Physical Therapist salary in Chicago, IL

Based on 305 certified H-1B filings in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Chicago,, Arlington Heights, Elgin, Niles,, Joliet.

Also listed as: Physical Therapy

Median salary$85,634
Middle 50%$81.1k–$85.6k
vs. national median+4%comparison median $82,638
Filings305FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $81,058 and $108,951.
PercentileSalary
10th$81,058
25th$81,058
50th (median)$85,634
75th$85,634
90th$85,634

Salary by year

Median salary

$60k $75k $90k FY2020: median $79,040 (33 filings) FY2021: median $81,216 (22 filings) FY2022: median $70,408 (81 filings) FY2023: median $71,219 (69 filings) FY2024: median $71,406 (74 filings) FY2025: median $81,058 (148 filings) FY2026: median $85,634 (157 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 33 filings FY20 FY2021: 22 filings FY21 FY2022: 81 filings FY22 FY2023: 69 filings FY23 FY2024: 74 filings FY24 FY2025: 148 filings FY25 FY2026: 157 filings FY26 157
Shaded: FY2025–FY2026, the years behind the figures above. Median shown for years with at least 10 filings. FY2026 covers Q1–Q3 only.
Show as table
Fiscal yearMedianP25P75Filings
FY2020$79,040$75,754$92,49833
FY2021$81,216$77,293$87,00022
FY2022$70,408$70,408$71,21981
FY2023$71,219$71,219$71,21969
FY2024$71,406$71,406$74,79274
FY2025$81,058$81,058$81,058148
FY2026$85,634$85,634$85,634157

Cost of living

Chicago's median Physical Therapist salary of $85,634 is worth about $82,700 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Chicago = 103.6).

Compared with all workers here

All Physical Therapists in the Chicago, IL area earned a median of $105,720 in May 2025 (7,880 employed). The H-1B median here is $85,634, 19% lower.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.

Top employers filing

EmployerMedianFilings
Grandison Management$85,634261
Rehab Maxx Therapy Servicestoo few7
Ati Holdingstoo few6
Rehab Maxxtoo few5
Advocate Health and Hospitalstoo few2
Dynamic Physical Therapytoo few2
Northwestern Memorial HealthCaretoo few2
Select Rehabilitationtoo few2

Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $85,634 291
Mid-level · Level II too few 3
Senior · Level III too few 2
Expert · Level IV – 0

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Minimum H-1B salary by level

Wage levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Entry-level · Level I$85,634$85,634291

The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.