How much does a Respiratory Therapist make?
A Respiratory Therapist earns a median annual salary of $82,280 in the United States, which works out to roughly $39.56 per hour for full-time work. Most Respiratory Therapists earn between $63,660 at the entry level and $118,050 at the senior end, with the middle 50% taking home between $74,520 and $98,730 a year.
That is $20,890 more than the median across all occupations in BLS data ($61,390).
Respiratory Therapist salary range by percentile
Half of all Respiratory Therapists earn between $74,520 and $98,730 a year.
| Pay level | Annual salary | Hourly rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $63,660 | $30.61 | |
| 25th percentile (early career) | $74,520 | $35.83 | |
| 50th percentile (median) | $82,280 | $39.56 | |
| 75th percentile (experienced) | $98,730 | $47.47 | |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $118,050 | $56.75 |
Highest-paying states for Respiratory Therapist
Where you work matters more than almost anything else. District of Columbia leads the country for Respiratory Therapist pay at $111,950 a year, followed by New York ($107,810) and California ($104,820). At the other end, Mississippi posts the lowest median at $63,270 — a gap of $48,680 for the same job, driven by local demand, industry mix, and cost of living.
| # | State | Median salary | Hourly | vs national |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $111,950 | $53.82 | +36% |
| 2 | New York | $107,810 | $51.83 | +31% |
| 3 | California | $104,820 | $50.39 | +27% |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $102,170 | $49.12 | +24% |
| 5 | Washington | $101,130 | $48.62 | +23% |
Respiratory Therapist salary in every state
Official BLS state-level figures across 51 states and territories. Click a state for the full local breakdown.
Workforce and education
About 140,000 people work as Respiratory Therapists in the United States. The mean (average) wage is $87,300 — above the median, which means high earners pull the average up. On qualifications: a bachelor's degree (about 4 years of college) is the standard entry requirement, per O*NET occupation data.
Frequently asked questions
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Other healthcare roles with similar pay.