National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Physical Therapists earn a national median of $99,710/year vs Cloud Engineers at $138,000/year. Cloud Engineers earn 38% more nationally. The gap is $38,290 per year — or $3,191 per month.
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Physical Therapist
$99,710
national median/year
$8,309/mo • $48/hr
VS
Cloud Engineer
$138,000
national median/year
$11,500/mo • $66/hr
Annual salary gap
$38,290
Cloud Engineers earn 38% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $434,028.
Best states for Cloud Engineers
vs Physical Therapists
California+$63,680
Virginia+$63,680
Washington+$63,680
New York+$59,680
Massachusetts+$57,680
Best states for Physical Therapists
vs Cloud Engineers
Alaska+$-11,680
North Dakota+$-13,680
Wyoming+$-13,680
Hawaii+$-15,680
Mississippi+$-17,680
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Cloud Engineers earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Physical Therapists is $99,710 versus $138,000 for Cloud Engineers — a difference of $38,290 per year or $3,191 per month.
The national median salary gap between Physical Therapists and Cloud Engineers is $38,290 per year. Cloud Engineers earn 38% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $434,028.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Physical Therapists the highest median salary at $114,320 per year.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Cloud Engineers the highest median salary at $178,000 per year.
Salary is one factor — Cloud Engineers earn more nationally. But career choice involves job satisfaction, work-life balance, education requirements, and job growth. Physical Therapists and Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts both have different educational paths, licensing requirements, and long-term growth projections. Use salary as a starting point, not the only factor.
Based on a standard 2,080-hour work year, Physical Therapists earn approximately $48 per hour nationally and Cloud Engineers earn approximately $66 per hour. Actual hourly rates vary based on overtime, part-time work, and whether the role is salaried or hourly.
Methodology: Salary data from Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) 2024-2025. Figures represent median annual wages for wage and salary workers. Self-employed excluded. Hourly rates calculated at 2,080 hours per year. State salary figures from same BLS OES dataset. Updated annually.
