Respiratory therapist salary

Respiratory therapist earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level respiratory therapist earnings begin at:

$34.59 per hour

$71,952 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level respiratory therapist earnings begin at:

$29.83 per hour

$62,039 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level respiratory therapist earnings begin at:

$25.30 per hour

$52,618 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level respiratory therapist earnings begin at:

$21.46 per hour

$44,627 per year

10th percentile

Starting level respiratory therapist earnings begin at:

$18.50 per hour

$38,479 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Respiratory therapist salary by state

How much does a Respiratory Therapist earn?

Respiratory therapy is part of the booming healthcare industry, which, as of 2012, was responsible for 18 percent of the total U.S. gross national product, according to a Georgetown University, Center on Education and the Workforce report. What’s more, the Center estimates that because of the increasing demand for healthcare services, the demand for healthcare workers is expected to grow twice as fast as for other industries.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports, an average yearly salary for a respiratory therapist is as follows: Less than one year of work experience earns from $29,087 – $55,652 per year; one to four years receives from $24,850 – $59,507 per year; five to nine years receives from $35,802 – $70,472 per year; 10 to 19 years earns from $30,161 – $71,247 per year; 20+ years of experience receives from $44,557 – $71,011 per year. The highest paid in the respiratory therapist profession work in the metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Santa Cruz, California, and Sacramento, California. The Vallejo, California area also pays well, as does the city of San Jose, California. Other well paying areas are Hawaii $66,890; Connecticut $73,670; Nevada $67,270; New Jersey $71,610; and New York, $69,730.

According to the BLS, an average hourly wage and yearly salary earned by the lowest 10th percentile of respiratory therapists is around $19.55 per hour, or $40,660 per year, whereas those in the 90th percentile received $35.77 per hour or $74,400 per year. Respiratory therapists’ employed in colleges, universities, and professional schools earned a higher annual salary ($67,060) when compared to those employed in rental consumer goods ($40,660).

How do respiratory therapist salaries compare to similar careers?

Respiratory therapists earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than cardiovascular technologists and technicians but more than surgical technologists.

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)