Medical Assistant vs Physical Therapist

Put two roles head to head — any role, in any location or worldwide-remote.

Side A

Side B

Physical Therapist pays about 78% more at the median.

Side-by-side distribution

Medical Assistant Physical Therapist
$47.8k
$85k
$31.7k box = 25th–75th · whiskers = 10th–90th $145.3k

Medical Assistant

$47,840

median · per year, annualized USD

Median over time ▼ -63.1%
$129,695 $47,840
$44k 25th
$47.8k Median
$52k 75th
$39.5k
$57.2k
Box 25th–75th · whiskers 10th–90th Full range $10.4k – $457.6k · outliers off-axis
Disclosing
41.2%
Live roles
464

Physical Therapist

$85,000

median · per year, annualized USD

Median over time ▼ -29.5%
$120,640 $85,000
$70.8k 25th
$85k Median
$97.5k 75th
$66.6k
$140.3k
Box 25th–75th · whiskers 10th–90th Full range $5k – $1,260k · outliers off-axis
Disclosing
57.3%
Live roles
3,180

Top companies hiring

Top companies hiring

Medical Assistant salary by location

Location Median Roles
Los Angeles $50,960 4
Denver $49,920 6
New York $45,760 13
Chicago $45,760 3

Physical Therapist salary by location

Location Median Roles
San Francisco $151,424 3
New York $95,000 21
Denver $87,500 11
Austin $85,000 6
London $70,835 179

Medical Assistant vs Physical Therapist: which pays more?

The median for Medical Assistant is $47,840 per year (typically $44,002–$52,000), versus $85,000 for Physical Therapist ($70,835–$97,500). That puts Physical Therapist about 78% ahead at the median.

Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Medical Assistant and Physical Therapist are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.

Catch your next role the second it’s posted.

Create a free account and we’ll watch the boards for you — the instant a job matches your search, it lands in your inbox or Telegram. No digging, no refreshing.

Create free account

Free forever · takes 30 seconds · already have one?

Get an edge on your job hunt.

Join our Telegram channel for the stuff that helps you land the role — salary benchmarks, the weekly market pulse, and new-feature drops. No spam, just signal.

Join the channel — it's free