Respiratory Therapists Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for respiratory therapistss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $87,300 ≈ $42/hr
National median salary $82,280
Total employment 139,790 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +12.1%
Much faster than average
Annual openings 8,800 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 139,600 → 156,400 (+16,800)
Typical entry education Associate's degree
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- New York$110,200
- California$109,440
- District of Columbia$108,020
- Massachusetts$100,580
- New Jersey$99,760
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Mississippi$68,120
- Alabama$68,480
- South Dakota$68,910
- West Virginia$71,970
- Tennessee$72,300
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $110,200 | $107,810 | $53 | +26.2% | 7,010 |
| 2 | California | $109,440 | $104,820 | $53 | +25.4% | 18,650 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $108,020 | $111,950 | $52 | +23.7% | 430 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $100,580 | $102,170 | $48 | +15.2% | 2,220 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $99,760 | $100,810 | $48 | +14.3% | 3,350 |
| 6 | Washington | $99,740 | $101,130 | $48 | +14.2% | 1,860 |
| 7 | Oregon | $98,160 | $100,560 | $47 | +12.4% | 1,340 |
| 8 | Minnesota | $96,890 | $98,710 | $47 | +11% | 1,250 |
| 9 | Alaska | $96,290 | $97,950 | $46 | +10.3% | 180 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $93,700 | $95,940 | $45 | +7.3% | 360 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $93,410 | $86,900 | $45 | +7% | 260 |
| 12 | Hawaii | $93,380 | $94,210 | $45 | +7% | 510 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $92,510 | $85,230 | $44 | +6% | 1,370 |
| 14 | Delaware | $92,190 | $91,080 | $44 | +5.6% | 500 |
| 15 | Maryland | $90,600 | $88,960 | $44 | +3.8% | 1,800 |
| 16 | Nevada | $90,530 | $85,480 | $44 | +3.7% | 1,270 |
| 17 | Georgia | $88,340 | $83,700 | $42 | +1.2% | 5,150 |
| 18 | Colorado | $88,300 | $86,220 | $42 | +1.1% | 2,110 |
| 19 | Virginia | $87,310 | $82,910 | $42 | +0% | 3,340 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | $86,230 | $84,210 | $41 | -1.2% | 1,940 |
| 21 | Illinois | $84,920 | $84,090 | $41 | -2.7% | 4,880 |
| 22 | North Dakota | $84,710 | $81,230 | $41 | -3% | 270 |
| 23 | Vermont | $84,640 | $83,820 | $41 | -3% | 210 |
| 24 | Florida | $82,400 | $81,160 | $40 | -5.6% | 8,820 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $81,360 | $80,090 | $39 | -6.8% | 4,630 |
| 26 | Ohio | $81,240 | $79,920 | $39 | -6.9% | 6,640 |
| 27 | Texas | $81,010 | $79,540 | $39 | -7.2% | 12,130 |
| 28 | Arizona | $80,980 | $79,780 | $39 | -7.2% | 3,500 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $80,710 | $81,590 | $39 | -7.5% | 840 |
| 30 | Utah | $80,500 | $80,650 | $39 | -7.8% | 1,170 |
| 31 | Maine | $80,400 | $82,470 | $39 | -7.9% | 520 |
| 32 | Michigan | $78,550 | $79,850 | $38 | -10% | 4,520 |
| 33 | Idaho | $78,370 | $78,460 | $38 | -10.2% | 820 |
| 34 | Indiana | $78,190 | $79,730 | $38 | -10.4% | 3,170 |
| 35 | Pennsylvania | $78,180 | $78,490 | $38 | -10.4% | 6,530 |
| 36 | Montana | $77,850 | $81,190 | $37 | -10.8% | 390 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $77,710 | $78,800 | $37 | -11% | 2,000 |
| 38 | Wyoming | $76,980 | $79,330 | $37 | -11.8% | 160 |
| 39 | Missouri | $76,490 | $78,390 | $37 | -12.4% | 3,030 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $76,490 | $77,740 | $37 | -12.4% | 1,960 |
| 41 | Kansas | $74,860 | $76,970 | $36 | -14.2% | 1,450 |
| 42 | Louisiana | $74,690 | $75,240 | $36 | -14.4% | 2,520 |
| 43 | Iowa | $74,260 | $74,760 | $36 | -14.9% | 910 |
| 44 | New Mexico | $73,720 | $68,870 | $35 | -15.6% | 840 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $72,740 | $73,870 | $35 | -16.7% | 1,400 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $72,470 | $72,750 | $35 | -17% | 2,530 |
| 47 | Tennessee | $72,300 | $72,140 | $35 | -17.2% | 3,440 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $71,970 | $68,670 | $35 | -17.6% | 1,140 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $68,910 | $68,240 | $33 | -21.1% | 430 |
| 50 | Alabama | $68,480 | $66,150 | $33 | -21.6% | 2,350 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $68,120 | $63,270 | $33 | -22% | 1,670 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 395 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $149,680 | $146,490 | 1,060 |
| 2 | Vallejo, CA | $136,200 | $133,510 | 190 |
| 3 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $134,880 | $133,510 | 70 |
| 4 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $134,430 | $124,410 | 1,140 |
| 5 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $130,220 | $128,490 | 2,010 |
| 6 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $123,220 | $120,450 | 200 |
| 7 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $112,430 | $108,020 | 90 |
| 8 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $110,490 | $113,400 | 7,010 |
| 9 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $108,600 | $109,100 | 130 |
| 10 | Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $106,910 | $106,910 | 240 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing respiratory therapistss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scientific Research and Development Services | $146,110 | $121,570 | 50 |
| 2 | Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $146,110 | $121,570 | 50 |
| 3 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $138,620 | $119,930 | 50 |
| 4 | Sector 54 - Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $138,620 | $119,930 | 50 |
| 5 | Outpatient Care Centers | $135,000 | $121,980 | 2,160 |
| 6 | Educational Services, Privately Owned | $125,430 | $118,120 | 240 |
| 7 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, Privately Owned | $125,430 | $118,310 | 240 |
| 8 | Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $102,540 | $93,980 | 170 |
| 9 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $100,550 | $102,660 | 730 |
| 10 | Educational Services | $97,360 | $101,960 | 800 |
| 11 | Sector 61 - Educational Services | $97,360 | $101,960 | 800 |
| 12 | Offices of All Other Health Practitioners | $97,150 | $95,660 | 2,580 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do respiratory therapists make in the U.S.?
The median respiratory therapists salary in the United States is $82,280 per year (mean $87,300), and about 80% earn between $63,660 and $118,050.
How much do respiratory therapists make per hour?
Roughly $42 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $87,300 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays respiratory therapists the most?
New York has the highest average pay for respiratory therapists at $110,200 per year (median $107,810).
What is the job outlook for respiratory therapists?
Employment is projected to change +12.1% from 2024 to 2034 (Much faster than average), with about 8,800 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.
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