The median Respiratory Therapist salary is $48.00 per hour, or $99,840 per year, based on 6,235 job postings across 95 states. Compare pay by location, employer, shift, and contract type.
$48.00
Median hourly
$99,840
Annual salary
$35-$68
Pay range
95
States tracked
Salary guide
A typical Respiratory Therapist earns $48.00/hr, with most posted roles landing between $40.00 and $61.06/hr.
Recent posted pay is up, with the last 30 days showing +14.1% movement versus the prior period.
Location matters: Ann Arbor, MICHIGAN is currently among the highest-paying cities, while Nashville, TENNESSEE 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
+14.1%
Current median: $52.50/hr
Prior period: $46.00/hr
Job openings
-25.7%
974 recent postings
Previous period: 1,311 postings
Daily pay signal
$57.62/hr latest
Year-over-year
Building
We are collecting enough historical 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 $52.50/hr, up from $46.00/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
$48.00
$99,840/yr
Top earners
$68.00
$141,440/yr
MARKET TRENDS
Month-over-month median hourly pay and posting volume.
| Month | Median Hourly | Postings |
|---|---|---|
Apr 2026Current | $53.00/hr | 909 |
Mar 2026 | $46.50/hr | 1,376 |
Feb 2026 | $50.00/hr | 808 |
Jan 2026 | $47.00/hr | 964 |
Dec 2025 | $43.00/hr | 1,072 |
Nov 2025 | $55.00/hr | 1,106 |
BY LOCATION
See how pay varies across the country. Ranked by job volume.
11 postings · 4 companies
$35.00
$34-$40
16 postings · 11 companies
$67.09
$52-$81
87 postings · 19 companies
$40.00
$38-$47
33 postings · 12 companies
$58.00
$49-$65
415 postings · 159 companies
$42.50
$37-$53
289 postings · 44 companies
$39.00
$37-$60
122 postings · 31 companies
$62.92
$47-$67
11 postings · 5 companies
$59.56
$44-$62
48 postings · 11 companies
$49.50
$48-$60
225 postings · 50 companies
$37.00
$34-$43
128 postings · 25 companies
$45.00
$42-$50
105 postings · 30 companies
$80.56
$78-$83
37 postings · 11 companies
$54.30
$37-$59
513 postings · 92 companies
$43.00
$40-$53
185 postings · 35 companies
$63.69
$61-$66
49 postings · 14 companies
$46.00
$36-$58
45 postings · 10 companies
$37.50
$34-$43
62 postings · 8 companies
$34.25
$32-$38
56 postings · 15 companies
$54.50
$49-$59
39 postings · 13 companies
$62.00
$61-$64
154 postings · 45 companies
$48.00
$42-$59
372 postings · 66 companies
$48.50
$41-$65
77 postings · 27 companies
$52.00
$47-$74
90 postings · 24 companies
$45.00
$40-$49
12 postings · 5 companies
$44.50
$35-$59
60 postings · 20 companies
$49.00
$41-$58
33 postings · 9 companies
$60.00
$53-$66
91 postings · 7 companies
$41.50
$42-$42
50 postings · 31 companies
$47.00
$38-$61
30 postings · 9 companies
$59.50
$50-$67
126 postings · 34 companies
$48.25
$40-$51
88 postings · 25 companies
$62.29
$53-$65
325 postings · 88 companies
$47.50
$42-$61
169 postings · 33 companies
$49.00
$38-$58
118 postings · 34 companies
$63.00
$53-$67
265 postings · 73 companies
$58.00
$46-$63
80 postings · 11 companies
$58.00
$49-$67
94 postings · 45 companies
$52.28
$46-$59
221 postings · 37 companies
$44.50
$38-$61
13 postings · 10 companies
$45.00
$41-$64
18 postings · 9 companies
$42.75
$37-$54
40 postings · 11 companies
$63.66
$42-$73
36 postings · 17 companies
$36.00
$33-$38
158 postings · 21 companies
$42.00
$36-$43
58 postings · 9 companies
$34.00
$34-$41
53 postings · 16 companies
$70.00
$67-$77
195 postings · 52 companies
$60.85
$51-$64
170 postings · 35 companies
$48.50
$47-$55
41 postings · 4 companies
$56.00
$46-$61
231 postings · 41 companies
$41.00
$40-$65
12 postings · 4 companies
$57.00
$52-$58
BY CITY
See which cities offer the highest and lowest Respiratory Therapist salaries.
Ann Arbor
Michigan · 17 postings
$105.00/hr
Honolulu
Hawaii · 18 postings
$89.31/hr
Waimea
Hawaii · 65 postings
$80.83/hr
Worcester
Massachusetts · 35 postings
$78.81/hr
Milford
Massachusetts · 10 postings
$75.73/hr
Nashville
Tennessee · 12 postings
$32.50/hr
Little Falls
Minnesota · 10 postings
$33.50/hr
Land O' Lakes
Florida · 10 postings
$33.50/hr
Lexington
Kentucky · 42 postings
$33.50/hr
Lehi
Utah · 16 postings
$34.00/hr
BY EMPLOYER
See which companies pay the most and least for Respiratory Therapist positions.
Idr Healthcare
11 postings
$80.25/hr
Adn Healthcare
29 postings
$79.56/hr
Solomon Page
35 postings
$79.03/hr
Amergis Healthcare Staffing, Inc.-allied
16 postings
$78.88/hr
Voca Healthcare
15 postings
$78.03/hr
Presbyterian Healthcare Services
5 postings
$18.00/hr
Texas Nursing Services
5 postings
$31.50/hr
Mercy
5 postings
$32.50/hr
Apria Healthcare
46 postings
$32.50/hr
Medical Service Company
6 postings
$32.50/hr
RELATED POSITIONS
| Job Title | Postings | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Respiratory Therapist | 1,313 | $45.00/hr |
| Nicu Respiratory Therapist | 93 | $63.27/hr |
| Certified Respiratory Therapist | 73 | $38.50/hr |
| Cardiopulmonary Respiratory Therapist | 52 | $80.89/hr |
| Neonatal Icu Respiratory Therapist | 46 | $63.46/hr |
| Respiratory Therapist 3 | 41 | $47.00/hr |
| Respiratory Therapist - General $1,548/wk | 37 | $43.00/hr |
| Adult Respiratory Therapist | 20 | $46.50/hr |
| Respiratory Therapist - General $1,296/wk | 18 | $36.00/hr |
| Respiratory Therapist - General $1,512/wk | 16 | $42.00/hr |
EDUCATION & LICENSING
Respiratory Therapists evaluate and treat patients with breathing disorders, manage ventilators, and provide cardiopulmonary care across all age groups.
Minimum: Associate's
AS-RC
Associate of Science in Respiratory Care
BSRC
Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Care
MSRC
Master of Science in Respiratory Care
RTs complete an accredited respiratory care program (associate's or bachelor's), then pass TMC and Clinical Simulation exams to earn RRT credential.
State RT License
RequiredRespiratory Therapist License
BLS
RequiredBasic Life Support
ACLS
RequiredAdvanced Cardiovascular Life Support
PALS
Pediatric Advanced Life Support
NRP
Neonatal Resuscitation Program
Staff Respiratory Therapist
0-2 years experience
Senior Respiratory Therapist
2-5 years experience
Lead RT / Shift Supervisor
5-8 years experience
RT Educator / Clinical Specialist
8-12 years experience
RT Manager / Director
12+ years experience
Certifications can significantly increase earning potential
CRT
Entry-levelCertified Respiratory Therapist
NPS
+5-10%Neonatal/Pediatric Specialist
ACCS
+5-10%Adult Critical Care Specialist
CPFT
+3-8%Certified Pulmonary Function Technologist
RPFT
+5-10%Registered Pulmonary Function Technologist
Job Outlook
Strong Growth (13% (2022-2032))
RT demand is strong due to aging population and chronic respiratory diseases (COPD, asthma). COVID-19 increased awareness of ventilator management. Travel RT positions offer $2,000-3,000+/week.
PAY FACTORS
How shift type, contract length, and employment type impact Respiratory Therapist salaries.
FAQ
The median Respiratory Therapist salary is $48.00 per hour, or $99,840 annually. Pay ranges from $35.00/hr (10th percentile) to $68.00/hr (90th percentile) depending on location, experience, and employer.
Based on 6,235 job postings, the highest paying states for Respiratory Therapists include Hawaii, Vermont, Alaska. Pay rates vary based on cost of living, demand, and state regulations.
There are currently 6,235 Respiratory Therapist job postings across 95 states, from 748 different healthcare employers.
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.
Respiratory Therapist pay is currently trending upward. Over the past 30 days, median hourly rates increased 14.1%.
Respiratory Therapist pay varies by specialty and setting. Travel positions typically pay $13.06 to $20.00 more per hour than staff positions. Night shifts and weekend differentials also increase earnings.
Pay varies significantly by location. Top paying cities like Ann Arbor offer $105.00/hr, while lower cost areas may pay around $32.50/hr. However, rural areas often offer signing bonuses and housing stipends to attract talent.
Entry-level Respiratory Therapists typically earn around $35.00 to $40.00 per hour ($72,800 to $83,200 annually). With experience, pay increases toward the median of $48.00/hr.
DATA METHOD
Source
Based on 6,235 active postings with listed compensation for 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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