SOC 29-1126 · Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations
Respiratory Therapists wages by metro
National median annual wage
$82,280
- 10th percentile
- $63,660
- 25th percentile
- $74,520
- Median
- $82,280
- 75th percentile
- $98,730
- 90th percentile
- $118,050
- Mean
- $87,300
Annual wage from the May 2025 OEWS estimates.
National employment in May 2025: 139,790.
That median is 61.4% higher than the all-occupations national median of $50,980.
The metro and state figures below are the same May 2025 release. A blank wage means BLS did not publish it. See when a wage is not published.
Highest published medians
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 1,060 | $98,000 | $149,680 | $178,580 |
| Vallejo, CA | 190 | $97,980 | $136,200 | $157,560 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 70 | $100,040 | $134,880 | $161,250 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 1,140 | $82,910 | $134,430 | $149,450 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 2,010 | $95,450 | $130,220 | $158,100 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | 200 | $93,540 | $123,220 | $138,750 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | 90 | $78,190 | $112,430 | $131,010 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 7,010 | $87,090 | $110,490 | $131,500 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 130 | $80,730 | $108,600 | $134,900 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | 240 | $85,330 | $106,910 | $121,990 |
| Reno, NV | 180 | $73,420 | $105,140 | $108,670 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 1,430 | $82,140 | $105,040 | $131,440 |
| Napa, CA | 60 | $85,150 | $104,670 | $171,760 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 7,010 | $75,000 | $104,640 | $130,790 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 1,560 | $82,620 | $104,580 | $125,120 |
| Salem, OR | 130 | $89,160 | $104,360 | $122,190 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | 110 | $82,010 | $104,350 | $119,660 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 1,130 | $78,450 | $104,220 | $128,610 |
| Modesto, CA | 270 | $83,010 | $103,870 | $134,280 |
| Redding, CA | 90 | $69,020 | $103,830 | $130,830 |
Where employment is largest
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 7,010 | $75,000 | $104,640 | $130,790 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 7,010 | $87,090 | $110,490 | $131,500 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 3,630 | $57,180 | $80,450 | $99,690 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 3,620 | $74,560 | $87,060 | $100,100 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 3,010 | $69,160 | $84,080 | $100,240 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 2,990 | $67,730 | $88,790 | $103,640 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 2,670 | $71,610 | $95,520 | $119,540 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 2,620 | $65,430 | $80,880 | $107,240 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 2,600 | $64,740 | $79,760 | $100,360 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 2,200 | $70,970 | $100,480 | $128,730 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 2,010 | $95,450 | $130,220 | $158,100 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 1,910 | $65,850 | $80,790 | $90,950 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 1,850 | $79,410 | $101,990 | $127,400 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 1,560 | $82,620 | $104,580 | $125,120 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 1,430 | $82,140 | $105,040 | $131,440 |
| Cleveland, OH | 1,380 | $66,840 | $80,360 | $96,970 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 1,320 | $63,980 | $81,630 | $96,480 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 1,300 | $66,160 | $81,600 | $99,020 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 1,260 | $62,230 | $79,210 | $95,730 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | 1,230 | $64,970 | $81,720 | $94,950 |
States and territories
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 430 | $77,240 | $111,950 | $127,400 |
| New York | 7,010 | $81,270 | $107,810 | $131,500 |
| California | 18,650 | $77,010 | $104,820 | $145,510 |
| Massachusetts | 2,220 | $80,330 | $102,170 | $123,930 |
| Washington | 1,860 | $76,080 | $101,130 | $127,520 |
| New Jersey | 3,350 | $78,000 | $100,810 | $123,370 |
| Oregon | 1,340 | $81,490 | $100,560 | $120,060 |
| Minnesota | 1,250 | $79,060 | $98,710 | $110,050 |
| Alaska | 180 | $80,250 | $97,950 | $114,590 |
| New Hampshire | 360 | $80,490 | $95,940 | $109,000 |
| Hawaii | 510 | $80,130 | $94,210 | $102,780 |
| Delaware | 500 | $79,210 | $91,080 | $109,890 |
| Maryland | 1,800 | $69,550 | $88,960 | $106,430 |
| Rhode Island | 260 | $73,240 | $86,900 | $122,120 |
| Colorado | 2,110 | $66,560 | $86,220 | $109,070 |
| Nevada | 1,270 | $65,150 | $85,480 | $118,710 |
| Connecticut | 1,370 | $72,410 | $85,230 | $121,620 |
| Wisconsin | 1,940 | $70,520 | $84,210 | $100,320 |
| Illinois | 4,880 | $64,480 | $84,090 | $100,100 |
| Vermont | 210 | $50,310 | $83,820 | $99,940 |
| Georgia | 5,150 | $65,050 | $83,700 | $112,320 |
| Virginia | 3,340 | $65,540 | $82,910 | $106,470 |
| Maine | 520 | $61,060 | $82,470 | $98,470 |
| Nebraska | 840 | $64,100 | $81,590 | $96,180 |
| North Dakota | 270 | $65,770 | $81,230 | $100,490 |
| Montana | 390 | $60,800 | $81,190 | $92,890 |
| Florida | 8,820 | $64,240 | $81,160 | $100,310 |
| Utah | 1,170 | $61,860 | $80,650 | $101,340 |
| North Carolina | 4,630 | $63,990 | $80,090 | $99,520 |
| Ohio | 6,640 | $65,580 | $79,920 | $97,030 |
| Michigan | 4,520 | $64,770 | $79,850 | $90,210 |
| Arizona | 3,500 | $64,780 | $79,780 | $99,180 |
| Indiana | 3,170 | $62,730 | $79,730 | $94,980 |
| Texas | 12,130 | $61,310 | $79,540 | $99,690 |
| Wyoming | 160 | $64,300 | $79,330 | $91,840 |
| Oklahoma | 2,000 | $64,380 | $78,800 | $95,350 |
| Pennsylvania | 6,530 | $62,440 | $78,490 | $95,520 |
| Idaho | 820 | $63,540 | $78,460 | $95,290 |
| Missouri | 3,030 | $60,950 | $78,390 | $95,730 |
| South Carolina | 1,960 | $63,700 | $77,740 | $90,670 |
| Kansas | 1,450 | $60,470 | $76,970 | $94,600 |
| Louisiana | 2,520 | $61,520 | $75,240 | $91,200 |
| Iowa | 910 | $62,860 | $74,760 | $86,510 |
| Arkansas | 1,400 | $59,550 | $73,870 | $93,480 |
| Kentucky | 2,530 | $58,330 | $72,750 | $92,540 |
| Tennessee | 3,440 | $57,860 | $72,140 | $88,060 |
| New Mexico | 840 | $61,990 | $68,870 | $91,220 |
| West Virginia | 1,140 | $52,940 | $68,670 | $94,280 |
| South Dakota | 430 | $48,530 | $68,240 | $88,830 |
| Alabama | 2,350 | $50,250 | $66,150 | $81,030 |
| Mississippi | 1,670 | $50,180 | $63,270 | $80,460 |
| Puerto Rico | 800 | $25,880 | $35,000 | $96,570 |
Other healthcare practitioners and technical occupations
- Registered Nurses
- Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
- Pharmacy Technicians
- Physicians, All Other
- Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians
- Nurse Practitioners
- Pharmacists
- Physical Therapists
Questions this page answers
What is the national median wage for Respiratory Therapists?
In the May 2025 OEWS estimates, the national median annual wage for Respiratory Therapists is $82,280. Employment is 139,790.
How does Respiratory Therapists pay compare with all occupations?
The national median for Respiratory Therapists is 61.4% higher than the all-occupations median of $50,980.
Which metro has the highest published median for Respiratory Therapists?
Among metros with a published annual median in the May 2025 tables, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA is highest on this page's list at $149,680.