Respiratory Therapist Salary (2026), outlook and how to become one

Respiratory Therapists earn a median of $82,280 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 61% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $39.56/hr. The middle half earn between $74,520 and $98,730. The top 10% earn $118,050 or more.

The median hourly wage for respiratory therapists is $39.56 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). On a full-year basis the $82,280 annual median works out to about $6,860 a month before tax.

BLS does not publish a starting salary. The nearest measure is the low end of the pay range: the lowest-paid 10% of respiratory therapists earn less than $63,660 a year and the bottom quarter less than $74,520 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). New workers often start near that end, but where a particular job starts depends on the employer, the state and the credentials you bring, so read these as the bottom of the range rather than a guaranteed entry wage.

A minority do. $100,000 sits between the 75th percentile ($98,730) and the 90th ($118,050), so roughly 10% to 25% of respiratory therapists earn more than that (BLS OEWS, May 2025). In 7 states the median itself is above $100,000: District of Columbia ($111,950), New York ($107,810), California ($104,820), Massachusetts ($102,170), and 3 more.

The highest state medians for Respiratory Therapists are District of Columbia ($111,950), New York ($107,810), California ($104,820) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

BLS does not split respiratory therapists' pay by specialty or employer, but its range shows how far the top end runs: the highest-paid 10% earn more than $118,050, against a median of $82,280 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Location moves pay the most in the published data: the best-paying states are District of Columbia ($111,950), New York ($107,810), California ($104,820). BLS also counts a specialty career inside this occupation (ECMO specialist), which shares its federal pay figures.

Usually a two-year degree rather than a four-year one. BLS lists an associate's degree as the typical entry-level education for Respiratory Therapists.

Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 8.5% over 2025–2035, more than double the 3.5% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 8,600 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.

Respiratory therapists care for patients who have trouble breathing, for example, because of conditions such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A core O*NET task: monitor patient's physiological responses to therapy, such as vital signs, arterial blood gases, or blood chemistry changes, and consult with physician if adverse reactions occur. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Medical software, Office suite software.

A 40-hour week is the most common pattern, though not a majority. In O*NET's survey of people in the job, 0% of respiratory therapists usually work more than 40 hours a week, 15% work exactly 40 and 0% work fewer. 0% say their schedule is regular and 0% irregular. Source: O*NET 31.0 Database, Work Context.

O*NET scores Respiratory Therapists highest on the Realistic, Social and Investigative interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with teaching, helping and working directly with other people. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISFJ, ISTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.

2 years. An associate degree is the typical entry qualification; some employers prefer a bachelor's degree, and CoARC also accredits entry-into-practice programs at baccalaureate and master's level.

Yes, and it is issued by the state you work in, not nationally. Alaska is the exception: every other state requires a license, and in Alaska national certification is recommended rather than mandated. All 49 regulating states build licensure on the NBRC credential, but they differ in whether they accept the CRT or want the RRT, and in their renewal and continuing-education rules. Separately, some employers require the RRT before hiring or within a set period on the job.

The TMC (Therapist Multiple-Choice Examination), the CSE (Clinical Simulation Examination), the RT Examination (Respiratory Therapy Examination). 160 multiple-choice items over three hours, taken after graduating from a CoARC program. It has two cut scores: the low cut score earns the CRT credential, and the high cut score earns the CRT and makes you eligible for the Clinical Simulation Examination.

Women make up 65.2% of respiratory therapists, against 47.1% of all employed people: more women than in the workforce as a whole. 24.7% are 55 or older, close to the 23.2% across all jobs. The median worker is 44.4 years old (all workers: 42.1). Source: BLS Current Population Survey, 2025 annual averages.