Salary comparison
Physical Therapists: Bakersfield vs Carson City
Bakersfield, CA pays about 3.9% more for physical therapists on paper — $125,490 vs $120,810. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Bakersfield comes out ahead by $4,680 a year in real buying power.
Bakersfield, CA
$125,490
$102,520
$139,970
$60.33
100
$125,490/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Carson City, NV
$120,810
$100,980
$125,080
$58.08
100
$120,810/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $4,680 a year (3.9%) in favor of Bakersfield. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Bakersfield runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Carson City sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Bakersfield is the better deal by $4,680 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Carson City to Bakersfield for this role, the raise needs to beat 3.9% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do physical therapists earn more, Bakersfield or Carson City?
Bakersfield pays $125,490 on median — about 3.9% more than Carson City ($120,810). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Bakersfield. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Bakersfield gives you roughly$125,490 of real buying power versus $120,810 in the other city.