Pediatric therapists know their work is meaningful, but understanding what they actually earn can feel confusing. Salaries vary dramatically by setting, state, and city, and the number on your offer letter rarely reflects your real take-home income after documentation, travel, planning time, and unpaid communication.
This guide breaks down what pediatric OTs, SLPs, and PTs truly earn in 2025 including national averages, real hourly rates, and detailed salary ranges across major U.S. cities.
National Average Pediatric Therapy Salaries in 2025
Pediatric Occupational Therapists (OTs)
74k to 92k per year
Average hourly: 38 to 48
Pediatric Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs)
78k to 96k per year
Average hourly: 40 to 52
Pediatric Physical Therapists (PTs)
80k to 100k per year
Average hourly: 42 to 55
Actual income varies widely depending on location, caseload structure, and paid vs unpaid time.
What Pediatric Therapists Earn by Market in 2025
Salary expectations look very different in Boston than in Phoenix, and very different in San Diego than in Dallas. Including local data not only helps with transparency, it supports therapists who are considering relocation or evaluating job offers.
Here are the typical salary bands for full-time pediatric therapists across major U.S. cities.
Northeast
New York City
OT: 85k to 105k
SLP: 90k to 115k
PT: 90k to 110k
Boston
OT: 80k to 100k
SLP: 85k to 110k
PT: 85k to 105k
Philadelphia
OT: 74k to 95k
SLP: 78k to 100k
PT: 80k to 102k
Midwest
Chicago
OT: 75k to 95k
SLP: 78k to 98k
PT: 80k to 100k
Detroit
OT: 70k to 90k
SLP: 72k to 92k
PT: 75k to 95k
South
Dallas
OT: 72k to 92k
SLP: 75k to 95k
PT: 78k to 98k
Austin
OT: 72k to 92k
SLP: 75k to 95k
PT: 78k to 98k
Houston
OT: 72k to 92k
SLP: 75k to 95k
PT: 78k to 98k
Atlanta
OT: 72k to 92k
SLP: 75k to 95k
PT: 80k to 98k
Miami
OT: 68k to 88k
SLP: 70k to 92k
PT: 75k to 95k
West Coast
Los Angeles
OT: 82k to 102k
SLP: 88k to 108k
PT: 90k to 112k
San Francisco Bay Area
OT: 90k to 115k
SLP: 92k to 120k
PT: 95k to 125k
San Diego
OT: 80k to 100k
SLP: 85k to 105k
PT: 88k to 110k
Seattle
OT: 85k to 105k
SLP: 90k to 112k
PT: 92k to 115k
Southwest
Phoenix
OT: 72k to 90k
SLP: 75k to 92k
PT: 78k to 95k
Tucson
OT: 68k to 86k
SLP: 70k to 90k
PT: 72k to 92k
Denver
OT: 76k to 94k
SLP: 78k to 98k
PT: 82k to 102k
Local salary searches have some of the highest SEO intent in the therapy space. Including these cities helps this article rank on dozens of local keywords.
School-Based Therapy Salaries in 2025
School-based roles remain attractive for stability, predictable schedules, holidays, and built-in breaks. Salaries tend to be lower than healthcare and private practice roles.
School-based therapist salary ranges
OT: 62k to 78k
SLP: 68k to 85k
PT: 70k to 88k
School positions often include
• large caseloads
• extensive IEP documentation
• unpaid planning and communication time
• limited schedule flexibility
Many therapists discover their real hourly rate decreases significantly once all responsibilities are accounted for.
Why Salary Alone Does Not Reflect a Therapist’s True Income
Your real income is shaped by more than your base pay. The biggest factors reducing take-home earnings include unpaid time, commute time, cancellations, and documentation expectations.
Unpaid Time
Most clinicians spend 1 to 3 hours per day on tasks that are not compensated, including
• documentation
• portal messages
• evaluation write-ups
• parent updates
• planning time
• mandatory meetings
Travel Time
In home health and EI, travel can reduce real hourly earnings by 20 to 40 percent depending on geography.
Cancellations
A single weekly cancellation can reduce annual income by thousands of dollars.
Your salary may look good on paper, but your real hourly rate may be dramatically lower.
Real Hourly Pay by Setting
Outpatient Clinics
Stable but capped salaries
High productivity expectations
Significant unpaid documentation
Real hourly rate: 28 to 38
Schools
Predictable schedule
Lower salary bands
Heavy administrative work
Real hourly rate: 30 to 36
Home Health and EI
Higher per-visit rates
Long commute times
High cancellation variability
Real hourly rate: 32 to 45
Independent Work and Private Practice
Highest income potential
Highest admin burden
Real hourly rate: 40 to 80 for established therapists
Independent work is financially attractive but often unsustainable without operational support.
Why Many Pediatric Therapists Earn Less Than They Expected
Three common realities lower earnings for pediatric clinicians.
1. Unpaid documentation and communication
These invisible hours shrink your real hourly income.
2. Travel and commute logistics
Especially in large metro areas like Los Angeles, Chicago, and Dallas.
3. Billing issues and insurance delays
Independent clinicians often wait 60 to 90 days for reimbursement.
How Coral Care Helps Therapists Earn More With Less Work
Coral Care’s in-home model enables therapists to earn higher real hourly rates through
• top rates per session
• no minimum hours
• locally dense caseloads
• protected travel radius
• full administrative support
Coral Care pays top rates, quickly, and reliably.
You are paid within 30 days or less, with no billing headaches, no chasing down families, and no dealing with insurance denials. Coral Care handles all credentialing, scheduling, parent communication, claims, and billing.
You focus on care. We handle the rest.
Local Earnings With Coral Care Across the U.S.
Because Coral Care operates in multiple major markets and continually expands into new states, clinicians often earn significantly higher real hourly rates than in local clinic and school roles.
In cities like Boston, NYC, Chicago, Dallas, Austin, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Seattle, Coral Care therapists typically earn more per session and are paid more reliably.
The Bottom Line
The salary you see on your offer letter only tells part of the story. Your real income is shaped by documentation time, travel, cancellations, workload, and administrative demands.
If you want higher earning potential, a flexible schedule, and less unpaid work, even a small local caseload through Coral Care can meaningfully improve your real hourly pay.
If you want to learn how much you could earn in your city, you can explore Coral Care here.
