Average Salary for Respiratory Therapists
SOC 29-1126 · Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations · 2024 data
The median annual wage for Respiratory Therapists in the United States is $80,450 ($38.68/hr), based on 2024 BLS OEWS data. Wages range from $61,900 at the 10th percentile to $108,820 at the 90th percentile nationally. An estimated 136,420 people work in this occupation across the country. The national median wage has grown 41.8% since 2014.
Median Annual
$80,450
Mean Annual
$84,260
10th Pct
$61,900
75th Pct
$95,530
Employment
136,420
Salary Distribution
$62k
10th
$68k
25th
$80k
Median
$96k
75th
$109k
90th
Highest Paying Metro Areas
| Metro Area | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $137,080 |
| Vallejo, CA | $132,520 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $131,320 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $129,640 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $129,180 |
| Redding, CA | $119,560 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $104,890 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $104,840 |
| Modesto, CA | $103,820 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $102,590 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $101,250 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $100,970 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | $100,780 |
| Anchorage, AK | $100,170 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $99,780 |
Salary by State
| State | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $104,240 |
| New York | $103,820 |
| California | $102,120 |
| New Jersey | $98,020 |
| Washington | $97,150 |
| Massachusetts | $96,940 |
| Oregon | $96,130 |
| Hawaii | $94,670 |
| Alaska | $94,210 |
| Minnesota | $88,040 |
| Delaware | $87,380 |
| Maryland | $85,570 |
| New Hampshire | $83,620 |
| Rhode Island | $83,600 |
| Connecticut | $83,250 |
| Wisconsin | $82,160 |
| Georgia | $81,890 |
| Illinois | $81,310 |
| Montana | $80,950 |
| Colorado | $80,690 |
| Florida | $79,710 |
| Virginia | $79,600 |
| Nevada | $79,510 |
| Maine | $79,330 |
| Arizona | $79,290 |
| Utah | $78,990 |
| Nebraska | $78,880 |
| Vermont | $78,760 |
| Ohio | $78,400 |
| Indiana | $77,820 |
| Texas | $77,550 |
| Michigan | $77,460 |
| North Carolina | $77,050 |
| North Dakota | $76,660 |
| Pennsylvania | $76,160 |
| Oklahoma | $76,080 |
| South Carolina | $75,960 |
| Wyoming | $75,900 |
| Idaho | $75,510 |
| Missouri | $73,880 |
| Kansas | $73,580 |
| Louisiana | $70,140 |
| Iowa | $68,790 |
| Arkansas | $67,960 |
| New Mexico | $66,460 |
| West Virginia | $66,370 |
| Kentucky | $65,670 |
| Tennessee | $65,000 |
| South Dakota | $64,720 |
| Alabama | $64,010 |
| Mississippi | $61,320 |
| Puerto Rico | $32,510 |
Salary by Industry
National median wage for Respiratory Therapists broken down by industry sector, 2024 data.
| Industry | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Outpatient Care Centers | $122,210 |
| Offices of All Other Health Practitioners | $101,070 |
| Temporary Help Services | $99,880 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $95,680 |
| Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $95,680 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services | $95,680 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $95,680 |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners | $91,360 |
| Employment Services | $90,600 |
| Administrative and Support Services | $90,500 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | $90,500 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $87,440 |
| Educational Services | $83,630 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $83,630 |
| Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists | $82,780 |
| Ambulatory Health Care Services | $82,750 |
| Educational Services | $82,590 |
| State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $81,720 |
| Ambulance Services | $81,360 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | $80,800 |
| Hospitals | $80,790 |
| Junior Colleges | $80,750 |
| Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals | $80,730 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | $80,650 |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | $80,580 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $79,320 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly | $78,260 |
| Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $78,040 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools | $76,620 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $76,220 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $76,220 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $76,220 |
| Nursing and Residential Care Facilities | $75,910 |
| Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) | $75,910 |
| Offices of Physicians | $75,240 |
| Other Ambulatory Health Care Services | $75,190 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $73,740 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $73,740 |
| Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities | $72,750 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods | $72,670 |
| Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | $72,670 |
| Wholesale Trade | $72,510 |
| Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $71,430 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $71,430 |
| Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories | $70,990 |
| Home Health Care Services | $70,850 |
| Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals | $70,760 |
| Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities | $68,440 |
| Retail Trade | $68,080 |
| Health and Personal Care Retailers | $68,050 |
| Health and Personal Care Retailers | $68,050 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $67,310 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Retailers | $65,260 |
| Rental and Leasing Services (5322, 5323, and 5324 only) | $65,170 |
| Rental and Leasing Services | $65,170 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | $65,170 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4242 and 4246 only) | $60,860 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods | $60,860 |
National Wage Trend
View data table
| Year | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $80,450 |
| 2023 | $77,960 |
| 2022 | $70,540 |
| 2021 | $61,830 |
| 2020 | $62,810 |
| 2019 | $61,330 |
| 2018 | $60,280 |
| 2017 | $59,710 |
| 2016 | $58,670 |
| 2015 | $57,790 |
| 2014 | $56,730 |