Respiratory Therapists Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for respiratory therapists in the U.S. is $82,280 ($39.56 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $82,280
- Mean annual wage
- $87,300
- Median hourly wage
- $39.56
- Employment
- 139,790
139,790 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $63,660 | $30.61 |
| 25th percentile | $74,520 | $35.83 |
| Median (50th) | $82,280 | $39.56 |
| 75th percentile | $98,730 | $47.47 |
| 90th percentile | $118,050 | $56.75 |
Highest-paying states for respiratory therapists
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $111,950 | 430 |
| New York | $107,810 | 7,010 |
| California | $104,820 | 18,650 |
| Massachusetts | $102,170 | 2,220 |
| Washington | $101,130 | 1,860 |
| New Jersey | $100,810 | 3,350 |
| Oregon | $100,560 | 1,340 |
| Minnesota | $98,710 | 1,250 |
| Alaska | $97,950 | 180 |
| New Hampshire | $95,940 | 360 |
Lowest-paying states
- Mississippi: $63,270 median annual wage
- Alabama: $66,150 median annual wage
- South Dakota: $68,240 median annual wage
- West Virginia: $68,670 median annual wage
- New Mexico: $68,870 median annual wage
About this occupation
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.
Typical tasks
- Perform bronchopulmonary drainage and assist or instruct patients in performance of breathing exercises.
- Perform pulmonary function and adjust equipment to obtain optimum results in therapy.
- Determine requirements for treatment, such as type, method and duration of therapy, precautions to be taken, or medication and dosages, compatible with physicians' orders.
- Use a variety of testing techniques to assist doctors in cardiac or pulmonary research or to diagnose disorders.
- Teach, train, supervise, or use the assistance of students, respiratory therapy technicians, or assistants.
- Demonstrate respiratory care procedures to trainees or other healthcare personnel.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: Associate's degree
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 0.4% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 1.0% |
| Some college, no degree | 9.5% |
| Associate's degree | 52.8% |
| Bachelor's degree | 28.4% |
| Master's degree | 6.5% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 1.4% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
- Registered Nurses$97,550
- Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$64,400
- Pharmacy Technicians$45,750
- Physicians, All Other$265,930
- Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians$62,930
- Nurse Practitioners$132,300
- Pharmacists$140,910
- Physical Therapists$102,760
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.