How pay is spread out
The range goes from $63,660 at the 10th percentile to $118,050 at the 90th. Credential level is not broken out in BLS data, so the figures combine CRTs and RRTs.
Respiratory therapist salary by state
State medians run from $63,270 in Mississippi to $111,950 in District of Columbia. Every state except Alaska requires a license. Once prices are taken into account, District of Columbia comes out on top at about $101,900.
| Compared with the top state | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $111,950 | 430 | $101,860 | |
| New York | $107,810 | 7,010 | $99,900 | |
| California | $104,820 | 18,650 | $94,670 | |
| Massachusetts | $102,170 | 2,220 | $96,610 | |
| Washington | $101,130 | 1,860 | $94,500 | |
| New Jersey | $100,810 | 3,350 | $92,650 | |
| Oregon | $100,560 | 1,340 | $97,290 | |
| Minnesota | $98,710 | 1,250 | $100,090 | |
| Alaska | $97,950 | 180 | $95,690 | |
| New Hampshire | $95,940 | 360 | $92,100 | |
| Hawaii | $94,210 | 510 | $85,680 | |
| Delaware | $91,080 | 500 | $91,260 | |
| Maryland | $88,960 | 1,800 | $84,760 | |
| Rhode Island | $86,900 | 260 | $84,960 | |
| Colorado | $86,220 | 2,110 | $83,670 | |
| Nevada | $85,480 | 1,270 | $85,500 | |
| Connecticut | $85,230 | 1,370 | $82,260 | |
| Wisconsin | $84,210 | 1,940 | $89,490 | |
| Illinois | $84,090 | 4,880 | $84,130 | |
| Vermont | $83,820 | 210 | $85,570 | |
| Georgia | $83,700 | 5,150 | $86,920 | |
| Virginia | $82,910 | 3,340 | $82,000 | |
| Maine | $82,470 | 520 | $84,980 | |
| Nebraska | $81,590 | 840 | $90,550 | |
| North Dakota | $81,230 | 270 | $91,310 | |
| Montana | $81,190 | 390 | $85,780 | |
| Florida | $81,160 | 8,820 | $78,480 | |
| Utah | $80,650 | 1,170 | $81,580 | |
| North Carolina | $80,090 | 4,630 | $84,910 | |
| Ohio | $79,920 | 6,640 | $86,140 | |
| Michigan | $79,850 | 4,520 | $82,990 | |
| Arizona | $79,780 | 3,500 | $79,240 | |
| Indiana | $79,730 | 3,170 | $85,430 | |
| Texas | $79,540 | 12,130 | $81,950 | |
| Wyoming | $79,330 | 160 | $85,590 | |
| Oklahoma | $78,800 | 2,000 | $89,710 | |
| Pennsylvania | $78,490 | 6,530 | $80,440 | |
| Idaho | $78,460 | 820 | $82,160 | |
| Missouri | $78,390 | 3,030 | $86,320 | |
| South Carolina | $77,740 | 1,960 | $82,920 | |
| Kansas | $76,970 | 1,450 | $85,460 | |
| Louisiana | $75,240 | 2,520 | $85,300 | |
| Iowa | $74,760 | 910 | $85,180 | |
| Arkansas | $73,870 | 1,400 | $84,970 | |
| Kentucky | $72,750 | 2,530 | $80,690 | |
| Tennessee | $72,140 | 3,440 | $78,520 | |
| New Mexico | $68,870 | 840 | $74,690 | |
| West Virginia | $68,670 | 1,140 | $76,730 | |
| South Dakota | $68,240 | 430 | $77,030 | |
| Alabama | $66,150 | 2,350 | $74,470 | |
| Mississippi | $63,270 | 1,670 | $72,760 |
Best-paying cities
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA has the top median at $149,680. Hospital-heavy metro areas also appear in the jobs table below.
| Metro area | Median | Employed | Cost-adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $149,680 | 1,060 | $135,550 |
| Vallejo, CA | $136,200 | 190 | $125,550 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $134,880 | 70 | $122,730 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $134,430 | 1,140 | $126,020 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $130,220 | 2,010 | $112,630 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $123,220 | 200 | $114,320 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $112,430 | 90 | $103,530 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $110,490 | 7,010 | $98,160 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $108,600 | 130 | $99,820 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $106,910 | 240 | $97,700 |
Where the most jobs are
| Metro area | Median | Employed | Cost-adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $104,640 | 7,010 | $92,140 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $110,490 | 7,010 | $98,160 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $80,450 | 3,630 | $81,570 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $87,060 | 3,620 | $84,040 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $84,080 | 3,010 | $81,560 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $88,790 | 2,990 | $86,580 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $95,520 | 2,670 | $95,460 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $80,880 | 2,620 | $70,850 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $79,760 | 2,600 | $77,200 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $100,480 | 2,200 | $94,400 |
Pay by type of employer
General hospitals account for 74% of respiratory therapy jobs, at a median of $82,730. Nursing care facilities pay $79,270.
| Industry | Median | Employed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | $82,730 | 103,830 | 74% |
| Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals | $82,690 | 8,160 | 6% |
| Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) | $79,270 | 5,480 | 4% |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners | $88,020 | 3,880 | 3% |
| Offices of Physicians | $77,890 | 3,710 | 3% |
| Employment Services | $80,120 | 3,530 | 3% |
What respiratory therapists do
- Set up and operate devices, such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, or aerosol generators, following specified parameters of treatment.
- 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.
- Read prescription, measure arterial blood gases, and review patient information to assess patient condition.
- Relay blood analysis results to a physician.
- Provide emergency care, such as artificial respiration, external cardiac massage, or assistance with cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Hourly to annual
Twelve-hour shifts are common in this job. Three a week comes to about 1,870 hours a year, a little under the 2,080 hours used here, and night or weekend premiums are not included.
How you get there
An associate degree in respiratory therapy is the typical minimum, although some employers prefer a bachelor's degree. Licensing is required everywhere except Alaska, where national certification is recommended.
Typical entry-level education: associate's degree. Projected job growth, 2025–35: 8.5%, about 8,600 openings a year (BLS Employment Projections).
Compare with similar jobs
Questions people ask
How much do respiratory therapists make an hour?
The national median was $39.56 an hour in May 2025.
What is the salary for an RRT?
The BLS does not report RRTs separately from other respiratory therapists. The national median for the whole occupation was $82,280.
Which state pays respiratory therapists the most?
District of Columbia had the highest median at $111,950, followed by New York at $107,810.
General information, not career or financial advice. Pay depends on hours, location and employer. Confirm licensing rules with your state's board.