapist · San Diego, CA

Physical therapist in San Diego: $2,219/mo left

BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median physical therapist wage in San Diego at $113,850 a year. About 2,680 physical therapist jobs are in the metro. The job is about the same share of local employment as nationwide (location quotient 1.02). The 10th percentile is $77,500 and the 90th is $158,700. Pay ranks 30th-highest of 384 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 4.1× a year of one-bedroom rent ($2,292/mo). California taxes wage income on a bracket schedule. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $2,219 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Las Vegas, about 242 miles away, at $4,255 left over a month.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

After tax and rent

$2,219

1 adult, 1 bd

Pay

$113,850

$77,500 to $158,700

Rent (1 bd)

$2,292

$2,728 (2 bd)

Employment

2,680

Location quotient 1.02

Pay rank

30th of 384

Metros with a published median

Pay vs rent

4.1×

Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent

Where the money goes

1 adult, 1 bd, physical therapist pay of $113,850.

Taxes$2,628
Rent$2,292
Other$2,348
Left$2,219

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay: $113,850
Federal income tax: −$16,217
Social Security and Medicare: −$8,710
State income tax (CA): −$6,615
Take-home pay: $82,308
Effective tax rate: 27.7%

Living costs, per month

Rent, 1br: $2,292
Groceries: $468
Getting around: $650
Healthcare: $527
Utilities and internet: $293
Everything else: $410
Total spending: $4,640

After tax and rent

$2,219 left/mo

Rank every metro for a physical therapist

Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Las Vegas, $4,255/mo.

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Questions

What does a physical therapist make in San Diego?

$113,850 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 2,680 physical therapist jobs are in the metro.

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

$2,219 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. California taxes wage income on a bracket schedule Rent is $2,292, and pay covers 4.1× a year of it.

Where nearby would a physical therapist keep more?

Las Vegas, about 242 miles away, leaves $4,255 a month, more than San Diego.