National Salary Info » Therapists

Highest Paying Industries for Therapists

The top 100 highest paying industries for therapists (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment in those industries are also shown. As shown in the table, with an average annual salary of $98,170, research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences is the highest paying industry for therapists. It is followed by scientific research and development services industry (average annual salary $92,930). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2015 [1]. For more information about salaries of therapists in a specific industry, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 100 Highest Paying Industries for Therapists

Rank	Industry	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences	$98,170	$44,010	130
2	Scientific Research and Development Services	$92,930	$44,600	150
3	Home Health Care Services	$86,780	$55,630	41,700
4	Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries	$86,370	$54,560	30
5	Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities)	$81,810	$43,430	36,820
6	Temporary Help Services	$81,230	$49,080	6,870
7	Nursing and Residential Care Facilities	$80,180	$40,320	45,250
8	Ambulatory Health Care Services	$79,480	$50,820	206,430
9	Employment Services	$79,080	$47,290	9,620
10	Administrative and Support Services	$78,960	$47,240	9,730
11	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	$78,960	$47,240	9,730
12	Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists	$78,870	$51,900	125,040
13	Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly	$78,380	$34,910	5,280
14	Offices of Other Health Practitioners	$78,300	$50,780	130,770
15	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$76,880	$45,930	680
16	Offices of Physicians	$76,670	$49,150	22,650
17	Federal government, including USPS	$76,450	$49,610	6,940
18	Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation)	$76,450	$49,610	6,940
19	Management of Companies and Enterprises	$76,340	$37,480	1,480
20	Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services	$76,260	$48,640	500
21	Educational Support Services - Privately owned	$74,810	$51,330	480
22	Insurance Carriers	$74,730	$52,770	70
23	Outpatient Care Centers	$74,390	$42,700	9,730
24	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - Privately owned	$74,180	$43,450	670
25	Health Care and Social Assistance	$73,790	$45,210	490,350
26	Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals	$73,200	$49,410	23,820
27	Specialty hospitals - State government owned	$73,090	$50,000	690
28	Specialty hospitals - Privately owned	$73,060	$49,330	22,780
29	Child Day Care Services	$72,000	$40,650	2,200
30	Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	$71,560	$45,340	n/a
31	Federal, State, and Local Government (OES Designation)	$71,390	$39,170	n/a
32	Federal, State, and Local Government	$71,390	$39,170	n/a
33	All Other Ambulatory Health Care Services	$70,710	$39,240	820
34	Grantmaking and Giving Services	$70,700	$45,600	100
35	Manufacturing	$70,020	$62,730	n/a
36	Insurance Carriers and Related Activities	$69,340	$42,710	100
37	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - State government owned	$69,310	$44,330	1,490
38	Other Ambulatory Health Care Services	$69,300	$39,920	890
39	Hospitals - Privately owned	$68,600	$44,780	195,810
40	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Privately owned	$68,170	$44,630	171,280
41	Hospitals (including private, state, and local government hospitals)	$68,130	$44,180	227,010
42	Educational Services - Privately owned	$68,050	$42,300	7,280
43	Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$68,000	$37,520	n/a
44	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	$67,810	$44,190	198,980
45	Educational Services - State government owned	$67,780	$43,480	2,050
46	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - State government owned	$67,400	$42,910	6,280
47	Finance and Insurance	$67,320	$42,200	110
48	Offices of All Other Health Practitioners	$66,940	$39,020	2,760
49	Educational Support Services	$66,700	$42,750	2,260
50	Social Advocacy Organizations	$66,620	$35,180	50
51	Public sector -- Federal, state, and local government, including government owned schools and hospit	$66,010	$41,970	124,600
52	Elementary and Secondary Schools - Privately owned	$65,800	$41,130	5,560
53	Educational Services	$65,530	$42,670	n/a
54	Local government, including schools and hospitals	$65,310	$42,260	102,200
55	Educational Services - Local government owned	$65,230	$42,690	75,450
56	Elementary and Secondary Schools	$65,220	$42,580	79,480
57	Elementary and Secondary Schools - Local government owned	$65,180	$42,700	73,390
58	Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities	$65,150	$35,090	4,000
59	Hospitals - State government owned	$64,980	$39,850	9,380
60	Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations	$64,960	$38,270	220
61	Hospitals - Local government owned	$64,900	$41,800	21,820
62	Elementary and Secondary Schools - State government owned	$64,870	$41,370	530
63	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Local government owned	$64,640	$41,720	21,420
64	Educational Support Services - Local government owned	$64,570	$41,130	1,770
65	Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities	$64,060	$28,270	1,370
66	State government, including schools and hospitals	$63,820	$37,430	15,450
67	Social Assistance	$63,300	$32,060	11,660
68	Junior Colleges (including private, state, and local government schools)	$62,080	$42,040	30
69	Individual and Family Services	$62,060	$34,130	7,440
70	Ambulance Services	$62,050	$43,920	80
71	Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation	$61,790	$39,580	280
72	Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers	$61,700	$41,090	200
73	Other Amusement and Recreation Industries	$61,700	$41,090	200
74	Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries	$61,700	$41,090	200
75	Offices of Chiropractors	$60,470	$28,820	930
76	Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories	$59,380	$36,350	500
77	State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$59,190	$32,760	4,020
78	Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers	$58,320	$18,690	1,340
79	Pharmacies and Drug Stores	$57,580	$41,780	360
80	Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities	$56,920	$29,720	2,430
81	Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians)	$55,970	$28,350	1,810
82	Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals - State government owned	$55,340	$32,610	2,420
83	Retail Trade	$53,110	$38,080	1,850
84	Other Residential Care Facilities	$53,080	$32,560	710
85	Health and Personal Care Stores	$53,020	$38,020	1,830
86	Vocational Rehabilitation Services	$52,770	$22,900	n/a
87	Consumer Goods Rental	$52,260	$37,280	3,030
88	Rental and Leasing Services	$52,220	$37,180	3,160
89	Real Estate and Rental and Leasing	$52,210	$37,200	3,160
90	Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals	$52,190	$32,930	4,210
91	Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	$50,800	$36,180	890
92	Wholesale Trade	$50,780	$36,200	930
93	Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods	$50,750	$36,210	900
94	Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing	$50,360	$35,590	130
95	Civic and Social Organizations	$50,250	$28,000	n/a
96	Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities	$49,190	$31,890	1,060
97	Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals - Privately owned	$48,500	$33,260	1,740
98	Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services	$47,380	$18,960	n/a
99	Other Services (except Federal, State, and Local Government)	$45,370	$17,180	520
100	Offices of Optometrists	$35,670	$29,340	n/a