Physical Therapy Salary in Illinois - IL

By Jane Austin, allied health world contributing writer
Published: January, 21 2011

Currently, the average physical therapist salary in Illinois is $80,000 per year; which means that the majority of physical therapists make about $38.46 per hour. While you can certainly count on a decent living wage with a career in this field, you should understand that experience is going to be your biggest asset. The longer your continue on with your career in physical therapy, the more valuable you will become and the more money that you will make.

In Illinois, arthritis is one of the leading conditions requiring physical therapy; particularly among the elderly. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 27% of adults in Illinois were diagnosed with arthritis during 2007; which accounted for more than 3.4 million Illinois residents. Because of the debilitating affect that arthritis has on the joints and daily mobility, many arthritic patients can benefit from regular physical therapy sessions.

It is worthy of mention that your particular location can also play a role in your overall annual salary, as you will see below. These are some of the average physical therapy salaries in Illinois by major city:

• Chicago:  $81,270
• Rockford:  $80,390
• Joliet:  $81,820
• Bloomington:  $74,780
• Champaign:  $83,810
• Decatur:  $86,200
• Springfield:  $79,860

Salary figures provided by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics