Salary Range & Percentiles
Pay distribution across experience levels
- 10th Percentile — Entry Level$63,660
- 25th Percentile — Junior$74,520
- 50th Percentile — Median$82,280
- 75th Percentile — Senior$98,730
- 90th Percentile — Top Earners$118,050
The top 10% of Respiratory Therapists earn $118,050 or more per year. Entry-level professionals can expect to start around $63,660, with significant growth over the first 5 years.
Salary by State
Geographic salary comparison
| State | Avg Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $110,200 | +26.2% |
| California | $109,440 | +25.4% |
| District of Columbia | $108,020 | +23.7% |
| Massachusetts | $100,580 | +15.2% |
| New Jersey | $99,760 | +14.3% |
| Washington | $99,740 | +14.2% |
| Oregon | $98,160 | +12.4% |
| Minnesota | $96,890 | +11.0% |
| Alaska | $96,290 | +10.3% |
| New Hampshire | $93,700 | +7.3% |
| Rhode Island | $93,410 | +7.0% |
| Hawaii | $93,380 | +7.0% |
| Connecticut | $92,510 | +6.0% |
| Delaware | $92,190 | +5.6% |
| Maryland | $90,600 | +3.8% |
| Nevada | $90,530 | +3.7% |
| Georgia | $88,340 | +1.2% |
| Colorado | $88,300 | +1.1% |
| Virginia | $87,310 | +0.0% |
| Wisconsin | $86,230 | -1.2% |
| Illinois | $84,920 | -2.7% |
| North Dakota | $84,710 | -3.0% |
| Vermont | $84,640 | -3.0% |
| Florida | $82,400 | -5.6% |
| North Carolina | $81,360 | -6.8% |
| Ohio | $81,240 | -6.9% |
| Texas | $81,010 | -7.2% |
| Arizona | $80,980 | -7.2% |
| Nebraska | $80,710 | -7.5% |
| Utah | $80,500 | -7.8% |
| Maine | $80,400 | -7.9% |
| Michigan | $78,550 | -10.0% |
| Idaho | $78,370 | -10.2% |
| Indiana | $78,190 | -10.4% |
| Pennsylvania | $78,180 | -10.4% |
| Montana | $77,850 | -10.8% |
| Oklahoma | $77,710 | -11.0% |
| Wyoming | $76,980 | -11.8% |
| Missouri | $76,490 | -12.4% |
| South Carolina | $76,490 | -12.4% |
| Kansas | $74,860 | -14.2% |
| Louisiana | $74,690 | -14.4% |
| Iowa | $74,260 | -14.9% |
| New Mexico | $73,720 | -15.6% |
| Arkansas | $72,740 | -16.7% |
| Kentucky | $72,470 | -17.0% |
| Tennessee | $72,300 | -17.2% |
| West Virginia | $71,970 | -17.6% |
| South Dakota | $68,910 | -21.1% |
| Alabama | $68,480 | -21.6% |
| Mississippi | $68,120 | -22.0% |
What Factors Affect Respiratory Therapists Salary?
Key factors affecting compensation
Pay for Respiratory Therapists is influenced by geographic location, years of experience, employer type, and educational background. Location alone is a large factor: New York pays an average of $110,200, while Mississippi pays $68,120 — a gap of $42,080 per year.
The middle half of Respiratory Therapists earn between $74,520 and $98,730 per year. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $63,660, while the top 10% earn more than $118,050.
These figures are the wages employers report to BLS: base pay plus commissions, production bonuses and tips. They exclude overtime pay, shift differentials, year-end bonuses, benefits and self-employed workers, so total compensation can be higher than the numbers shown.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) · May 2025
Compare with Similar Jobs
Related career salary benchmarks
- Registered Nurses $101,420/yr United States +16.2% vs this role
- Nurse Practitioners $137,300/yr United States +57.3% vs this role
- Pharmacists $140,920/yr United States +61.4% vs this role
- Physical Therapists $105,280/yr United States +20.6% vs this role
- Speech-Language Pathologists $98,170/yr United States +12.5% vs this role
- Occupational Therapists $101,280/yr United States +16.0% vs this role
- Software Developers $148,100/yr United States +69.6% vs this role
- Information Security Analysts $132,510/yr United States +51.8% vs this role
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this salary
What is the average salary for Respiratory Therapists?
The average salary for Respiratory Therapists in the United States is $87,300 per year, with a median of $82,280.
What is the starting salary for Respiratory Therapists?
Entry-level Respiratory Therapists typically earn between $63,660 and $74,520 per year depending on location and employer.
What state pays Respiratory Therapists the most?
New York pays Respiratory Therapists the most at $110,200 per year on average, followed by California ($109,440) and District of Columbia ($108,020).
How much do Respiratory Therapists make per hour?
Based on the average annual salary of $87,300, Respiratory Therapists earn approximately $41.97 per hour (based on 2,080 working hours/year).
Is Respiratory Therapists a good career in 2026?
BLS counts 139,790 Respiratory Therapists jobs in the United States, with a mean annual wage of $87,300 and a median of $82,280 (OEWS May 2025). This site does not publish job-growth projections; the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook covers the outlook for each occupation.
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