Respiratory Therapists Wages
SOC 29-1126 • Full occupation profile
The median annual wage for Respiratory Therapists is $77,960 nationally (2023 BLS OEWS). The 10th percentile is $59,180 and the 90th percentile is $104,480, showing the wide spread of wages in this occupation.
National Wage Distribution (2023)
Employment
129,750
P10
$59,180
P25
$65,530
Median
$77,960
P75
$88,820
P90
$104,480
National Wage Trend
How national median and mean wages for Respiratory Therapists have moved across BLS OEWS release years.
| Year | Median | Mean | P10 | P90 | Employment | YoY Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $77,960 | $80,340 | $59,180 | $104,480 | 129,750 | — |
| 2022 | $70,540 | $74,310 | $51,970 | $100,520 | 129,910 | -9.52% |
| 2021 | $61,830 | $68,190 | $47,380 | $95,540 | 133,410 | -12.35% |
| 2020 | $62,810 | $65,640 | $45,940 | $89,170 | 131,890 | +1.58% |
Wages by State (2023)
State-level OEWS wage estimates for Respiratory Therapists. The highest median is in District of Columbia at $106,480, 37% above the U.S. median.
| Area | Median Annual | vs National | Mean Annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $106,480 | +36.6% | $95,240 | 360 |
| California | $101,200 | +29.8% | $103,060 | 15,480 |
| New York | $98,640 | +26.5% | $98,770 | 6,540 |
| New Jersey | $94,220 | +20.9% | $92,350 | 3,300 |
| Alaska | $94,030 | +20.6% | $94,590 | 130 |
| Hawaii | $90,860 | +16.5% | $89,960 | 330 |
| Washington | $89,230 | +14.5% | $93,820 | 2,040 |
| Oregon | $88,080 | +13% | $89,170 | 1,250 |
| Massachusetts | $86,700 | +11.2% | $90,320 | 2,500 |
| Delaware | $83,820 | +7.5% | $85,960 | 420 |
| Maryland | $83,500 | +7.1% | $86,790 | 1,710 |
| New Hampshire | $82,860 | +6.3% | $83,110 | 430 |
| Minnesota | $82,280 | +5.5% | $84,290 | 1,200 |
| Connecticut | $81,590 | +4.7% | $85,310 | 1,240 |
| Colorado | $80,770 | +3.6% | $80,270 | 1,830 |
| Rhode Island | $79,880 | +2.5% | $79,660 | 250 |
| Nevada | $79,560 | +2.1% | $84,750 | 1,350 |
| Wisconsin | $79,560 | +2.1% | $79,110 | 1,970 |
| Illinois | $78,980 | +1.3% | $79,390 | 5,130 |
| Georgia | $78,490 | +0.7% | $82,400 | 4,420 |
| Vermont | $78,100 | +0.2% | $76,510 | 190 |
| Montana | $77,910 | -0.1% | $77,140 | 390 |
| Ohio | $77,180 | -1% | $75,150 | 5,920 |
| Pennsylvania | $76,760 | -1.5% | $74,930 | 5,460 |
| Texas | $76,450 | -1.9% | $78,130 | 11,580 |
| Florida | $76,390 | -2% | $74,190 | 8,950 |
| Virginia | $76,230 | -2.2% | $76,390 | 2,620 |
| Maine | $75,560 | -3.1% | $73,130 | 470 |
| Arizona | $74,520 | -4.4% | $74,750 | 3,100 |
| South Carolina | $72,500 | -7% | $71,030 | 1,910 |
| Michigan | $71,450 | -8.4% | $71,740 | 4,540 |
| Utah | $71,200 | -8.7% | $75,390 | 1,030 |
| Indiana | $69,720 | -10.6% | $70,360 | 3,310 |
| Nebraska | $69,560 | -10.8% | $70,860 | 880 |
| Kansas | $69,420 | -11% | $70,960 | 1,320 |
| Idaho | $69,400 | -11% | $71,480 | 550 |
| North Carolina | $69,070 | -11.4% | $72,600 | 4,070 |
| Wyoming | $68,430 | -12.2% | $68,940 | 200 |
| Oklahoma | $68,050 | -12.7% | $71,210 | 1,740 |
| Missouri | $67,780 | -13.1% | $70,450 | 2,910 |
| North Dakota | $66,070 | -15.3% | $74,090 | 280 |
| Louisiana | $65,890 | -15.5% | $68,140 | 1,910 |
| Arkansas | $64,990 | -16.6% | $65,050 | 1,670 |
| Iowa | $64,850 | -16.8% | $68,880 | 1,010 |
| New Mexico | $64,580 | -17.2% | $68,520 | 640 |
| South Dakota | $64,000 | -17.9% | $61,160 | 340 |
| Kentucky | $63,420 | -18.7% | $65,330 | 2,720 |
| Tennessee | $63,250 | -18.9% | $65,020 | 3,260 |
| West Virginia | $62,860 | -19.4% | $65,000 | 1,090 |
| Alabama | $61,340 | -21.3% | $61,520 | 2,210 |
| Mississippi | $60,800 | -22% | $66,960 | 1,610 |