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Home Health Physical Therapist Pay in California (2026)

Home Health Physical Therapist Pay in California (2026)

Home health physical therapists earn more than most physical therapists. In May 2025, the national median pay for physical therapists (PTs) in home health was $114,740 a year, compared with $102,760 for all PTs. In California, the median for all PTs was $124,190, and $108,170 in the Los Angeles area. What you actually take home in home health depends on how you are paid, how many visits you do, and how much time you spend driving.

This post is for PTs in Burbank, Los Angeles County, and the rest of California who are thinking about home health. It covers what the pay data shows, how per-visit pay works, the California rules on mileage and pay stubs, and the questions to ask before you accept an offer.

Quad Therapy Inc. is a California therapy company founded by a licensed physical therapist. We provide in-home therapy so patients can get care without clinic wait lines, and we place qualified therapists with clinics, schools, and facilities that need staff.

Key facts

  • $114,740: national median pay for PTs in home health in May 2025, the highest of the main work settings.

  • $124,190: median pay for all PTs in California in 2025. The Los Angeles area median was $108,170.

  • 12% job growth: expected for PTs from 2025 to 2035, with about 13,400 openings a year nationwide.

  • 2.7 million people with traditional Medicare used home health in 2024, served by 12,234 agencies.

  • 76 cents per mile: the IRS business mileage rate from July 1, 2026, up from 72.5 cents in the first half of the year.

How much do home health physical therapists make in California?

There is no official California pay number for home health PTs alone. The best local data covers all PTs together, and the national data shows how home health compares with other settings. The 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data for California reports these numbers:

  • Statewide: the middle 80% of California PTs earned between $85,580 and $163,960 a year.

  • Los Angeles area: the median was $108,170, or about $52 an hour. That is lower than the state median, because pay in the San Francisco Bay Area pulls the state number up.

  • By setting, nationally: the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook lists May 2025 medians of $114,740 in home health, $110,460 in nursing and residential care, $106,800 in hospitals, and $97,160 in outpatient therapy offices.

Nationally, home health paid about $12,000 more than the overall PT median. That gap is a useful signal for California, but it is not a promise. Local offers can be higher or lower depending on the agency, the area you cover, and how the pay is set up.

How are home health PTs paid: per visit, hourly, or salary?

Home health PTs are commonly paid per visit, but hourly and salaried jobs also exist. Each one changes how your week feels.

  • Per visit. You earn a set amount for each visit. Visits that take more time, like the first evaluation, usually pay more. In Medicare home health, the start-of-care visit often includes the OASIS, a long federal assessment form. A regular treatment visit pays less, and a discharge visit is somewhere in between.

  • Hourly or per diem. You are paid for the hours you work, often with a shorter commitment. Our post on per diem physical therapist jobs in Los Angeles explains this option.

  • Salary with a productivity target. You get a steady paycheck and are expected to complete a set number of visits or points each week.

Visit volume per patient has gone down. Since 2020, Medicare pays home health agencies for each 30-day period of care, and the number of therapy visits no longer raises the payment. According to the MedPAC March 2026 report, therapy visits per 30-day period fell from 4.9 in 2019 to 3.8 in 2024. CMS also expects Medicare payments to home health agencies to drop about 1.3%, or $220 million, in 2026. When agency payments get tighter, per-visit rates and caseloads are worth reading closely.

What California pay rules apply to home health therapists?

Three California rules matter most for home health PTs: piece-rate pay rules, mileage reimbursement, and the test for independent contractors. This is general information, not legal advice.

  • Piece-rate pay. Per-visit pay is often treated as piece-rate pay. Under California Labor Code 226.2, piece-rate employees must be paid separately for rest breaks and for other work time that is not part of the paid task, and the pay stub must show it. Team meetings and required training are common examples.

  • Overtime and salary. To be exempt from overtime as a salaried professional in 2026, an employee must earn at least $70,304 a year in salary, which is twice the $16.90 state minimum wage, according to the California Department of Industrial Relations. Ask whether your job is exempt or not and how overtime is figured.

  • Mileage. California Labor Code 2802 requires employers to repay employees for necessary work expenses, and that includes using your own car for patient visits. Many employers use the IRS rate. It was 72.5 cents per mile for January through June 2026 and 76 cents per mile from July 1, 2026.

  • 1099 contractor work. California uses the ABC test to decide who is an employee. Labor Code 2783 exempts physicians, dentists, podiatrists, psychologists, and veterinarians, but physical therapists are not on that list. A 1099 home health offer for a PT in California deserves careful questions.

What affects how much a home health PT takes home?

Your take-home pay depends less on the rate per visit and more on how many visits fit into a normal day. Two jobs with the same per-visit rate can pay very differently.

  • Drive time. In Los Angeles County, a 6-mile drive can take 10 minutes or 40. A territory close to home, such as Burbank, Glendale, and North Hollywood, can add a visit a day.

  • Visit mix. Evaluations and start-of-care visits pay more but take longer, including the documentation.

  • Documentation time. Finishing notes at the patient's home, instead of at night, protects your evenings.

  • Cancellations. Ask whether you are paid anything when a patient cancels after you arrive.

  • Benefits. Health insurance, paid time off, continuing education money, and a retirement match can be worth thousands of dollars a year.

Does home health work lead to burnout?

Home health can lead to burnout when the workload is too high, but most of the risk factors can be changed. Research on PT burnout shows a clear pattern.

The work itself matters to patients. In a 2019 study of more than 1,300 older adults in home health, about one PT visit a week was linked with a much lower chance of going back to the hospital within 60 days. That is one reason a reasonable caseload is good for patients and for the therapist.

Is home health a good job for a new grad PT?

It can be, if the agency gives real training and support. In home health you work alone in the patient's home and make many decisions without a senior PT next to you. Ask for a set orientation period, joint visits with an experienced PT, and someone you can call during the day. If you are still getting licensed, our guide on how to get a California physical therapy license walks through the steps.

What should I ask before accepting a home health PT job?

Ask for the full pay picture in writing before you sign. These questions help:

  1. What is the rate for each visit type: evaluation, start of care, routine visit, recertification, and discharge?

  2. Is the job hourly, per visit, or salaried, and is it exempt from overtime?

  3. How are meetings, training, and rest breaks paid?

  4. What is the mileage rate, and does it count the drive to the first patient?

  5. Which cities or ZIP codes will I cover?

  6. How many visits a week do you expect, and what happens in a slow week?

  7. What benefits, paid time off, and continuing education money come with the job?

Frequently asked questions

Do home health PTs make more than outpatient PTs?

Usually, yes. In May 2025, the national median was $114,740 in home health and $97,160 in outpatient therapy offices. Your own offer depends on the pay model and your territory.

Do home health PTs get paid for drive time?

It depends on the job. Hourly PTs are usually paid for work time between visits, and per-visit PTs are often paid through the visit rate plus mileage. Ask the employer to explain in writing how drive time is paid.

Is mileage reimbursed for home health PTs in California?

Yes. California law requires employers to repay necessary work expenses, including using your car for visits. Many employers use the IRS rate, which is 76 cents per mile from July 1, 2026.

Can a physical therapist work home health as a 1099 contractor in California?

It is hard. California's ABC test applies to PTs, because they are not on the list of exempt professions. Talk with an employment attorney before accepting a 1099 home health role.

Does Quad Therapy hire physical therapists?

Yes. Quad Therapy Inc. provides in-home therapy and places therapists with clinics, schools, and facilities. Call (855) 313-3201 to ask about current openings in Burbank and Los Angeles County.

About Quad Therapy

Quad Therapy Inc. is a therapy company in Burbank, California, founded by a licensed physical therapist. We go to the patient. Our licensed therapists provide [SERVICES] in the home, and we staff clinics, schools, and facilities with qualified therapists. Every service is provided by a clinician licensed by the matching California board and stays within that board's scope of practice. To schedule a visit or ask about staffing, call (855) 313-3201 or visit quadtherapy.com. Our office is at 455 N Moss St, Suite 102, Burbank, CA 91502.

Next step: take the 7 questions above to your next interview and ask for the answers in writing. To talk about home health or in-home PT work in Los Angeles County, call (855) 313-3201.

This article is for general information. It is not legal, tax, or financial advice. Talk with a qualified professional about your situation.

Sources

  1. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook: Physical therapists. bls.gov

  2. O*NET OnLine. Local wages for physical therapists (29-1123.00) in California, 2025 BLS wage data. onetonline.org

  3. Medicare Payment Advisory Commission. Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, chapter 8: home health care services. March 2026. medpac.gov

  4. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Calendar Year 2026 Home Health Prospective Payment System final rule (CMS-1828-F) fact sheet. November 2025. cms.gov

  5. Venturini E, Ugolini A, Bianchi L, Di Bari M, Paci M. Prevalence of burnout among physiotherapists: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Physiotherapy. 2024. doi.org

  6. Burri SD, Smyrk KM, Melegy MS, et al. Risk factors associated with physical therapist burnout: a systematic review. Physiotherapy. 2022;116:9-24. doi.org

  7. Rotenstein LS, Brown R, Sinsky C, Linzer M. The association of work overload with burnout and intent to leave the job across the healthcare workforce during COVID-19. Journal of General Internal Medicine. 2023;38(8):1920-1927. doi.org

  8. Wang J, Liebel DV, Yu F, Caprio TV, Shang J. Inverse dose-response relationship between home health care services and rehospitalization in older adults. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. 2019;20(6):736-742. doi.org

  9. California Department of Industrial Relations. Piece-rate compensation: Labor Code 226.2 (AB 1513) frequently asked questions. dir.ca.gov

  10. California Department of Industrial Relations. California's minimum wage to increase to $16.90 per hour on January 1, 2026. dir.ca.gov

  11. California Labor Code section 2783. california.public.law

  12. Internal Revenue Service. IRS sets 2026 business standard mileage rate at 72.5 cents per mile. irs.gov

  13. Littler Mendelson. IRS increases standard mileage rate for second half of 2026 to 76 cents per mile (IRS Announcement 2026-11). littler.com