SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Assess, treat, and care for patients with breathing disorders. Assume primary responsibility for all respiratory care modalities, including the supervision of respiratory therapy technicians. Initiate and conduct therapeutic procedures; maintain patient records; and select, assemble, check, and operate equipment.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 29-1126.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $63,660 | $5,305 | $1,224 | $30.61 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $74,520 | $6,210 | $1,433 | $35.83 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $82,280 | $6,857 | $1,582 | $39.56 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $98,730 | $8,228 | $1,899 | $47.47 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $118,050 | $9,838 | $2,270 | $56.75 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Respiratory Therapists is $82,280, which is 61% higher. Among the 71 occupations of the field Healthcare Practitioners and Technical, it ranks number 44 by median pay. With 139,790 jobs, it makes up about 9.0 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Respiratory Therapists pay by state
The highest median pay was in District of Columbia ($111,950), New York ($107,810) and California ($104,820). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($35,000), Mississippi ($63,270) and Alabama ($66,150). The most jobs were in California (18,650), Texas (12,130) and Florida (8,820). The occupation is most concentrated in West Virginia, where its share of all jobs is 1.8 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 430 | $111,950 | $108,020 | $53.82 |
| New York | 7,010 | $107,810 | $110,200 | $51.83 |
| California | 18,650 | $104,820 | $109,440 | $50.40 |
| Massachusetts | 2,220 | $102,170 | $100,580 | $49.12 |
| Washington | 1,860 | $101,130 | $99,740 | $48.62 |
| New Jersey | 3,350 | $100,810 | $99,760 | $48.47 |
| Oregon | 1,340 | $100,560 | $98,160 | $48.34 |
| Minnesota | 1,250 | $98,710 | $96,890 | $47.46 |
| Alaska | 180 | $97,950 | $96,290 | $47.09 |
| New Hampshire | 360 | $95,940 | $93,700 | $46.13 |
| Hawaii | 510 | $94,210 | $93,380 | $45.30 |
| Delaware | 500 | $91,080 | $92,190 | $43.79 |
| Maryland | 1,800 | $88,960 | $90,600 | $42.77 |
| Rhode Island | 260 | $86,900 | $93,410 | $41.78 |
| Colorado | 2,110 | $86,220 | $88,300 | $41.45 |
| Nevada | 1,270 | $85,480 | $90,530 | $41.10 |
| Connecticut | 1,370 | $85,230 | $92,510 | $40.98 |
| Wisconsin | 1,940 | $84,210 | $86,230 | $40.48 |
| Illinois | 4,880 | $84,090 | $84,920 | $40.43 |
| Vermont | 210 | $83,820 | $84,640 | $40.30 |
| Georgia | 5,150 | $83,700 | $88,340 | $40.24 |
| Virginia | 3,340 | $82,910 | $87,310 | $39.86 |
| Maine | 520 | $82,470 | $80,400 | $39.65 |
| Nebraska | 840 | $81,590 | $80,710 | $39.22 |
| North Dakota | 270 | $81,230 | $84,710 | $39.06 |
| Montana | 390 | $81,190 | $77,850 | $39.03 |
| Florida | 8,820 | $81,160 | $82,400 | $39.02 |
| Utah | 1,170 | $80,650 | $80,500 | $38.77 |
| North Carolina | 4,630 | $80,090 | $81,360 | $38.51 |
| Ohio | 6,640 | $79,920 | $81,240 | $38.42 |
| Michigan | 4,520 | $79,850 | $78,550 | $38.39 |
| Arizona | 3,500 | $79,780 | $80,980 | $38.36 |
| Indiana | 3,170 | $79,730 | $78,190 | $38.33 |
| Texas | 12,130 | $79,540 | $81,010 | $38.24 |
| Wyoming | 160 | $79,330 | $76,980 | $38.14 |
| Oklahoma | 2,000 | $78,800 | $77,710 | $37.88 |
| Pennsylvania | 6,530 | $78,490 | $78,180 | $37.74 |
| Idaho | 820 | $78,460 | $78,370 | $37.72 |
| Missouri | 3,030 | $78,390 | $76,490 | $37.69 |
| South Carolina | 1,960 | $77,740 | $76,490 | $37.38 |
| Kansas | 1,450 | $76,970 | $74,860 | $37.01 |
| Louisiana | 2,520 | $75,240 | $74,690 | $36.17 |
| Iowa | 910 | $74,760 | $74,260 | $35.94 |
| Arkansas | 1,400 | $73,870 | $72,740 | $35.51 |
| Kentucky | 2,530 | $72,750 | $72,470 | $34.98 |
| Tennessee | 3,440 | $72,140 | $72,300 | $34.68 |
| New Mexico | 840 | $68,870 | $73,720 | $33.11 |
| West Virginia | 1,140 | $68,670 | $71,970 | $33.01 |
| South Dakota | 430 | $68,240 | $68,910 | $32.81 |
| Alabama | 2,350 | $66,150 | $68,480 | $31.81 |
| Mississippi | 1,670 | $63,270 | $68,120 | $30.42 |
| Puerto Rico | 800 | $35,000 | $49,980 | $16.83 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Diagnostic Medical Sonographers$96,590 a year
- Audiologists$95,780 a year
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists$95,480 a year
- Orthotists and Prosthetists$81,110 a year
- Radiologic Technologists and Technicians$80,110 a year
- Chiropractors$79,200 a year
Common questions
How much do Respiratory Therapists earn in the United States?
The median pay was $82,280 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $63,660 and the highest-paid 10% more than $118,050.
How many people work as Respiratory Therapists?
About 139,790 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.
More in Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Pay converter