Physical Therapist Salary in Indiana (2026)
The average Physical Therapist in Indiana earns around $88,000/year. After taxes, your estimated take-home is $68,617/year ($5,718/month).
Take-Home Pay Breakdown
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
Annual Take-Home Pay | $68,617 |
Monthly Take-Home Pay | $5,718 |
Biweekly Take-Home Pay | $2,639 |
Hourly Take-Home Pay based on 2,080 hrs/year | $33/hr |
Federal Tax | $10,530 |
State Tax | $2,121 |
FICA Taxes | $6,732 |
Effective Tax Rate total taxes ÷ gross salary | 22.03% |
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Physical Therapist Salary Ranges in Indiana
Not all Physical Therapists earn the same — not even close
IN physical therapy splits across academic-medical (IU Health Methodist + University + Riley Children's), regional hospital + ambulatory (Community Health Network, Ascension St. Vincent, Franciscan Health, Eskenazi Health, Parkview Fort Wayne, Memorial South Bend), outpatient orthopedic (ATI Physical Therapy, Select Medical, Athletico, Pivot Physical Therapy), home health (Bayada, Encompass), sports medicine (IndyCar / Indianapolis 500 medical, IU Athletics, Notre Dame Athletics, Purdue Athletics, Butler Athletics), and federal (VA Indianapolis Healthcare). IU School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (Indianapolis), University of Indianapolis Krannert, Saint Mary's College (Notre Dame), and Manchester University DPT produce the in-state pipeline. PT Compact (since 2018, IN member) for interstate practice mobility.
Outpatient Orthopedic PT
$78,000-$98,000
ATI / Select / Athletico / Pivot / private practice · 2-7 yr post-DPT
Acute Care PT (IU Health)
$85,000-$108,000
Academic-medical premium · ICU / neuro / cardiac · IU Methodist / University
Inpatient Rehab PT (RHI / Community)
$82,000-$105,000
Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana (RHI) · stroke / TBI / SCI specialty
Sports Medicine / Orthopedic Specialty
$98,000-$128,000
OCS / SCS cert · IU Athletics + Indy 500 + Notre Dame + Purdue sports
Pediatric PT (Riley Children's)
$82,000-$108,000
PCS cert · Riley Hospital for Children · top US pediatric PT market
Home Health PT
$85,000-$115,000
PRN / per-diem · $75-95/visit · Indianapolis market
VA Indianapolis PT
$85,000-$125,000
GS-12/13 + 17.71% Indianapolis locality · federal · PSLF + FERS pension
PT Clinic Owner / Director
$125,000-$215,000
Private practice · 2-5 employee clinic · IN State Board of Physical Therapy licensure
Worth knowing: IU Health Methodist + University Hospital + Riley Hospital for Children anchor IN academic PT — Riley Hospital is one of the top-15 US pediatric hospitals (Hopkins-Riley relationship via Indiana University School of Medicine partnership) and the dominant pediatric PT specialty market in the Midwest. Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana (RHI, Indianapolis, Community Health-affiliated) is a top-tier inpatient rehab specialty hospital — anchors stroke / TBI / SCI specialty PT for IN. The Indianapolis 500 + IndyCar Series + Indy Eleven (USL Championship soccer) + IU Athletics + Notre Dame Athletics + Purdue Athletics + Butler Athletics drive a uniquely deep IN sports medicine PT market. IU School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (Indianapolis) DPT program is one of the largest US DPT programs by class size. IN State Board of Physical Therapy licensure required; PT Compact (since 2018, IN member) enables interstate practice mobility across 30+ compact states.
Indiana physical therapy — IU Health premium, sports medicine market, PSLF density
3.0%
IN flat state · plus Hamilton 1.10% CIT · combined ~4.10% effective
0%
IN estate + IN inheritance (repealed 2013) · favorable retirement
$98-128K
Sports medicine + OCS / SCS specialty · IU + ND + Purdue + Indy 500
$78-98K
Outpatient orthopedic PT · ATI / Select / Athletico / Pivot · base + productivity
Most PT roles are -exempt under the professional exemption — IU Health / Community Network / Ascension / Franciscan / Riley staff PT positions are all exempt salaried. 's overtime deduction does not apply to standard PT comp. The IN market drivers: IU Health academic-medical premium, Riley Children's pediatric PT specialty, RHI inpatient rehab specialty, Indy 500 / IndyCar / IU + Notre Dame + Purdue + Butler sports medicine, plus density on $115-160K DPT federal balance.
Per-diem and home-health PT work at IU Health outpatient, Community Network home health, and home-health agencies (Bayada, Encompass, Aveanna) produces hourly or 1099 contractor income at $75-95/hr — typically not OT-classified but treated as supplemental productivity-based income. Outpatient ortho PT at ATI / Select / Athletico / Pivot runs productivity-bonus structure on top of base salary; high-volume PT can stack $8-22K/year bonus.
Real numbers: an IU Health acute care PT at $98K base (Hamilton County resident, 1.10% CIT) — IN combined ≈ 4.10% × $98K = $4,020/year state+local. Same comp in MD: $7,840/year combined. IN saves $3,820/year vs MD. Same comp in MA: $4,900/year. IN saves $880/year vs MA. The IN answer is academic-medical premium ($98K IU Health acute PT comp vs $78-90K typical staff PT elsewhere) plus eligibility ($115-160K DPT federal balance forgiven after 10 years at IU Health / Community / Ascension / Franciscan / Riley / VA Indianapolis). PSLF saves the typical IN PT $70-130K in lifetime debt — a far larger lever than the IN-vs-MD annual tax delta.
Indiana for physical therapists — the honest take
IN PT clusters in three corridors. The Indianapolis corridor (IU Health Methodist + University + Riley Children's, Community Health Network, Ascension St. Vincent, Franciscan Health, Eskenazi Health, RHI, plus the IndyCar + Indianapolis 500 + Indy Eleven sports medicine market) is the densest PT market and houses the highest comp tier. The Fort Wayne corridor (Parkview Health, Lutheran Health Network) anchors northeast IN. The South Bend (Memorial Health, Notre Dame Athletics + Saint Mary's College DPT) and Lafayette (Purdue Athletics + IU Health-Lafayette) corridors anchor smaller PT markets. Plus Bloomington (IU Athletics, IU Health-Bloomington), Evansville (Deaconess Health), and Terre Haute regional markets.
Hamilton County (Carmel, Fishers, Westfield, Noblesville) anchors the Indianapolis-corridor PT residential cluster — top schools + 1.10% CIT (lowest in metro), home prices $400-650K affordable mid-tier. Marion County (Indianapolis proper) at $250-525K with 2.02% CIT — popular for younger PT pre-children. Hendricks County (Plainfield, Avon, Brownsburg) at $400-625K with 1.70% CIT. Plus Fort Wayne, South Bend, Bloomington, Lafayette suburban tier at $250-525K depending on metro.
Most IN PTs retire in-state — 0% estate + 0% inheritance + flat 3% on retirement income makes IN one of the most favorable Midwest retirement structures. PT-spouse households where spouse is high-earner physician / dentist / engineer face zero estate exposure in IN. Common in-state retirement patterns: stay in Hamilton County / Marion County, or migrate to southern IN (Brown County, Monroe County for IU adjacency). Pre-distribution relocation to FL / NC / TN is rare for IN PTs vs MA / MD peers.
How Indiana taxes work for physical therapists (and where the levers are)
IN's flat 3% state + county piggyback makes the active-duty math simple. For an IU Health acute PT at $98K (Hamilton resident): IN combined ≈ 4.10% = $4,020/year. Same comp in MD: $7,840/year combined; in MA: $4,900. IN saves $3,820/year vs MD, $880/year vs MA. The Hamilton residency lever (1.10% vs Marion 2.02%) on $98K saves $902/year — IU Health PTs cluster in Hamilton or Hendricks for the combined low-CIT + practice proximity.
maxing is the central active-duty move. IU Health offers (non-profit hospital); Community Network / Ascension / Franciscan / Eskenazi / Parkview all offer 403(b) at $24,500/year + match. At $98K IN PT + 22% federal + 4.10% combined IN marginal, maxing $24,500 saves $6,400/year combined. VA Indianapolis federal PTs use at $24,500 + 5% government match plus FERS pension.
for non-profit hospital PTs at IU Health / Community / Ascension / Franciscan / Riley / RHI / Parkview — 10 years of qualifying federal student loan payments resulting in tax-free DPT debt forgiveness. Federal VA Indianapolis PTs also qualify. For a PT with $135K DPT federal balance, 10 years at IU Health or VA Indianapolis erases the entire balance vs the typical 25-year self-pay. Lifetime savings $70-130K — a far bigger lever than the IN-vs-MA annual tax delta.
Backdoor Roth IRA at $115K+ PT comp (specialty + sports medicine tier) — direct Roth phases out at $146K-$161K single / $230K-$240K . at IU Health if plan supports after-tax + in-plan-Roth conversion can add $47,500/year of additional Roth shelter. For clinic owners, S-corp election + solo 401(k) at $72K §415(c) cap = primary pre-tax shelter; IN PTET (since 2022) for partnership / S-corp practices.
- → on $135K DPT federal balance: 10 years at IU Health / Community / Ascension / Franciscan / Riley / RHI / VA Indianapolis = tax-free forgiveness · $70-130K lifetime savings
- →Max at IU Health / Community Network / Ascension / Franciscan · $24,500/year pre-tax · saves $6,400/year combined fed + IN at $98K tier
- →Pursue OCS / SCS specialty cert: $5-15K base premium · $98-128K specialty comp tier
- →Pediatric PT at Riley Hospital for Children: PCS cert + premium pediatric specialty market · $82-108K + Hopkins-affiliation prestige
- →Sports medicine track: IU Athletics + Notre Dame + Purdue + Butler + IndyCar / Indy 500 / Indy Eleven · $98-128K + OT during racing season
- →Federal PT (VA Indianapolis) at $24,500/year + 5% government match · GS-12 entry $85K + 17.71% locality · FERS pension +
- → at IU Health if plan offers after-tax + in-plan-Roth conversion · adds $47.5K/year
- →PT Compact (IN member since 2018): per-diem coverage in 30+ compact states · adds $8-18K/year supplemental
The Indiana PT career arc — DPT entry to specialty / clinic ownership
Years 0-3 (post-DPT): $72-90K. DPT (3-year doctorate post-undergrad) + NPTE national exam + IN State Board of Physical Therapy licensure. IU School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (Indianapolis), University of Indianapolis Krannert, Saint Mary's College (Notre Dame), Manchester University DPT graduates dominate the in-state pipeline. Decision point: outpatient ortho (ATI / Select / Athletico / Pivot $72-90K starting + productivity bonus) vs acute care (IU Health / Community / Ascension $78-98K starting) vs pediatric (Riley Children's $78-95K) vs federal (VA Indianapolis GS-12 entry $85K + locality + ).
Years 3-10 (established practice + specialty): $85-128K depending on specialty. IU Health / Community / Riley acute-care + pediatric PT $85-108K with academic-medical premium. Outpatient ortho with productivity bonus reaches $95-115K. Sports medicine + OCS / SCS cert specialty $108-128K. Federal VA Indianapolis reaches GS-13 ($110K + 17.71% Indianapolis locality = $129K). Maxing at IU Health ($24,500/year) is the peak active-duty lever.
Years 10+ (senior PT / clinic owner / federal senior / retirement): $115-215K depending on track. Senior PT clinical leadership $125-165K. Clinic owner private practice $155-245K with proper + solo + cash-balance plan structure + IN PTET election. VA Indianapolis at GS-14 step-10 reaches $145K + 17.71% locality = $171K + FERS pension. Most IN PTs retire in-state — favorable 0% estate + 0% inheritance + flat 3% retirement structure.
Where Indiana PTs actually live
IN PT housing tracks employer + commute. IU Health / Community / Riley PTs cluster in Hamilton County (Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville) for top schools + 1.10% CIT. Marion County (Indianapolis proper) for younger PTs + downtown clinics. Hendricks (Plainfield, Avon) for west-side IU Health commute. Fort Wayne PTs in Allen County. South Bend in St. Joseph County.
Carmel / Fishers / Noblesville (Hamilton)
IU Health commute · top schools · $400-650K · 1.10% CIT
Plainfield / Avon (Hendricks)
Indianapolis west-side · 1.70% CIT · $400-625K
Indianapolis Marion (Broad Ripple / Beech Grove)
Urban / family practice mix · 2.02% CIT · $250-525K
South Bend / Granger (St. Joseph)
Memorial + Notre Dame Athletics · 1.75% CIT · $250-475K
Bloomington (Monroe)
IU Health-Bloomington + IU Athletics · 1.34% CIT · $275-500K
IN's IU Health academic-medical premium + Riley Hospital pediatric PT specialty + Indy 500 / IndyCar / IU + Notre Dame + Purdue sports medicine market + 0% estate retirement structure make IN one of the most balanced Midwest PT markets — strong academic-medical + sports medicine on the active-duty side, retirement-favorable on the late-career side.
Is this the right move?
Indiana PT — who it's best for
Working in your favor
- +PSLF density: IU Health / Community / Ascension / Franciscan / Riley / RHI / VA Indianapolis all qualify · $70-130K lifetime DPT forgiveness
- +IU Health + Riley Hospital for Children academic-medical premium · top US pediatric PT specialty
- +Sports medicine market depth: Indy 500 + IndyCar + Indy Eleven + IU + Notre Dame + Purdue + Butler · $98-128K + sports-season OT
- +IN flat 3% + Hamilton 1.10% CIT · combined ~4.10% · saves $3-4K/year vs MD at PT comp tier
- +0% estate + 0% inheritance · favorable retirement for PT-spouse high-earner households · vs MA $2M / MD $5M cliff
Worth knowing before you sign
- −IN base PT comp lower than MA / NY / CA · $78-98K mid-career staff vs $90-115K coastal
- −Outpatient ortho productivity-bonus pressure (ATI / Select / Athletico / Pivot) · burnout reported industry-wide
- −DPT $115-160K federal balance load · PSLF eligibility critical for non-federal-track PTs
- −Sports medicine market seasonal · racing season (May-Aug) + football/basketball season drive uneven OT
- −Marion County 2.02% CIT · $900/year more than Hamilton residency at PT comp
Job Market in Indiana
Indiana has active demand for Physical Therapists.
Growth outlook: 15% growth through 2032 (much faster than average)
Related job titles:
Cost of Living in Indiana
Indiana has a varied cost of living by region.
💰 Monthly take-home: $5,718
🏠 Typical rent: $1,600/mo
📊 After rent: $4,118/mo
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