Physical Therapist
Drawn directly from OPM FedScope (June 2026), this page tracks headcount, average salary, tenure, and pay comparison for the Physical Therapist occupation series (code 0633).
The verdict
With 3,748 employees (0.2% of the federal civilian workforce), Physical Therapist ranks as a smaller, specialized federal occupation within the Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group family, and headcount declined 0.2% from the prior period. Its average salary of $124,876 pays near the $117,339 federal average.
- Employees
- 3,748
- Share of workforce
- 0.2%
- Avg salary
- $124,876
- Avg tenure
- 10.9 yrs
FedScope read on Physical Therapist (dense series)
As of the June 2026 reporting window, 3,748 people work in the Physical Therapist occupation (OPM code 0633) across federal agencies, 0.2% of the 1,953,300-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved down by -0.2% from the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.
Physical Therapist pays $124,876 per year on average, moving up 0.1% from the prior period (a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change). Employees in this role stay an average of 10.9 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.
The Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group family (code 06) groups Physical Therapist together with 44 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Physical Therapist postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group family.
Physical Therapist makes up 1.1% of the 339,162 employees across the Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group family, ranking #16 of 45 occupations in that family by headcount. Its average salary ranks in the top half (73rd percentile) of pay among Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group occupations.
Salary context · rich-pay series
How Physical Therapist pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$124,876
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
+6.4%
Where Physical Therapist ranks on rich federal pay
Its average salary of $124,876 is higher than 72% of federal occupation series (387 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Physical Therapist sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Physical Therapist ranks higher than 72%.
Related Occupations in Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nurse | 106,218 | $132,267 | 10.2 yrs |
| Medical Support Assistance | 39,856 | $58,279 | 8.2 yrs |
| Medical Officer | 34,687 | $301,569 | 11.6 yrs |
| General Health Science | 17,434 | $133,765 | 11.9 yrs |
| Practical Nurse | 16,755 | $75,898 | 10.4 yrs |
| Pharmacist | 14,529 | $167,390 | 11.1 yrs |
| Nursing Assistant | 14,498 | $55,851 | 7.8 yrs |
| Health Aid and Technician | 12,490 | $61,276 | 10.8 yrs |
| Health System Specialist | 7,966 | $110,534 | 15.9 yrs |
| Pharmacy Technician | 7,658 | $70,794 | 9.5 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this dense headcount
Two peer sets for Physical Therapist outside the Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar dense headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (3,748 here).
Similar rich average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($124,876 here).
Key takeaways
- Physical Therapist pays near the federal average by 6.4% ($124,876 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 72nd percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 3,748 employees, 0.2% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 0.2% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Physical Therapist ranks #109 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Physical Therapist makes up 1.1% of the 339,162 employees across the Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group family, ranking #16 of 45 occupations in that family by headcount.
OPM FedScope and Federal Workforce Data figures are federal civilian headcounts, average salaries, and length-of-service statistics - not job-quality scores, hiring advice, or a live vacancy listing. A larger or higher-paid agency is not a better employer.