Estimated Weekly PFL Benefit — Physical Therapist · 2026
$1,279/week
Based on $95,000/year · 8-week total: $10,231
How PFL Is Calculated for Physical Therapists
California Physical Therapists who pay into SDI qualify for PFL. Here is the full EDD calculation for a Physical Therapist earning $95,000/year:
1
Highest Quarter Earnings$95,000 ÷ 4 = $23,750 · PT salaries are generally stable. Highest quarter ≈ annual ÷ 4.
2
Average Weekly Wage (AWW)$23,750 ÷ 13 weeks = $1,827/week
3
Apply Rate: 70%$1,827 × 70% = $1,279/week
4
Multiply by Weeks Taken$1,279 × 8 weeks = $10,231 total
Benefit by Number of Weeks
| Leave Duration | Weekly Benefit | Total Benefit |
|---|
| 1 week | $1,279/wk | $1,279 |
| 2 weeks | $1,279/wk | $2,558 |
| 4 weeks | $1,279/wk | $5,115 |
| 6 weeks | $1,279/wk | $7,673 |
| 8 weeks | $1,279/wk | $10,231 |
Working at more than one clinic? EDD adds your wages together
The most important thing for physical therapists with split or per-diem schedules: EDD combines every employer that withheld SDI in your base period. If you work part-time at an outpatient clinic and pick up per-diem shifts at a hospital or home-health agency, the wages from all of them go into the same quarterly total. Your benefit isn't tied to any single job. The state still uses your single highest quarter across all those employers, divided by 13.
That combining rule is why two PTs with the same annual income can get very different benefits. It depends on how the work clusters:
- Per-diem concentration. Per-diem and PRN rates are higher per hour, and the shifts often bunch up in busy stretches (covering vacations, census spikes). A heavy per-diem run concentrates earnings into one quarter and lifts it above a quarter of base pay.
- Productivity and visit bonuses. Outpatient and home-health PTs paid per visit or on productivity targets see those land in the quarter earned.
- Travel and contract assignments. Short-term contract PT pay loads the quarter the assignment runs.
Example: a PT whose base across two clinics is $95,000 but whose busiest quarter (padded by per-diem coverage) reached $28,000 has an AWW of $2,154 ($28,000 ÷ 13). That gives about $1,508/week instead of $1,279, roughly $1,830 more over 8 weeks.
💡Total every employer's pay stubs by quarterIf you work for more than one clinic, EDD already sees all of it, but you won't unless you add the stubs together. Sum your highest 3-month stretch across all SDI-covered jobs and enter that ÷ 13 as your salary-equivalent for an accurate estimate.
Part-time PTs may qualify for the higher 90% rate
California pays a 90% replacement rate (instead of 70%) when your average weekly wage is $1,252.30 or less. That works out to roughly a highest quarter under $16,280, or about $65,100/year evenly. Part-time and per-diem-only physical therapists often fall in this bracket, which means a larger share of their income is replaced:
| Highest-quarter wages | AWW (÷13) | Rate | Weekly benefit |
|---|
| $13,000 (part-time) | $1,000 | 90% | $900 |
| $16,280 (90% cliff) | $1,252 | 90% | $1,127 |
| $18,000 (just over cliff) | $1,385 | 70% | $969 |
| $23,750 (~$95k full-time) | $1,827 | 70% | $1,279 |
Notice the cliff: a PT whose best quarter is just under $16,280 is paid 90% and can take home more per week than one just over it at the 70% rate. Knowing which side you're on is worth checking before you set a claim date.
Eligibility and job protection across employers
PTs who pay into SDI (your stub shows "CASDI") qualify for PFL. Two cross-employer points matter:
- 1099 contract work doesn't count. Independent-contractor PT income has no SDI withheld and isn't covered unless you've enrolled in EDD's elective coverage (DIEC). Only your W-2 wages with CASDI build your benefit.
- CFRA covers one job, not all. Job protection runs per employer with 5+ employees, and CFRA requires roughly a year of service and 1,250 hours there. A part-time clinic may not meet the hours test even though it counts toward your benefit wages.
⚠️File within 41 days of your first leave dayPFL replaces income but does not protect your job by itself. Most California PTs at an employer with 5+ employees also have CFRA job protection, which runs concurrently, but confirm it at each clinic where you need protected leave.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much PFL does a physical therapist get in California in 2026? +
A PT earning a flat $95,000/year gets an estimated $1,279/week, or $10,231 over 8 weeks. EDD uses your single highest quarter across all SDI-covered employers, not your salary — so a PT with a heavy per-diem quarter can receive more, while a part-time PT under about $16,280 in their best quarter is paid at the higher 90% rate.
If I work at two clinics, does PFL combine my wages? +
Yes. EDD totals wages from every employer that withheld SDI during your base period, then uses your single highest combined quarter. Your benefit is not limited to one job. Add the pay stubs from all your W-2 clinics together when estimating; 1099 contract work is not included.
Can a part-time physical therapist get the 90% PFL rate? +
Yes. If your average weekly wage is $1,252.30 or less — roughly a highest quarter under $16,280, or about $65,100/year — PFL pays 90% of your AWW instead of 70%. Many part-time and per-diem-only PTs fall in this bracket and replace a larger share of their income.
Does per-diem PT work raise my PFL benefit? +
It can. Per-diem and PRN rates are higher per hour and often bunch into busy stretches, concentrating earnings into one quarter. Because EDD uses your highest quarter, a heavy per-diem run can lift your benefit above what your base salary alone would produce — as long as the pay had SDI withheld.
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