The median Registered Respiratory Therapist salary is $49.50 per hour, or $102,960 per year, based on 2,021 job postings across 82 states. Compare pay by location, employer, shift, and contract type.
$49.50
Median hourly
$102,960
Annual salary
$35-$78
Pay range
82
States tracked
Salary guide
A typical Registered Respiratory Therapist earns $49.50/hr, with most posted roles landing between $38.50 and $66.54/hr.
Recent posted pay is up, with the last 30 days showing +13.1% movement versus the prior period.
Location matters: Madera, CALIFORNIA is currently among the highest-paying cities, while Bryan, TEXAS sits near the lower end.
30-day market pulse
Compare the most recent 30 days of job postings against the previous 30 days. Use this as a quick read on whether pay and hiring volume are moving together.
Posted pay
+13.1%
Current median: $47.50/hr
Prior period: $42.00/hr
Job openings
+31.4%
452 recent postings
Previous period: 344 postings
Daily pay signal
$42.50/hr latest
Year-over-year
Building
We are collecting enough historical Registered Respiratory Therapist postings to show a reliable year-over-year pay comparison.
Pay is moving up even though posting volume changed. Recent listings are showing a median of $47.50/hr, up from $42.00/hr.
Pay range
The middle band is usually the most useful offer benchmark. The 10th and 90th percentiles show the broader market floor and ceiling.
Entry / low
$35.00
$72,800/yr
Median
$49.50
$102,960/yr
Top earners
$77.83
$161,886/yr
MARKET TRENDS
Month-over-month median hourly pay and posting volume.
| Month | Median Hourly | Postings |
|---|---|---|
Apr 2026Current | $47.50/hr | 437 |
Mar 2026 | $42.00/hr | 359 |
Feb 2026 | $56.50/hr | 289 |
Jan 2026 | $43.50/hr | 337 |
Dec 2025 | $45.50/hr | 252 |
Nov 2025 | $61.08/hr | 347 |
BY LOCATION
See how pay varies across the country. Ranked by job volume.
Estimated from national data
~$56.32
—
15 postings · 10 companies
$72.75
$63-$82
154 postings · 3 companies
$38.50
$39-$40
19 postings · 6 companies
$32.50
$33-$44
58 postings · 32 companies
$68.95
$52-$80
53 postings · 17 companies
$40.50
$39-$66
37 postings · 18 companies
$63.42
$60-$67
Estimated from national data
~$48.63
—
Estimated from national data
~$51.01
—
111 postings · 26 companies
$35.50
$34-$37
28 postings · 14 companies
$40.00
$38-$83
41 postings · 14 companies
$80.83
$78-$81
Estimated from national data
~$53.97
—
77 postings · 25 companies
$40.00
$39-$43
76 postings · 25 companies
$64.92
$64-$66
Estimated from national data
~$54.77
—
10 postings · 3 companies
$43.50
$44-$50
Estimated from national data
~$50.39
—
Estimated from national data
~$51.40
—
15 postings · 8 companies
$63.96
$61-$64
52 postings · 22 companies
$42.75
$42-$63
94 postings · 36 companies
$77.61
$74-$81
27 postings · 13 companies
$57.08
$45-$86
7 postings · 7 companies
$63.64
$63-$64
Estimated from national data
~$60.39
—
50 postings · 13 companies
$36.00
$36-$38
16 postings · 7 companies
$39.25
$33-$70
Estimated from national data
~$56.48
—
12 postings · 8 companies
$58.54
$45-$63
6 postings · 6 companies
$52.18
$48-$72
27 postings · 9 companies
$45.50
$46-$49
79 postings · 31 companies
$61.35
$35-$66
70 postings · 36 companies
$62.25
$49-$71
95 postings · 21 companies
$58.38
$38-$61
7 postings · 5 companies
$62.64
$60-$64
177 postings · 36 companies
$42.00
$42-$59
61 postings · 14 companies
$69.58
$66-$71
18 postings · 11 companies
$51.50
$51-$58
46 postings · 17 companies
$63.35
$61-$67
Estimated from national data
~$55.95
—
6 postings · 4 companies
$46.22
$46-$47
23 postings · 18 companies
$64.11
$60-$78
6 postings · 2 companies
$34.00
$30-$34
32 postings · 5 companies
$34.50
$30-$42
12 postings · 2 companies
$40.50
$41-$41
84 postings · 24 companies
$77.96
$71-$81
47 postings · 19 companies
$62.52
$60-$67
29 postings · 20 companies
$61.23
$56-$73
Estimated from national data
~$55.45
—
42 postings · 19 companies
$72.45
$61-$77
9 postings · 1 companies
$38.50
$39-$39
Est.Estimated values are based on national averages.
BY CITY
See which cities offer the highest and lowest Registered Respiratory Therapist salaries.
Madera
California · 15 postings
$82.33/hr
Waimea
Hawaii · 29 postings
$80.83/hr
Worcester
Massachusetts · 19 postings
$79.97/hr
Burlington
Vermont · 65 postings
$79.17/hr
Boston
Massachusetts · 34 postings
$79.11/hr
Bryan
Texas · 12 postings
$30.00/hr
Little Rock
Arkansas · 18 postings
$32.50/hr
Orlando
Florida · 11 postings
$33.50/hr
St. Louis
Missouri · 31 postings
$36.00/hr
Concord
North Carolina · 10 postings
$37.50/hr
BY EMPLOYER
See which companies pay the most and least for Registered Respiratory Therapist positions.
Solomon Page
16 postings
$81.64/hr
Adn Healthcare
18 postings
$81.18/hr
United Staffing Solutions
5 postings
$80.61/hr
Travel Nurses, Inc.
8 postings
$77.96/hr
Catalytic Solutions
10 postings
$77.71/hr
Howard University Hospital
5 postings
$24.00/hr
Purple Cow Recruiting
9 postings
$31.50/hr
Adventhealth Hendersonville
7 postings
$32.00/hr
Billings Clinic
7 postings
$32.50/hr
Commonspirit Health
50 postings
$32.50/hr
RELATED POSITIONS
| Job Title | Postings | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Respiratory Therapist | 1,044 | $60.69/hr |
| Registered Respiratory Therapist (rrt) | 63 | $59.42/hr |
| Registered Respiratory Therapist - Neuro Diagnostics | 41 | $78.72/hr |
| Registered Respiratory Therapist – Neuro Diagnostics | 34 | $61.69/hr |
| Registered Respiratory Therapist Vascular Access Specialist | 33 | $42.50/hr |
| Registered Respiratory Therapist - Pediatrics | 26 | $63.74/hr |
| Registered Respiratory Therapist – Neuro Expansion | 22 | $42.00/hr |
| Registered Respiratory Therapist Rrt | 21 | $38.50/hr |
| Registered Respiratory Therapist Ii | 15 | $41.50/hr |
| Registered Respiratory Therapist - Nicu/pediatric Critical Care | 13 | $66.38/hr |
PAY FACTORS
How shift type, contract length, and employment type impact Registered Respiratory Therapist salaries.
FAQ
The median Registered Respiratory Therapist salary is $49.50 per hour, or $102,960 annually. Pay ranges from $35.00/hr (10th percentile) to $77.83/hr (90th percentile) depending on location, experience, and employer.
Based on 2,021 job postings, the highest paying states for Registered Respiratory Therapists include Hawaii, Vermont, Massachusetts. Pay rates vary based on cost of living, demand, and state regulations.
There are currently 2,021 Registered Respiratory Therapist job postings across 82 states, from 266 different healthcare employers.
Registered Respiratory Therapist pay varies based on geographic location, years of experience, certifications, shift differentials (nights/weekends), employment type (travel vs. staff), facility type, and specialized skills. Travel contracts typically pay higher hourly rates.
Registered Respiratory Therapist pay is currently trending upward. Over the past 30 days, median hourly rates increased 13.1%.
Registered Respiratory Therapist pay varies by specialty and setting. Travel positions typically pay $17.04 to $28.33 more per hour than staff positions. Night shifts and weekend differentials also increase earnings.
Pay varies significantly by location. Top paying cities like Madera offer $82.33/hr, while lower cost areas may pay around $30.00/hr. However, rural areas often offer signing bonuses and housing stipends to attract talent.
Entry-level Registered Respiratory Therapists typically earn around $35.00 to $38.50 per hour ($72,800 to $80,080 annually). With experience, pay increases toward the median of $49.50/hr.
DATA METHOD
Source
Based on 2,021 active postings with listed compensation for Registered Respiratory Therapist. We prioritize postings with explicit hourly or annual pay and exclude rows without usable compensation signals from salary percentiles.
Range
Percentiles show the spread of posted pay, not a guaranteed offer or take-home pay after taxes. State and city views use available market observations and label estimated values when direct samples are limited.
Freshness
Current dataset window: 2025-11-01 to 2026-04-30. Recent trend cards compare the latest posting window with the prior period so short-term pay movement is separated from the full historical median.
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