SalaryExplorer

SOC 31-2022 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Physical Therapist Aides — Virginia Beach

Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC · 2 metro areas compared

$34,280 /year
$16.48per hour
270jobs in area
−2.7%vs US median

The median wage for Physical Therapist Aides in Virginia Beach, VA is $34,280 per year, close to the national median of $35,240 for the same occupation.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $35,24010TH$26,25025TH$28,700MEDIAN$34,28075TH$36,50090TH$42,140

How pay has moved

$36,285$24,2552019202020212022202320242025$34,280
$26,260 in 2019 to $34,280 in 2025, +30.5% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

The next ten years

Projected to grow about as fast as average

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
+2.8%
Openings per year
6,600
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training

Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.

Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.

Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.

Salary overview

The median wage for Physical Therapist Aides in Virginia Beach, VA is $34,280 per year, close to the national median of $35,240 for the same occupation. Pay ranges from under $26,250 at the tenth percentile to more than $42,140 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $28,700 to $36,500.

Employment stands at 270, or 0.3 jobs per thousand held locally. Richmond leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $33,860. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 559th of 593 by median pay.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$26,250−25.5%
25th$28,700−18.6%
Median (50th)$34,280−2.7%
75th$36,500+3.6%
90th$42,140+19.6%
Mean$35,890+1.8%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in Virginia

Median annual wage for Physical Therapist Aides, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Richmond$33,860250
2Charlottesville$33,85060

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Virginia Beach run 2.1% below the national average, so the median of $34,280 goes as far as $35,015 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 0.6% below the national median in real terms.

Published median

$34,280as reported by BLS

Local price level

97.9US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$35,015US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $34,280 a year, 2.7% below the national median.
  • Published pay spans $26,250 to $42,140 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 270 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Richmond, at $33,860.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Physical Therapist Aides in Virginia Beach, VA?

The median annual wage is $34,280, or $16.48 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.

Is that higher than the national average?

The national median for this occupation is $35,240, so pay in Virginia Beach, VA is 2.7% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.

What do the top earners make?

The top tenth of this occupation in Virginia Beach, VA earns more than $42,140 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $26,250 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.

Which area nearby pays the most?

The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Richmond, at $33,860 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 270 jobs in this occupation in Virginia Beach, VA. Self-employed workers are not included.

Source and methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.