Entry-level Physical Therapist salary in Chicago, IL

Based on 291 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I 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. all levels here+0%comparison median $85,634
Filings291FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $81,058 and $89,290.
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 FY2022: median $70,408 (68 filings) FY2023: median $71,219 (56 filings) FY2024: median $71,406 (58 filings) FY2025: median $81,058 (142 filings) FY2026: median $85,634 (149 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 6 filings FY20 FY2021: 7 filings FY21 FY2022: 68 filings FY22 FY2023: 56 filings FY23 FY2024: 58 filings FY24 FY2025: 142 filings FY25 FY2026: 149 filings FY26 149
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–––6
FY2021–––7
FY2022$70,408$70,408$70,40868
FY2023$71,219$71,219$71,21956
FY2024$71,406$71,406$71,40658
FY2025$81,058$81,058$81,058142
FY2026$85,634$85,634$85,634149

Cost of living

Chicago's median entry-level 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.

Employers filing at this level

EmployerMedianFilings
Grandison Management$85,634261
Rehab Maxx Therapy Servicestoo few7
Rehab Maxxtoo few5
Ati Holdingstoo few3
Advocate Health and Hospitalstoo 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.