Respiratory Therapists: salary, outlook & degrees
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.
Middle half $74,520–$98,730. 139,790 jobs.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
36% hold a bachelor's or higher. Those with one: $69,037.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation
About 8,600 openings a year, including replacements.
BLS Employment Projections 2025-35
Medium preparation.
BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone
Degrees that lead to this career
What workers ages 25-34 in this job studied, among those with a bachelor's or higher. This is what people actually did, not a requirement.
| Field of bachelor's degree | Share | Degree pages |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Technologies Technicians | 24% | Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) · Medical Laboratory Science |
| Treatment Therapy Professions | 18% | Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences |
| General Medical And Health Services | 6% | Health Sciences |
| Nursing | 6% | Nursing |
| Biology | 5% | Biology |
| Miscellaneous Health Medical Professions | 5% | Dietetics · Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other |
| Physical Fitness Parks Recreation And Leisure | 4% | Kinesiology / Exercise Science · Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies |
| Psychology | 3% | Psychology |
| Health And Medical Administrative Services | 3% | Health Administration |
| Multi-Disciplinary Or General Science | 2% | Biological and Physical Sciences |
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, employed, bachelor's or higher; top 10 fields); EducationGuide calculation.
Pay by state and metro
| State | Median wage |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $111,950 |
| New York | $107,810 |
| California | $104,820 |
| Massachusetts | $102,170 |
| Washington | $101,130 |
| New Jersey | $100,810 |
| Oregon | $100,560 |
| Minnesota | $98,710 |
| Alaska | $97,950 |
| New Hampshire | $95,940 |
| Hawaii | $94,210 |
| Delaware | $91,080 |
| Maryland | $88,960 |
| Rhode Island | $86,900 |
| Colorado | $86,220 |
| Nevada | $85,480 |
| Connecticut | $85,230 |
| Wisconsin | $84,210 |
| Illinois | $84,090 |
| Vermont | $83,820 |
| Georgia | $83,700 |
| Virginia | $82,910 |
| Maine | $82,470 |
| Nebraska | $81,590 |
| North Dakota | $81,230 |
| Montana | $81,190 |
| Florida | $81,160 |
| Utah | $80,650 |
| North Carolina | $80,090 |
| Ohio | $79,920 |
| Michigan | $79,850 |
| Arizona | $79,780 |
| Indiana | $79,730 |
| Texas | $79,540 |
| Wyoming | $79,330 |
| Oklahoma | $78,800 |
| Pennsylvania | $78,490 |
| Idaho | $78,460 |
| Missouri | $78,390 |
| South Carolina | $77,740 |
| Kansas | $76,970 |
| Louisiana | $75,240 |
| Iowa | $74,760 |
| Arkansas | $73,870 |
| Kentucky | $72,750 |
| Tennessee | $72,140 |
| New Mexico | $68,870 |
| West Virginia | $68,670 |
| South Dakota | $68,240 |
| Alabama | $66,150 |
| Mississippi | $63,270 |
| PR | $35,000 |
Florida metro areas
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach$80,880
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater$81,630
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford$82,070
- Jacksonville$81,760
- Cape Coral-Fort Myers$80,680
- North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota$83,110
- Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach$78,650
- Lakeland-Winter Haven$86,300
Virginia metro areas
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria$101,990
- Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk$80,990
- Richmond$81,750
- Roanoke$78,820
- Kingsport-Bristol$62,740
- Charlottesville$86,720
- Lynchburg$81,470
California metro areas
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim$104,640
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario$100,480
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont$130,220
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad$105,040
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom$134,430
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara$149,680
- Fresno$83,340
- Bakersfield-Delano$102,760
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.
What the work takes
Top skills
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
Knowledge used
- Customer and Personal Service
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Public Safety and Security
- English Language
- Psychology
Work styles
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Stress Tolerance
- Cooperation
- Self-Control
People in this job tend to have Realistic (hands-on), Social (helping), Investigative (analytical) interests.
O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.
Respiratory Therapists: questions
How much do respiratory Therapists make?
Respiratory Therapists earn a U.S. median $82,280 a year; the middle half earn $74,520 to $98,730 (BLS, May 2025). Workers ages 25-34 in this job earn a median $61,446 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is respiratory Therapists a growing field?
BLS projects growth of 8.5% from 2025 to 2035, with about 8,600 openings a year, including replacements.
What degree do you need to be a respiratory Therapist?
BLS lists the typical entry education as associate's degree. Among workers ages 25-34 with a bachelor's, the most common field of degree is medical Technologies Technicians (24%).
How much do respiratory Therapists make in Florida?
The median in Florida is $81,160 a year (BLS, May 2025), compared with $82,280 nationally.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 29-1126. Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all careers
Cite this: “Respiratory Therapists: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/respiratory-therapists.