Respiratory Therapist salary: $51.67/hr$2,067/wk$107,474/yr median.
Pay range $41.00$1,640$85,280–$61.75/hr$2,470/wk$128,440/yr across the middle 50% of active Therapy Allied Health Professional postings nationwide.
451 unique employers · 687 cities · 52 states. Pay moved +5.7% over the last 30 days.
How Respiratory Therapist pay is distributed.
10% of postings pay under $36.00/hr$1,440/wk$74,880/yr. The top 10% pay above $67.63/hr$2,705/wk$140,670/yr.
How Respiratory Therapist pay has moved month over month.
Median pay moved from $43.25 in May 2026 to $42.75 in Oct 2026 (-1.2%). Bars show monthly posting volume; the line tracks the posting-weighted median.
| Month | Median /hr/wk/yr | P25–P75 | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | $43.25$1,730$89,960 | $38.50$1,540$80,080–$53.00$2,120$110,240 | 940 |
| Jun 2026 | $50.50$2,020$105,040 | $41.00$1,640$85,280–$60.14$2,406$125,091 | 1,272 |
| Jul 2026 | $62.38$2,495$129,750 | $54.00$2,160$112,320–$67.04$2,682$139,443 | 401 |
| Aug 2026 | $62.56$2,502$130,125 | $57.22$2,289$119,018–$67.69$2,708$140,795 | 265 |
| Sep 2026 | $41.00$1,640$85,280 | $38.50$1,540$80,080–$43.25$1,730$89,960 | 12 |
| Oct 2026 | $42.75$1,710$88,920 | $40.00$1,600$83,200–$47.25$1,890$98,280 | 16 |
Respiratory Therapist pay across every state with live data.
Showing all 48 states with live data. Bars scale to the highest-paying state.
The metros writing the biggest Respiratory Therapist paychecks.
| City | State | Median /hr/wk/yr | P25–P75 | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ann arbor | MI · MICHIGAN | $105.00$4,200$218,400 | $101.56$4,062$211,245–$109.86$4,394$228,509 | 17 |
| cambridge | MA · MASSACHUSETTS | $100.93$4,037$209,934 | $90.18$3,607$187,574–$106.93$4,277$222,414 | 13 |
| providence | RI · RHODE ISLAND | $85.39$3,416$177,611 | $81.94$3,278$170,435–$86.64$3,466$180,211 | 17 |
| madera | CA · CALIFORNIA | $83.42$3,337$173,514 | $80.69$3,228$167,835–$88.90$3,556$184,912 | 18 |
| waimea | HI · HAWAII | $80.83$3,233$168,126 | $76.00$3,040$158,080–$87.39$3,496$181,771 | 21 |
CITY PAY DATA
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Where the top of the market is paying for Respiratory Therapist.
| Employer | Median /hr/wk/yr | Range | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|
| adn healthcare | $81.38$3,255$169,270 | $61.38$2,455$127,670–$83.33$3,333$173,326 | 12 |
| ahs staffing | $71.66$2,866$149,053 | $59.40$2,376$123,552–$156.43$6,257$325,374 | 8 |
| amergis healthcare staffing, inc.-allied | $69.22$2,769$143,978 | $60.77$2,431$126,402–$75.97$3,039$158,018 | 6 |
| anders group | $71.35$2,854$148,408 | $60.85$2,434$126,568–$298.88$11,955$621,670 | 13 |
| medpro healthcare allied staffing | $79.06$3,162$164,445 | $60.06$2,402$124,925–$128.80$5,152$267,904 | 23 |
| prolink allied | $76.74$3,070$159,619 | $64.58$2,583$134,326–$86.53$3,461$179,982 | 8 |
| solomon page | $74.75$2,990$155,480 | $59.79$2,392$124,363–$82.89$3,316$172,411 | 14 |
| triage staffing | $81.19$3,248$168,875 | $59.15$2,366$123,032–$169.47$6,779$352,498 | 25 |
| vibra travels | $69.65$2,786$144,872 | $66.31$2,652$137,925–$81.36$3,254$169,229 | 5 |
| wcs healthcare partners | $88.00$3,520$183,040 | $81.11$3,244$168,709–$132.00$5,280$274,560 | 6 |
Showing all 10 employers with live pay data.
How Respiratory Therapist pay shifts by schedule and contract type.
Travel Contract pays the most at $65.06/hr$2,602/wk$135,325/yr median — 234% above Travel at $19.50/hr$780/wk$40,560/yr. Fulltime drives the volume with 745 active postings.
How to become a Respiratory Therapist.
Respiratory Therapists evaluate and treat patients with breathing disorders, manage ventilators, and provide cardiopulmonary care across all age groups.
RTs complete an accredited respiratory care program (associate's or bachelor's), then pass TMC and Clinical Simulation exams to earn RRT credential.
| Degree | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Associate of Science in Respiratory CareAS-RC | 2 years | Entry-level degree meeting minimum requirements. Accredited by CoARC. |
| Bachelor of Science in Respiratory CareBSRC | 4 years | Preferred by many employers, especially in academic medical centers. Opens doors to leadership roles. |
| Master of Science in Respiratory CareMSRC | 2 years post-bachelor's | Advanced degree for leadership, education, or research roles. Growing requirement for management. |
State license required in 49 states (Alaska exempt). Requirements vary by state.
CPR certification required for all RT positions.
Required for most acute care RT positions. RTs often run airways during codes.
Required for pediatric or NICU settings.
Required for NICU and L&D settings. RTs manage neonatal airways at deliveries.
| Credential | Issued by | Pay impact |
|---|---|---|
| RRT Registered Respiratory Therapist National credential demonstrating advanced competence. Requires passing TMC exam at high cut score + Clinical Simulation Exam. Standard for most positions. | NBRC | Standard credential |
| CRT Certified Respiratory Therapist Entry-level credential (TMC low cut score). Most employers prefer or require RRT upgrade. | NBRC | Entry-level |
| NPS Neonatal/Pediatric Specialist Specialty credential for RTs working with neonatal and pediatric populations. | NBRC | +5-10% |
| ACCS Adult Critical Care Specialist Specialty credential validating expertise in adult critical care respiratory care. | NBRC | +5-10% |
| CPFT Certified Pulmonary Function Technologist Credential for RTs specializing in pulmonary function testing and diagnostics. | NBRC | +3-8% |
| RPFT Registered Pulmonary Function Technologist Advanced pulmonary diagnostics credential beyond CPFT. | NBRC | +5-10% |
- 0-2 yearsStaff Respiratory Therapist
Entry-level position providing respiratory care under supervision. Building competence across patient populations.
- 2-5 yearsSenior Respiratory Therapist
Independent practitioner handling complex cases. Often specializes in ICU, NICU, or ED.
- 5-8 yearsLead RT / Shift Supervisor
Coordinates RT coverage and resources. First-line clinical support for challenging cases.
- 8-12 yearsRT Educator / Clinical Specialist
Focuses on staff education, protocol development, and quality improvement. Bachelor's or master's preferred.
- 12+ yearsRT Manager / Director
Oversees department operations, staffing, and budgets. Master's degree increasingly required.
- 15+ yearsVP of Cardiopulmonary Services
Executive overseeing RT, pulmonary rehab, and related services. Strategic leadership role.
Schedule. Primarily 12-hour shifts with 24/7 coverage. Some facilities use 8-hour shifts. Weekend, holiday, and on-call requirements common.
Physical demands. Moderately demanding. Moving ventilator equipment, responding quickly to emergencies, and positioning patients. Shift work can be challenging.
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.
What clinicians ask about Respiratory Therapist pay.
What is the average Respiratory Therapist salary in 2026?
The median Respiratory Therapist salary is $51.67/hr (approximately $107,474/yr) based on 3,075 active job postings.
What is the pay range for Respiratory Therapist?
Hourly pay ranges from $41.00 at the 25th percentile to $61.75 at the 75th percentile, with the top 10% earning above $67.63/hr.
Which state pays Respiratory Therapist roles the most?
Rhode Island currently leads with a median of $83.11/hr across 23 postings.
How many employers are hiring Respiratory Therapists?
Our dataset shows 451 unique employers posting Respiratory Therapist roles across 52 states.
Where does TrueRounds get Respiratory Therapist salary data?
All salary figures are computed from active US healthcare job postings with listed pay ranges, collected over a rolling 6-month window and weighted by posting volume.
Explore other Allied Health Professional tracks.
Respiratory Therapist sits inside the Therapy track. Here are sibling tracks across Allied Health Professional — same category, different clinical focus and pay envelope.
Active US healthcare postings. Weighted by volume. Refreshed daily.
Pay benchmarks are computed from active job postings with listed pay ranges, collected on a rolling 6-month window. Each role's percentiles are weighted by posting volume so a metro with two postings doesn't outweigh a metro with two hundred. Outliers (postings priced more than 4× the role median) are dropped to avoid contract-line distortion.
Use the data, then push back.
Bring these numbers into your next contract conversation. Recruiters know what the market pays — now you do too.