Respiratory Therapist Salary

Bureau of Labor Statistics title: Respiratory Therapists

The median respiratory therapist salary in the United States is $82,280 per year ($39.56/hour). Salaries range from $63,660 at the entry level to $118,050+ for the top 10% of earners. There are 139,790 respiratory therapist jobs nationwide. Employment is projected to grow 12.1% through 2034.

Last updated: June 2026 Β· Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Also known asRespiratory TherapistRT
Median Salary
$82,280
per year
Hourly Rate
$39.56
per hour
Employment
139,790
jobs in the U.S.

Salary Distribution

10th percentile
$63,660
25th percentile
$74,520
Median
$82,280
75th percentile
$98,730
90th percentile
$118,050

Job Growth (2024-2034)

+12.1%
Faster than average

Annual Openings

8,800
jobs/year (growth + replacements)

Education Required

Associate's degree

Respiratory Therapist Career Guide

Interview questions, resume templates, and a career ladder written specifically for respiratory therapists.

Respiratory Therapists (RTs) assess + treat patients with breathing disorders β€” asthma, COPD, cystic fibrosis, sleep apnea, mechanical ventilation. Career splits: hospital (largest β€” ICU, ED, general medical), pulmonary rehab + sleep centers, home health respiratory, transport + flight, neonatal + pediatric. Path: associate's degree + NBRC (National Board for Respiratory Care) certifications (RRT preferred) + state licensure. Median compensation: entry $58-78k; experienced $75-105k; sr + specialty (neonatal, ECMO, flight) $95-135k+; supervisor + manager $95-140k+.

Core Skills Hiring Managers Screen For

Mechanical ventilation management
Ventilator modes, weaning, extubation. Core ICU respiratory care.
Arterial blood gas (ABG) interpretation
Understanding + adjusting therapy based on ABG results.
Oxygen therapy + delivery devices
Nasal cannula, mask, non-rebreather, high-flow, BiPAP, CPAP.
Bronchial hygiene therapy
Nebulizers, incentive spirometry, chest physiotherapy, airway clearance.
Pulmonary function testing
Spirometry, DLCO, plethysmography interpretation.
Emergency + code response
Code Blue + rapid response + emergent intubation assist.
Documentation + care coordination
EMR + care plan + physician + nurse coordination.

How to Become a Respiratory Therapist

  1. 1
    Associate's or Bachelor's in Respiratory Therapy (CoARC-accredited)
    2-4 year program. Community college associate's most common.
  2. 2
    Pass NBRC exams (CRT + RRT)
    CRT = Certified Respiratory Therapist. RRT = Registered Respiratory Therapist (higher). Higher pay for RRT.
  3. 3
    State licensure
    Required in most states. $50-300 per state.
  4. 4
    First job (hospital-based most common)
    ICU + ED + general medical rotations.
  5. 5
    Get specialty certifications (Neonatal/Pediatric NPS, ECMO, Sleep, Adult Critical Care ACCS)
    Higher pay + specialty roles.
  6. 6
    Move to Sr Therapist / Charge / Educator (5-10 years)
    Higher pay + supervisory duties.
  7. 7
    Advance to Manager or Director
    10-15+ years experience.

Career Progression

Staff RT (New Grad)
0-2 yrs$56-78k Β· Hourly $27-38
  • β€’Full clinical rotation
  • β€’Learning specialty units
Next: Experienced RT.
Experienced RT
2-5 yrs$68-92k Β· Hourly $32-44
  • β€’Independent complex care
  • β€’Preceptor role
Next: Sr / Specialty.
Senior / Specialty RT (Neonatal, ECMO, Flight)
5-10 yrs$85-118k Β· Specialty $95-135k+
  • β€’Complex specialty care
  • β€’Team lead role
Next: Charge / Manager.
Charge Therapist / Supervisor / Manager
8-15+ yrs$95-140k+
  • β€’Department oversight
  • β€’Staff supervision + scheduling
Next: Director.

Interview Questions & Answers

5 free questions below. Career Kit unlocks 9 total plus resume bullets for every level.

Q1. Walk me through managing a ventilated patient.case
Vent mode + parameters + ABG + weaning protocol + team collaboration.
Q2. How do you handle a code blue?situational
Rapid response + airway management + intubation assist + team communication.
Q3. Tell me about a difficult patient.behavioral
STAR. Real case.
Q4. Why our hospital?culture
Research: patient population + technology + culture.
Q5. How do you handle a difficult family?situational
Empathy + information + team coordination + escalate if needed.

Resume Template β€” Experienced RT (3-5 yrs)

Copy these bullets into your resume as a starting point. Career Kit includes bullets for every level of the ladder.

Experienced RT (3-5 yrs)
  • β–ΈRespiratory Therapist, [Hospital], responsible for ICU + ED coverage on adult service.
  • β–ΈRRT (Registered) + ACLS + PALS + NRP + BLS certifications.
  • β–ΈZero substantiated errors + zero equipment-related incidents in past 24 months.
  • β–ΈPreceptor for 4 new-grad RTs. All completed orientation successfully.

What Gets You Rejected

  • βœ—Weak ventilator management skills.
  • βœ—Poor code response.
  • βœ—Bad-mouthing prior team.
  • βœ—Missing key certifications.
  • βœ—Attendance issues.
  • βœ—Weak team communication.

Salary Negotiation Levers

  • βœ“Hourly rate + shift differential.
  • βœ“RRT vs CRT (RRT +$3-5/hr).
  • βœ“Sign-on bonus $5-25k common.
  • βœ“Specialty differential (neonatal, ECMO, flight).
  • βœ“Full benefits + retirement match.
  • βœ“Tuition reimbursement for bachelor's.
  • βœ“PTO 3-4 weeks.

Respiratory Therapist Resume Review β€” $29

Personalized resume review from someone who has hired respiratory therapists. Purchase, email your resume to support@weblabra.com, and receive detailed written feedback within 7 days.

  • βœ“ Occupation-specific critique (not generic)
  • βœ“ Rewrite suggestions for weak bullets
  • βœ“ Missing skills / keywords flagged
  • βœ“ Formatting + ATS-readability feedback
  • βœ“ 7-day turnaround, 100% refund if we miss it

Respiratory Therapist Career Kit β€” $19

  • βœ“ All 9 interview questions with expert answers
  • βœ“ 10 real questions aggregated from Glassdoor, Blind, Reddit, LinkedIn
  • βœ“ Interview format intel for 6 top employers
  • βœ“ 3 copy-paste salary negotiation emails
  • βœ“ Resume bullets for every level of the career ladder
  • βœ“ 30–60–90 day plan for your first role
  • βœ“ Cover letter templates specific to this occupation
  • βœ“ Detailed salary negotiation script
  • βœ“ Ranked list of certifications with cost + ROI
  • βœ“ Downloadable PDF for offline access
  • βœ“ Instant access, no expiration, no subscription
βœ“ 7-day money-back guarantee β€” no questions asked

One-time purchase. 7-day refund guarantee.

Sample reviews β€” real customer reviews will appear here as they come in.

β€œThe interview question bank saved me. I got the exact question about 'walking through a DCF' at my Goldman Sachs superday, verbatim.”

β€” Anonymous, Financial Analyst

β€œCopy-paste negotiation emails are worth the price alone. I used the 'accepting with counter' template and got an extra $8k signing bonus.”

β€” Anonymous, Software Developer

β€œThe 30-60-90 day plan for a new grad RN was better than the orientation my hospital gave. Wish I'd bought this in nursing school.”

β€” Anonymous, Registered Nurse

Respiratory Therapist Salary by State

Best Cities (cost-adjusted) β†’

Salary Map β€” Click a state for details

$63K
$112Kβ–  No data

Top Paying States

District of Columbia
$112K
+36%
New York
$108K
+31%
California
$105K
+27%
Massachusetts
$102K
+24%
Washington
$101K
+23%
New Jersey
$101K
+23%
Oregon
$101K
+22%
Minnesota
$99K
+20%
Alaska
$98K
+19%
New Hampshire
$96K
+17%
Vertical line = national median. Click a state for full details.
StateMedianvs. National
District of Columbia$111,950+36.1%
New York$107,810+31.0%
California$104,820+27.4%
Massachusetts$102,170+24.2%
Washington$101,130+22.9%
New Jersey$100,810+22.5%
Oregon$100,560+22.2%
Minnesota$98,710+20.0%
Alaska$97,950+19.0%
New Hampshire$95,940+16.6%
1–10 of 51

Respiratory Therapist Salary by Metro Area

Metro AreaMedianvs. National
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$149,680+81.9%
Vallejo, CA$136,200+65.5%
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA$134,880+63.9%
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$134,430+63.4%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$130,220+58.3%
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$123,220+49.8%
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA$112,430+36.6%
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$110,490+34.3%
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$108,600+32.0%
Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY$106,910+29.9%
1–10 of 279
Data Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Data reflects the most recent annual survey.
How does this compare to pro athletes?
A respiratory therapist earning $82,280/year would need 724 years to match Stephen Curry's NBA salary, or 778 yearsto match Patrick Mahomes' NFL contract.
See all sports & celebrity salaries β†’
πŸ“ˆ See how respiratory therapist salaries have changed over the past decade.
View Respiratory Therapist salary trend (2011–2024) β†’