Insights / Therapy pay versus the U.S. median / New Jersey
Therapy pay in New Jersey
New Jersey therapy medians sit close together. The 75th percentile is where the offer actually moves.
Three therapy licenses had been given one range, and the experienced candidates were the ones who went quiet.
Physical therapists have a median of $112,140, against $102,760 nationally, across 9,750 jobs. The 75th percentile is $129,780. A midpoint copied from the median describes the middle of the market, not the people who can already choose a clinic.
Occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists are not a footnote under that physical-therapy number. Their medians are $103,410 and $101,560. Their 75th percentiles are $128,390 and $128,910. The top quarter of each license lands in nearly the same place. One shared range either overpays the median hire or never reaches the quarter you said you wanted.
Ranked table
| Rank | Occupation | State median | 75th percentile | U.S. median | State vs U.S. | State employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physical Therapists | $112,140 | $129,780 | $102,760 | 1.09 | 9,750 |
| 2 | Occupational Therapists | $103,410 | $128,390 | $100,330 | 1.03 | 6,290 |
| 3 | Speech-Language Pathologists | $101,560 | $128,910 | $97,870 | 1.04 | 6,840 |
Takeaways
- The physical-therapist comparison with the country is 1.09 times the national median. Occupational therapists are 1.03 times, and speech-language pathologists are 1.04 times.
- Occupational therapists number 6,290. Speech-language pathologists number 6,840. Both benches are smaller than physical therapy and still large enough to have their own wage.
- National medians are $100,330 for occupational therapists and $97,870 for speech-language pathologists. Those are the wrong anchors for a New Jersey letter.
- New Jersey is 3 of 51 when the page is sorted on physical therapists, which hides how tight the three 75th percentiles are.
For recruiters
- Write three ranges. Stop the draft that says therapy and then one band.
- If the req asks for experience, open the 75th percentile before you defend the median.
FAQ
- Are these posted wages or open jobs?
- No. The table is a government survey or a designation file.
- What should a recruiter do first?
- Follow the recruiter note on this page.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
Related hiring pages
Methodology
Occupations are the fixed set named in the series, kept only when both the New Jersey median and the U.S. median are published. A 75th percentile or an employment count that is unpublished stays blank in the table. The article is omitted when fewer than 3 occupations qualify. OEWS May 2025. A comparison of 1.00 matches the U.S. median. Sorted by the Physical Therapists state median when that occupation qualifies, otherwise by the highest median in the table. New Jersey is 3 of 51. A row links to the New Jersey metro page with the highest public market difficulty score for that occupation when one is published, and otherwise to the occupation page on the hiring grid. An unpublished percentile or employment count is shown as unpublished rather than replaced with a zero. The wages are annual OEWS figures. They are not job listings and they are not an employer's current offer. Read the comparison beside the dollar figures: a high state wage can still sit under the national median for that occupation, and a lower state wage can still sit above it. Rounded figures in the prose: $112,140 is stated as about $112.1K. $102,760 is stated as about $102.8K. a comparison of 1.09 is stated as 9 percent. $129,780 is stated as about $129.8K. $101,560 is stated as about $101.6K. a comparison of 1.04 is stated as 4 percent. $97,870 is stated as about $97.9K.
Sources
Run this opening as a Hiring Pack
The figures above are public statistics. A Hiring Pack starts from the role and the city on the req. One pack is $24.00. Starter is $149 a month for 30 packs and 3 users, Team is $299 for 100 packs and 10 users, and Pro is $699 for 300 packs and 25 users. Annual billing is 20% off, so those monthly prices are $119, $239, and $559. Enterprise is self-serve at $1,499, $2,499, and $3,999 a month. Through Oct 16, 2026, one pack is free with no account, and a verified account can run unlimited packs.