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Physical Therapist Assistants: apprenticeship hours and pay
O*NET-SOC 31-2021.00
Approved apprenticeship titles
One apprenticeship title on the Department of Labor's approved list fall under Physical Therapist Assistants, trained competency-based, hybrid, time-based. The shortest approved term is 3,000 hours, for Physical Therapist Assistant (NOF) (competency-based).
| Title | RAPIDS code | Approach and term |
|---|---|---|
| Physical Therapist Assistant (NOF) | 3069 | Competency-Based: 3,000 hours Hybrid: 3,000 to 4,000 hours Time-Based: 3,000 hours |
Time-based programs count hours on the job; competency-based programs move on when the apprentice shows the skills; hybrid programs use both, within a range of hours (29 CFR 29.5(b)(2)). Each registered program sets its own term inside what the approved title allows.
What physical therapist assistants earn, by state
California has the highest state median for physical therapist assistants ($83,110) and Puerto Rico the lowest ($29,710), across the 52 states with a published figure.
| State | Median pay | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $83,110 | $39.96 | 9,400 |
| Massachusetts | $79,460 | $38.20 | 2,640 |
| New Jersey | $78,440 | $37.71 | 1,810 |
| Texas | $78,000 | $37.50 | 10,510 |
| Maryland | $77,670 | $37.34 | 1,430 |
| Alaska | $77,640 | $37.33 | 110 |
| Connecticut | $75,880 | $36.48 | 980 |
| Nevada | $75,520 | $36.31 | 560 |
| Delaware | $74,610 | $35.87 | 340 |
| Virginia | $73,760 | $35.46 | 3,370 |
| Oregon | $73,180 | $35.19 | 890 |
| Georgia | $72,800 | $35.00 | 2,620 |
| Florida | $72,530 | $34.87 | 9,870 |
| Vermont | $71,600 | $34.42 | 100 |
| New Hampshire | $71,440 | $34.35 | 500 |
| South Carolina | $70,500 | $33.90 | 1,870 |
| Rhode Island | $68,640 | $33.00 | 420 |
| North Carolina | $67,540 | $32.47 | 3,280 |
| Hawaii | $67,510 | $32.46 | 250 |
| Minnesota | $66,770 | $32.10 | 1,230 |
| Washington | $66,450 | $31.95 | 2,150 |
| Maine | $66,250 | $31.85 | 410 |
| Louisiana | $65,370 | $31.43 | 1,670 |
| Indiana | $65,280 | $31.39 | 2,830 |
| Illinois | $65,240 | $31.37 | 4,890 |
| Colorado | $64,810 | $31.16 | 1,350 |
| Arizona | $64,650 | $31.08 | 2,010 |
| Arkansas | $64,520 | $31.02 | 1,620 |
| Kansas | $64,500 | $31.01 | 1,300 |
| New York | $64,100 | $30.82 | 3,620 |
| Wisconsin | $64,080 | $30.81 | 1,650 |
| Ohio | $63,820 | $30.68 | 7,040 |
| Missouri | $63,770 | $30.66 | 2,490 |
| Wyoming | $63,550 | $30.56 | 240 |
| North Dakota | $63,520 | $30.54 | 120 |
| District of Columbia | $63,400 | $30.48 | 40 |
| Montana | $62,650 | $30.12 | 250 |
| Pennsylvania | $62,580 | $30.09 | 4,270 |
| Tennessee | $62,500 | $30.05 | 3,390 |
| New Mexico | $62,280 | $29.94 | 700 |
| Utah | $61,980 | $29.80 | 970 |
| Mississippi | $61,770 | $29.70 | 1,150 |
| Michigan | $61,670 | $29.65 | 4,520 |
| Kentucky | $61,480 | $29.56 | 2,580 |
| Alabama | $61,430 | $29.53 | 2,700 |
| Nebraska | $61,370 | $29.50 | 980 |
| Iowa | $61,030 | $29.34 | 1,060 |
| Idaho | $61,020 | $29.34 | 560 |
| West Virginia | $60,430 | $29.05 | 980 |
| Oklahoma | $59,480 | $28.60 | 2,380 |
| South Dakota | $49,310 | $23.71 | 300 |
| Puerto Rico | $29,710 | $14.28 | 830 |
Finding a program
The public sponsor file names the organizations that run registered apprenticeships but not the occupations each one trains, so this guide names no sponsor. Search apprenticeship.gov's Apprenticeship Finder for this title, or ask your American Job Center which local programs train it.
Apprenticeship sponsors by state (25,633) · All approved occupations
Sources: apprenticeship.gov approved occupations list (Last-Modified October 8, 2026); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (all industries; blanks are figures BLS does not publish).