Respiratory Therapists Salary
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations · 140K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$82,280
Median hourly
$40
Average annual
$87,300
Typical range
$63,660–$118,050
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Respiratory Therapists is $82,280 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $40 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Assess, treat, and care for patients with breathing disorders. Assume primary responsibility for all respiratory care modalities, including the supervision of respiratory therapy technicians.
Most earn between $63,660 and $118,050 a year. There are roughly 140K people employed as respiratory therapists in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Respiratory Therapists.
- Hourly
- $39.56
- Daily
- $316
- Weekly
- $1,582
- Bi-weekly
- $3,165
- Monthly
- $6,857
- Annual
- $82,280
$82,280 a year is around the 50th percentile for Respiratory Therapistss. The median is $82,280.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1District of Columbia$111,950
- 2New York$107,810
- 3California$104,820
- 4Massachusetts$102,170
- 5Washington$101,130
- 6New Jersey$100,810
- 7Oregon$100,560
- 8Minnesota$98,710
- 9Alaska$97,950
- 10New Hampshire$95,940
- 11Hawaii$94,210
- 12Delaware$91,080
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$149,680
- 2Vallejo, CA$136,200
- 3Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA$134,880
- 4Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$134,430
- 5San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$130,220
- 6Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$123,220
- 7San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA$112,430
- 8New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$110,490
- 9Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$108,600
- 10Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY$106,910
- 11Reno, NV$105,140
- 12San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$105,040
Related job titles
Employers advertise Respiratory Therapists roles under these titles.
- Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Respiratory Therapist
- Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT)
- Hospital Respiratory Therapist
- Inhalation Therapist
- Oxygen Therapist
- Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT)
- Respiratory Care Practitioner (RCP)
- Respiratory Therapist (RT)
- Staff Respiratory Therapist
- Staff Therapist
- Travel Registered Respiratory Therapist (Travel RRT)
- Travel Respiratory Therapist
Related occupations
What a Respiratory Therapists does
- Monitor patient's physiological responses to therapy, such as vital signs, arterial blood gases, or blood chemistry changes, and consult with physician if adverse reactions occur.
- Work as part of a team of physicians, nurses, or other healthcare professionals to manage patient care by assisting with medical procedures or related duties.
- Inspect, clean, test, and maintain respiratory therapy equipment to ensure equipment is functioning safely and efficiently, ordering repairs when necessary.
- Explain treatment procedures to patients to gain cooperation and allay fears.
- Make emergency visits to resolve equipment problems.
- Perform pulmonary function and adjust equipment to obtain optimum results in therapy.
- Provide emergency care, such as artificial respiration, external cardiac massage, or assistance with cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
- Set up and operate devices, such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, or aerosol generators, following specified parameters of treatment.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Respiratory Therapists make?
- The median annual wage for Respiratory Therapists is $82,280 ($40 per hour). Pay ranges from about $63,660 at the 10th percentile to $118,050 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Respiratory Therapists?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $87,300, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Respiratory Therapistss the most?
- District of Columbia has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $111,950.
- Is Respiratory Therapists a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 140K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Respiratory Therapists do?
- Monitor patient's physiological responses to therapy, such as vital signs, arterial blood gases, or blood chemistry changes, and consult with physician if adverse reactions occur.; Work as part of a team of physicians, nurses, or other healthcare professionals to manage patient care by assisting with medical procedures or related duties.; Inspect, clean, test, and maintain respiratory therapy equipment to ensure equipment is functioning safely and efficiently, ordering repairs when necessary..