Respiratory Therapist Salary: How Much Do Respiratory Therapists Make?
Median pay, percentiles and employment for respiratory therapists — nationally, in all 50 states, and by metro.
Short answer: the median respiratory therapist salary in the United States is $82,280 a year ($39.56 an hour). The middle of the market runs $74,520 to $98,730, and the 10th to 90th percentile spans $63,660 to $118,050. Location matters more than most people expect: the median is $111,950 in District of Columbia and $63,270 in Mississippi — a $48,680 gap for the same job. About 139,790 people work as respiratory therapists nationally.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Public-domain federal data, surveyed from employers.
Respiratory Therapist salary by state
Annual wages for Respiratory Therapists (BLS occupation code 29-1126). Percentiles show the spread within each state.
| State | 10th percentile | Median | 90th percentile | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $50,250 | $66,150 | $81,030 | 2,350 |
| Alaska | $80,250 | $97,950 | $114,590 | 180 |
| Arizona | $64,780 | $79,780 | $99,180 | 3,500 |
| Arkansas | $59,550 | $73,870 | $93,480 | 1,400 |
| California | $77,010 | $104,820 | $145,510 | 18,650 |
| Colorado | $66,560 | $86,220 | $109,070 | 2,110 |
| Connecticut | $72,410 | $85,230 | $121,620 | 1,370 |
| Delaware | $79,210 | $91,080 | $109,890 | 500 |
| District of Columbia | $77,240 | $111,950 | $127,400 | 430 |
| Florida | $64,240 | $81,160 | $100,310 | 8,820 |
| Georgia | $65,050 | $83,700 | $112,320 | 5,150 |
| Hawaii | $80,130 | $94,210 | $102,780 | 510 |
| Idaho | $63,540 | $78,460 | $95,290 | 820 |
| Illinois | $64,480 | $84,090 | $100,100 | 4,880 |
| Indiana | $62,730 | $79,730 | $94,980 | 3,170 |
| Iowa | $62,860 | $74,760 | $86,510 | 910 |
| Kansas | $60,470 | $76,970 | $94,600 | 1,450 |
| Kentucky | $58,330 | $72,750 | $92,540 | 2,530 |
| Louisiana | $61,520 | $75,240 | $91,200 | 2,520 |
| Maine | $61,060 | $82,470 | $98,470 | 520 |
| Maryland | $69,550 | $88,960 | $106,430 | 1,800 |
| Massachusetts | $80,330 | $102,170 | $123,930 | 2,220 |
| Michigan | $64,770 | $79,850 | $90,210 | 4,520 |
| Minnesota | $79,060 | $98,710 | $110,050 | 1,250 |
| Mississippi | $50,180 | $63,270 | $80,460 | 1,670 |
| Missouri | $60,950 | $78,390 | $95,730 | 3,030 |
| Montana | $60,800 | $81,190 | $92,890 | 390 |
| Nebraska | $64,100 | $81,590 | $96,180 | 840 |
| Nevada | $65,150 | $85,480 | $118,710 | 1,270 |
| New Hampshire | $80,490 | $95,940 | $109,000 | 360 |
| New Jersey | $78,000 | $100,810 | $123,370 | 3,350 |
| New Mexico | $61,990 | $68,870 | $91,220 | 840 |
| New York | $81,270 | $107,810 | $131,500 | 7,010 |
| North Carolina | $63,990 | $80,090 | $99,520 | 4,630 |
| North Dakota | $65,770 | $81,230 | $100,490 | 270 |
| Ohio | $65,580 | $79,920 | $97,030 | 6,640 |
| Oklahoma | $64,380 | $78,800 | $95,350 | 2,000 |
| Oregon | $81,490 | $100,560 | $120,060 | 1,340 |
| Pennsylvania | $62,440 | $78,490 | $95,520 | 6,530 |
| Rhode Island | $73,240 | $86,900 | $122,120 | 260 |
| South Carolina | $63,700 | $77,740 | $90,670 | 1,960 |
| South Dakota | $48,530 | $68,240 | $88,830 | 430 |
| Tennessee | $57,860 | $72,140 | $88,060 | 3,440 |
| Texas | $61,310 | $79,540 | $99,690 | 12,130 |
| Utah | $61,860 | $80,650 | $101,340 | 1,170 |
| Vermont | $50,310 | $83,820 | $99,940 | 210 |
| Virginia | $65,540 | $82,910 | $106,470 | 3,340 |
| Washington | $76,080 | $101,130 | $127,520 | 1,860 |
| West Virginia | $52,940 | $68,670 | $94,280 | 1,140 |
| Wisconsin | $70,520 | $84,210 | $100,320 | 1,940 |
| Wyoming | $64,300 | $79,330 | $91,840 | 160 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. “Not released” means BLS suppressed the estimate, usually because the state sample was too small — this page shows that rather than guessing.
Highest-paying metro areas for respiratory therapists
| Metro area | Median | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $149,680 | $178,580 |
| Vallejo, CA | $136,200 | $157,560 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $134,880 | $161,250 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $134,430 | $149,450 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $130,220 | $158,100 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $123,220 | $138,750 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $112,430 | $131,010 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $110,490 | $131,500 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $108,600 | $134,900 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $106,910 | $121,990 |
Top 10 of the 393 metro areas BLS publishes. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average respiratory therapist salary?
The median respiratory therapist salary in the United States is $82,280 a year as of May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Half of respiratory therapists earn more than that and half earn less. The 10th percentile is $63,660 and the 90th percentile is $118,050.
Which state pays respiratory therapists the most?
District of Columbia, with a median of $111,950. The lowest of the states BLS publishes is Mississippi at $63,270, a gap of $48,680. Higher-paying states also tend to have higher housing costs, so compare take-home pay and rent rather than the headline figure alone.
How much do respiratory therapists make an hour?
The median hourly wage is $39.56 as of May 2025.
Is this data self-reported?
No. These figures come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, which collects wage data from employers rather than from workers submitting their own salaries. It is public-domain federal data.