278 metro areas
Respiratory Therapist Salary by City (2026)
Respiratory therapists earn the most in San Jose, CA, an average of $146,490 a year, against $87,300 nationally. After local prices, pay goes furthest in San Jose, CA ($132,660 in national-average dollars). Every metro area with its own BLS estimate is ranked below.
- US average (mean)
- $87,300BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Highest-paying city
- $146,490San Jose, CA
- Best after cost of living
- $132,660San Jose, CA
- Metro areas
- 278With their own estimate
Top cities
Highest-paying cities for respiratory therapists
Top 10 metro areas
- San Jose, CA$146,490
- Santa Cruz, CA$133,520
- Vallejo, CA$133,520
- San Francisco, CA$128,480
- Sacramento, CA$124,400
- Santa Rosa, CA$120,450
- Napa, CA$115,630
- New York, NY-NJ$113,400
- Bridgeport, CT$109,390
- Stockton, CA$109,200
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $146,490 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $133,520 |
| Vallejo, CA | $133,520 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $128,480 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $124,400 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $120,450 |
| Napa, CA | $115,630 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $113,400 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $109,390 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $109,200 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Mean wage ÷ BEA price level
- San Jose, CA$146,490 nominal$132,660
- Vallejo, CA$133,520 nominal$123,080
- Santa Cruz, CA$133,520 nominal$121,500
- Sacramento, CA$124,400 nominal$116,620
- Santa Rosa, CA$120,450 nominal$111,750
- San Francisco, CA$128,480 nominal$111,130
- Rochester, MN$100,090 nominal$110,210
- Merced, CA$106,660 nominal$108,530
- Binghamton, NY$100,030 nominal$107,720
- Redding, CA$108,260 nominal$107,520
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $132,660 |
| Vallejo, CA | $123,080 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $121,500 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $116,620 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $111,750 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $111,130 |
| Rochester, MN | $110,210 |
| Merced, CA | $108,530 |
| Binghamton, NY | $107,720 |
| Redding, CA | $107,520 |
Source: BLS OEWS 2025 · BEA RPP 2024
Every city
Respiratory Therapist salary in every metro area
Mean annual wage, with the Department of Labor's entry (Level I) and experienced (Level IV) prevailing-wage benchmarks for the same metro, and the mean at national-average prices. Sorted by mean pay.
| # | Metro area | Mean | Entry (Level I) | Experienced (Level IV) | At US prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | $146,490 | $114,110 | $162,450 | $132,660 |
| 2 | Santa Cruz, CA | $133,520 | $96,600 | $151,690 | $121,500 |
| 3 | Vallejo, CA | $133,520 | $109,350 | $145,410 | $123,080 |
| 4 | San Francisco, CA | $128,480 | $97,760 | $143,620 | $111,130 |
| 5 | Sacramento, CA | $124,400 | $94,540 | $139,130 | $116,620 |
| 6 | Santa Rosa, CA | $120,450 | $95,680 | $132,640 | $111,750 |
| 7 | Napa, CA | $115,630 | $92,980 | $126,780 | $102,730 |
| 8 | New York, NY-NJ | $113,400 | $91,420 | $124,220 | $100,740 |
| 9 | Bridgeport, CT | $109,390 | $81,180 | $123,280 | $102,360 |
| 10 | Stockton, CA | $109,200 | $88,440 | $119,410 | $103,910 |
| 11 | Santa Maria, CA | $109,100 | $87,360 | $119,810 | $100,280 |
| 12 | Redding, CA | $108,260 | $80,330 | $122,030 | $107,520 |
| 13 | San Luis Obispo, CA | $108,010 | $83,510 | $120,100 | $99,460 |
| 14 | Modesto, CA | $107,680 | $84,880 | $118,910 | $103,430 |
| 15 | Salem, OR | $107,350 | $94,930 | $113,460 | $103,570 |
| 16 | Kiryas Joel, NY | $106,910 | $92,040 | $114,230 | $97,700 |
| 17 | Merced, CA | $106,660 | $80,450 | $119,560 | $108,530 |
| 18 | Oxnard, CA | $105,790 | $80,890 | $118,040 | $95,710 |
| 19 | San Diego, CA | $105,750 | $83,140 | $116,880 | $94,520 |
| 20 | Boston, MA-NH | $104,620 | $87,170 | $113,210 | $96,630 |
| 21 | Kingston, NY | $103,730 | $85,880 | $112,530 | $103,000 |
| 22 | Seattle, WA | $103,190 | $80,830 | $114,210 | $92,850 |
| 23 | Atlantic City, NJ | $103,000 | $87,550 | $110,610 | $104,190 |
| 24 | Los Angeles, CA | $102,560 | $77,580 | $114,880 | $90,310 |
| 25 | Medford, OR | $102,540 | $86,880 | $110,260 | $101,090 |
| 26 | Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV | $100,440 | $81,330 | $109,870 | $92,240 |
| 27 | Rochester, MN | $100,090 | $88,520 | $105,790 | $110,210 |
| 28 | Binghamton, NY | $100,030 | $84,720 | $107,560 | $107,720 |
| 29 | Minneapolis, MN-WI | $99,670 | $84,680 | $107,080 | $95,090 |
| 30 | Bakersfield, CA | $98,860 | $74,610 | $110,800 | $97,990 |
| 31 | Riverside, CA | $98,200 | $75,800 | $109,240 | $92,260 |
| 32 | Portland, OR-WA | $98,160 | $82,080 | $106,080 | $93,110 |
| 33 | Worcester, MA | $97,700 | $82,800 | $105,020 | $95,300 |
| 34 | Reno, NV | $94,970 | $74,840 | $104,890 | $94,020 |
| 35 | Atlanta, GA | $94,720 | $74,590 | $104,640 | $94,670 |
| 36 | Anchorage, AK | $94,490 | $79,520 | $101,880 | $89,630 |
| 37 | Kennewick, WA | $94,040 | $77,600 | $102,150 | $93,970 |
| 38 | Rome, GA | $93,330 | $69,260 | $105,190 | $103,510 |
| 39 | Boulder, CO | $93,160 | $75,400 | $101,900 | $88,550 |
| 40 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $92,960 | $82,390 | $98,160 | $83,780 |
| 41 | New Haven, CT | $92,520 | $77,940 | $99,690 | $88,490 |
| 42 | Manchester, NH | $92,060 | $76,290 | $99,820 | $87,130 |
| 43 | Utica, NY | $91,640 | $75,730 | $99,490 | $98,880 |
| 44 | Fresno, CA | $91,620 | $73,690 | $100,460 | $89,680 |
| 45 | Providence, RI-MA | $91,210 | $75,730 | $98,840 | $89,620 |
| 46 | Waterbury, CT | $91,020 | $73,940 | $99,440 | $91,220 |
| 47 | Montgomery, AL | $90,560 | $59,010 | $106,100 | $100,980 |
| 48 | Milwaukee, WI | $90,420 | $77,250 | $96,910 | $93,280 |
| 49 | Eugene, OR | $90,330 | $78,310 | $96,260 | $88,940 |
| 50 | Colorado Springs, CO | $89,920 | $73,300 | $98,090 | $89,290 |
| 51 | Syracuse, NY | $89,860 | $75,940 | $96,720 | $93,860 |
| 52 | Baltimore, MD | $89,340 | $74,900 | $96,450 | $85,500 |
| 53 | Hartford, CT | $89,290 | $73,340 | $97,160 | $86,900 |
| 54 | Las Vegas, NV | $89,190 | $68,470 | $99,400 | $89,000 |
| 55 | Albany, NY | $88,710 | $75,960 | $94,990 | $89,100 |
| 56 | Buffalo, NY | $88,460 | $74,010 | $95,580 | $92,300 |
| 57 | Chicago, IL-IN | $88,400 | $74,150 | $95,430 | $85,330 |
| 58 | Denver, CO | $88,360 | $70,240 | $97,280 | $83,530 |
| 59 | Racine, WI | $88,000 | $78,420 | $92,730 | $91,700 |
| 60 | Reading, PA | $88,000 | $72,320 | $95,720 | $90,670 |
| 61 | Appleton, WI | $87,710 | $75,400 | $93,770 | $94,900 |
| 62 | Norwich, CT | $87,440 | $76,420 | $92,870 | $87,050 |
| 63 | Rochester, NY | $87,420 | $73,440 | $94,290 | $90,090 |
| 64 | Hickory, NC | $87,380 | $66,310 | $97,740 | $98,750 |
| 65 | Springfield, MA | $87,280 | $77,360 | $92,160 | $90,860 |
| 66 | Philadelphia, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $87,190 | $69,870 | $95,740 | $85,020 |
| 67 | Longview, TX | $87,010 | $68,040 | $96,370 | $97,230 |
| 68 | Dallas, TX | $86,670 | $72,760 | $93,540 | $84,070 |
| 69 | Virginia Beach, VA-NC | $86,650 | $73,340 | $93,200 | $88,470 |
| 70 | Visalia, CA | $86,630 | $71,660 | $94,020 | $86,780 |
| 71 | Duluth, MN-WI | $86,400 | $73,880 | $92,580 | $97,330 |
| 72 | Madison, WI | $86,260 | $73,170 | $92,710 | $88,670 |
| 73 | Grand Junction, CO | $85,900 | $71,160 | $93,180 | $89,970 |
| 74 | Raleigh, NC | $85,900 | $68,220 | $94,620 | $87,510 |
| 75 | Richmond, VA | $85,780 | $72,510 | $92,310 | $87,660 |
| 76 | Portland, ME | $85,720 | $68,740 | $94,080 | $84,160 |
| 77 | Charlottesville, VA | $85,650 | $71,450 | $92,660 | $86,390 |
| 78 | Charlotte, NC-SC | $85,490 | $69,870 | $93,160 | $87,820 |
| 79 | Austin, TX | $85,360 | $71,510 | $92,210 | $87,040 |
| 80 | Columbus, OH | $85,070 | $72,360 | $91,330 | $89,110 |
| 81 | Fort Collins, CO | $85,010 | $69,640 | $92,580 | $84,060 |
| 82 | Toledo, OH | $85,010 | $71,320 | $91,770 | $92,950 |
| 83 | Tampa, FL | $84,510 | $70,320 | $91,520 | $83,760 |
| 84 | Prescott Valley, AZ | $84,490 | $73,030 | $90,150 | $85,990 |
| 85 | Cape Coral, FL | $84,450 | $71,180 | $90,980 | $82,510 |
| 86 | Dover, DE | $84,430 | $74,420 | $89,360 | $86,590 |
| 87 | Miami, FL | $84,390 | $67,390 | $92,750 | $73,930 |
| 88 | Janesville, WI | $84,180 | $74,670 | $88,860 | $89,840 |
| 89 | Kankakee, IL | $84,180 | $72,840 | $89,750 | $87,330 |
| 90 | Lakeland, FL | $83,870 | $72,130 | $89,630 | $86,340 |
| 91 | Pueblo, CO | $83,870 | $69,160 | $91,100 | $91,400 |
| 92 | Pensacola, FL | $83,800 | $66,680 | $92,230 | $85,760 |
| 93 | Eau Claire, WI | $83,320 | $69,410 | $90,170 | $89,790 |
| 94 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $83,220 | $68,890 | $90,270 | $87,260 |
| 95 | Bismarck, ND | $83,200 | $65,100 | $92,120 | $91,400 |
| 96 | Michigan City, IN | $83,140 | $70,990 | $89,130 | $90,680 |
| 97 | Macon, GA | $83,120 | $67,310 | $90,900 | $93,890 |
| 98 | Green Bay, WI | $83,010 | $72,200 | $88,360 | $89,180 |
| 99 | Athens, GA | $82,600 | $67,160 | $90,190 | $88,490 |
| 100 | Provo, UT | $82,450 | $68,720 | $89,210 | $83,930 |
| 101 | Fargo, ND-MN | $82,350 | $64,810 | $91,000 | $90,620 |
| 102 | Cleveland, OH | $82,140 | $71,700 | $87,280 | $87,450 |
| 103 | Sebastian, FL | $82,080 | $72,320 | $86,880 | $83,490 |
| 104 | Lincoln, NE | $81,930 | $71,430 | $87,110 | $89,460 |
| 105 | Springfield, IL | $81,810 | $65,020 | $90,080 | $88,210 |
| 106 | Phoenix, AZ | $81,700 | $67,270 | $88,840 | $79,080 |
| 107 | Winston, NC | $81,540 | $67,140 | $88,630 | $88,590 |
| 108 | Allentown, PA-NJ | $81,430 | $66,500 | $88,800 | $81,460 |
| 109 | North Port, FL | $81,430 | $70,280 | $86,940 | $79,510 |
| 110 | Orlando, FL | $81,430 | $66,390 | $88,840 | $80,290 |
| 111 | Port St. Lucie, FL | $81,410 | $68,620 | $87,690 | $81,220 |
| 112 | Dayton, OH | $81,370 | $67,270 | $88,340 | $87,780 |
| 113 | Monroe, MI | $81,290 | $65,920 | $88,860 | $86,950 |
| 114 | Charleston, SC | $81,270 | $67,790 | $87,920 | $80,500 |
| 115 | Greensboro, NC | $81,240 | $68,020 | $87,760 | $87,480 |
| 116 | Houston, TX | $81,160 | $62,280 | $90,480 | $82,290 |
| 117 | Ogden, UT | $81,080 | $68,740 | $87,150 | $80,800 |
| 118 | Ann Arbor, MI | $80,850 | $70,700 | $85,820 | $80,140 |
| 119 | Akron, OH | $80,810 | $69,830 | $86,220 | $86,550 |
| 120 | Champaign, IL | $80,720 | $64,190 | $88,860 | $87,070 |
| 121 | Asheville, NC | $80,680 | $68,160 | $86,840 | $83,600 |
| 122 | Tallahassee, FL | $80,520 | $59,260 | $91,000 | $85,730 |
| 123 | Jacksonville, FL | $80,430 | $68,850 | $86,130 | $80,850 |
| 124 | Augusta, GA-SC | $80,410 | $66,250 | $87,380 | $87,490 |
| 125 | Detroit, MI | $80,370 | $68,870 | $86,030 | $80,130 |
| 126 | Chambersburg, PA | $80,230 | $57,080 | $91,620 | $84,770 |
| 127 | Indianapolis, IN | $80,120 | $66,120 | $87,030 | $83,720 |
| 128 | Kenosha, WI | $80,000 | $69,410 | $85,220 | $79,120 |
| 129 | Omaha, NE-IA | $79,930 | $65,440 | $87,090 | $86,960 |
| 130 | Wilmington, NC | $79,910 | $64,690 | $87,400 | $82,880 |
| 131 | Deltona, FL | $79,870 | $64,580 | $87,400 | $80,380 |
| 132 | Bloomington, IL | $79,850 | $59,490 | $89,880 | $85,370 |
| 133 | Salt Lake City, UT | $79,850 | $54,950 | $92,100 | $79,160 |
| 134 | Evansville, IN | $79,770 | $67,890 | $85,630 | $87,150 |
| 135 | Fayetteville, NC | $79,770 | $63,840 | $87,630 | $86,730 |
| 136 | Bloomington, IN | $79,600 | $68,700 | $84,950 | $83,720 |
| 137 | Hammond, LA | $79,600 | $65,870 | $86,380 | $94,250 |
| 138 | Albany, GA | $79,580 | $65,540 | $86,510 | $90,770 |
| 139 | Bangor, ME | $79,500 | $68,740 | $84,780 | $82,380 |
| 140 | York, PA | $79,460 | $66,290 | $85,950 | $82,770 |
| 141 | Nashville, TN | $79,370 | $66,250 | $85,840 | $82,390 |
| 142 | Lynchburg, VA | $79,330 | $68,950 | $84,430 | $88,770 |
| 143 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $79,310 | $63,400 | $87,150 | $85,700 |
| 144 | Lake Havasu City, AZ | $79,140 | $70,600 | $83,370 | $84,100 |
| 145 | Hagerstown, MD-WV | $79,120 | $68,180 | $84,510 | $84,020 |
| 146 | San Antonio, TX | $79,120 | $63,710 | $86,720 | $83,530 |
| 147 | Rockford, IL | $79,080 | $63,070 | $86,990 | $85,810 |
| 148 | Canton, OH | $79,020 | $66,460 | $85,200 | $88,380 |
| 149 | Oklahoma City, OK | $78,890 | $65,810 | $85,340 | $87,260 |
| 150 | Jackson, MS | $78,830 | $57,760 | $89,190 | $88,530 |
| 151 | Roanoke, VA | $78,810 | $67,310 | $84,470 | $84,180 |
| 152 | Lafayette, IN | $78,790 | $66,770 | $84,700 | $84,330 |
| 153 | Billings, MT | $78,770 | $66,120 | $85,010 | $84,220 |
| 154 | Palm Bay, FL | $78,730 | $66,910 | $84,530 | $78,730 |
| 155 | Lexington, KY | $78,710 | $63,750 | $86,070 | $84,740 |
| 156 | Battle Creek, MI | $78,620 | $66,210 | $84,740 | $86,830 |
| 157 | Twin Falls, ID | $78,620 | $64,170 | $85,760 | $85,360 |
| 158 | Lancaster, PA | $78,520 | $64,080 | $85,630 | $79,910 |
| 159 | Springfield, OH | $78,480 | $73,740 | $80,810 | $86,740 |
| 160 | Boise City, ID | $78,370 | $65,640 | $84,640 | $79,650 |
| 161 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $78,310 | $62,860 | $85,900 | $82,360 |
| 162 | Williamsport, PA | $78,310 | $68,240 | $83,260 | $84,800 |
| 163 | Enid, OK | $78,060 | $63,170 | $85,380 | $92,630 |
| 164 | Sierra Vista, AZ | $78,060 | $64,880 | $84,550 | $87,470 |
| 165 | Yuma, AZ | $78,040 | $62,360 | $85,760 | $84,180 |
| 166 | Waco, TX | $78,020 | $65,400 | $84,240 | $84,300 |
| 167 | Tulsa, OK | $77,960 | $64,600 | $84,530 | $87,390 |
| 168 | Tucson, AZ | $77,920 | $65,080 | $84,220 | $80,420 |
| 169 | Lima, OH | $77,830 | $68,080 | $82,640 | $86,800 |
| 170 | Peoria, IL | $77,810 | $63,540 | $84,840 | $85,290 |
| 171 | Killeen, TX | $77,790 | $65,190 | $84,010 | $85,360 |
| 172 | Beaumont, TX | $77,770 | $62,710 | $85,200 | $86,370 |
| 173 | Fayetteville, AR | $77,770 | $64,920 | $84,120 | $85,130 |
| 174 | Amarillo, TX | $77,710 | $59,400 | $86,740 | $84,630 |
| 175 | Gainesville, FL | $77,420 | $66,620 | $82,740 | $80,030 |
| 176 | Baton Rouge, LA | $77,230 | $61,510 | $84,990 | $85,070 |
| 177 | Greenville, NC | $77,110 | $67,100 | $82,040 | $87,230 |
| 178 | Columbus, GA-AL | $76,840 | $62,480 | $83,890 | $86,050 |
| 179 | South Bend, IN-MI | $76,770 | $62,880 | $83,640 | $82,670 |
| 180 | Harrisburg, PA | $76,690 | $62,960 | $83,470 | $77,740 |
| 181 | Iowa City, IA | $76,690 | $65,500 | $82,220 | $83,810 |
| 182 | Missoula, MT | $76,650 | $61,920 | $83,910 | $79,480 |
| 183 | Texarkana, TX-AR | $76,560 | $61,630 | $83,910 | $91,130 |
| 184 | New Orleans, LA | $76,520 | $62,940 | $83,200 | $82,640 |
| 185 | Savannah, GA | $76,440 | $66,910 | $81,140 | $80,290 |
| 186 | Greenville, SC | $76,400 | $65,980 | $81,520 | $81,920 |
| 187 | Lansing, MI | $76,400 | $66,040 | $81,520 | $80,430 |
| 188 | Grand Rapids, MI | $76,230 | $64,730 | $81,910 | $79,780 |
| 189 | Clarksville, TN-KY | $76,110 | $60,990 | $83,550 | $83,690 |
| 190 | Crestview, FL | $75,920 | $63,480 | $82,060 | $78,240 |
| 191 | Flint, MI | $75,800 | $65,620 | $80,810 | $81,480 |
| 192 | Lubbock, TX | $75,770 | $63,560 | $81,810 | $82,970 |
| 193 | San Angelo, TX | $75,730 | $61,780 | $82,600 | $81,910 |
| 194 | Mobile, AL | $75,710 | $63,500 | $81,720 | $85,940 |
| 195 | Lafayette, LA | $75,670 | $61,480 | $82,660 | $86,770 |
| 196 | Corpus Christi, TX | $75,630 | $60,900 | $82,890 | $81,610 |
| 197 | Youngstown, OH | $75,610 | $68,720 | $79,000 | $86,520 |
| 198 | Tyler, TX | $75,460 | $61,710 | $82,220 | $81,880 |
| 199 | El Paso, TX | $75,440 | $59,820 | $83,120 | $83,900 |
| 200 | Columbia, SC | $75,320 | $63,150 | $81,310 | $80,420 |
| 201 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $75,300 | $62,820 | $81,430 | $80,900 |
| 202 | Midland, TX | $75,150 | $60,420 | $82,410 | $78,460 |
| 203 | Little Rock, AR | $74,730 | $60,400 | $81,810 | $83,620 |
| 204 | Topeka, KS | $74,530 | $58,640 | $82,350 | $83,910 |
| 205 | Scranton, PA | $74,400 | $58,880 | $82,060 | $79,520 |
| 206 | Charleston, WV | $74,320 | $60,820 | $80,970 | $83,770 |
| 207 | Abilene, TX | $74,300 | $58,640 | $82,010 | $82,220 |
| 208 | Myrtle Beach, SC | $74,300 | $62,980 | $79,850 | $79,340 |
| 209 | Shreveport, LA | $74,300 | $62,570 | $80,080 | $87,650 |
| 210 | Des Moines, IA | $74,050 | $62,440 | $79,770 | $80,750 |
| 211 | Slidell, LA | $74,050 | $63,130 | $79,410 | $79,860 |
| 212 | Rocky Mount, NC | $74,030 | $61,170 | $80,350 | $84,110 |
| 213 | Jefferson City, MO | $73,900 | $61,480 | $80,020 | $84,000 |
| 214 | Homosassa Springs, FL | $73,880 | $59,760 | $80,850 | $79,040 |
| 215 | Sherman, TX | $73,820 | $64,310 | $78,500 | $78,720 |
| 216 | Fort Smith, AR-OK | $73,570 | $62,070 | $79,230 | $85,660 |
| 217 | Columbia, MO | $73,550 | $61,940 | $79,270 | $82,240 |
| 218 | Springfield, MO | $73,470 | $62,280 | $78,980 | $82,940 |
| 219 | Victoria, TX | $73,340 | $61,130 | $79,350 | $81,630 |
| 220 | Alexandria, LA | $73,300 | $60,070 | $79,810 | $85,540 |
| 221 | Fort Wayne, IN | $73,220 | $59,430 | $80,000 | $79,100 |
| 222 | Monroe, LA | $73,220 | $59,340 | $80,040 | $87,590 |
| 223 | Florence, SC | $73,110 | $60,650 | $79,250 | $84,250 |
| 224 | Elizabethtown, KY | $73,050 | $62,230 | $78,370 | $80,650 |
| 225 | Paducah, KY-IL | $73,050 | $59,650 | $79,640 | $84,860 |
| 226 | Spartanburg, SC | $72,950 | $65,120 | $76,790 | $80,120 |
| 227 | Albuquerque, NM | $72,820 | $62,440 | $77,920 | $76,210 |
| 228 | Pittsburgh, PA | $72,820 | $60,030 | $79,120 | $76,920 |
| 229 | Kalamazoo, MI | $72,800 | $59,110 | $79,540 | $76,760 |
| 230 | Warner Robins, GA | $72,800 | $61,650 | $78,290 | $77,620 |
| 231 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $72,610 | $60,720 | $78,460 | $79,390 |
| 232 | Lake Charles, LA | $72,550 | $59,680 | $78,870 | $84,510 |
| 233 | Panama City, FL | $72,450 | $60,150 | $78,500 | $74,460 |
| 234 | Casper, WY | $72,130 | $63,920 | $76,170 | $76,870 |
| 235 | St. Joseph, MO-KS | $72,010 | $58,340 | $78,750 | $83,360 |
| 236 | Wichita, KS | $71,860 | $61,610 | $76,900 | $80,790 |
| 237 | Davenport, IA-IL | $71,760 | $62,190 | $76,480 | $80,560 |
| 238 | Daphne, AL | $71,660 | $62,840 | $76,000 | $75,680 |
| 239 | Pocatello, ID | $71,530 | $61,260 | $76,590 | $80,460 |
| 240 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $71,510 | $59,680 | $77,330 | $77,580 |
| 241 | Huntington, WV-KY-OH | $71,260 | $58,360 | $77,600 | $80,590 |
| 242 | Mansfield, OH | $71,200 | $57,320 | $78,040 | $80,120 |
| 243 | Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | $70,820 | $60,550 | $75,880 | $82,270 |
| 244 | State College, PA | $70,700 | $56,430 | $77,730 | $73,070 |
| 245 | Dubuque, IA | $70,620 | $62,070 | $74,820 | $80,870 |
| 246 | Anniston, AL | $70,530 | $57,470 | $76,960 | $82,060 |
| 247 | Bowling Green, KY | $70,240 | $60,260 | $75,150 | $77,890 |
| 248 | Weirton, WV-OH | $70,200 | $58,970 | $75,710 | $78,860 |
| 249 | Kingsport, TN-VA | $70,180 | $58,140 | $76,130 | $81,180 |
| 250 | Sandusky, OH | $69,970 | $58,950 | $75,420 | $78,370 |
| 251 | Gulfport, MS | $69,830 | $54,450 | $77,400 | $77,580 |
| 252 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $69,680 | $61,760 | $73,570 | $78,320 |
| 253 | Beckley, WV | $69,510 | $59,590 | $74,400 | $78,660 |
| 254 | Brownsville, TX | $69,430 | $59,570 | $74,300 | $80,760 |
| 255 | Waterloo, IA | $68,760 | $59,160 | $73,490 | $78,980 |
| 256 | Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | $68,580 | $62,090 | $71,780 | $79,330 |
| 257 | Joplin, MO-KS | $68,520 | $58,160 | $73,610 | $79,940 |
| 258 | Las Cruces, NM | $68,490 | $58,450 | $73,420 | $75,920 |
| 259 | Valdosta, GA | $68,240 | $57,760 | $73,420 | $77,310 |
| 260 | McAllen, TX | $67,950 | $59,110 | $72,320 | $79,110 |
| 261 | Farmington, NM | $67,770 | $60,550 | $71,320 | $77,270 |
| 262 | Altoona, PA | $67,660 | $53,540 | $74,630 | $75,590 |
| 263 | Birmingham, AL | $67,660 | $53,600 | $74,570 | $73,830 |
| 264 | Knoxville, TN | $67,600 | $57,160 | $72,760 | $73,030 |
| 265 | Houma, LA | $67,560 | $54,770 | $73,880 | $79,390 |
| 266 | Erie, PA | $67,480 | $55,740 | $73,240 | $74,190 |
| 267 | Huntsville, AL | $67,020 | $50,880 | $74,960 | $72,010 |
| 268 | Johnstown, PA | $67,000 | $50,150 | $75,300 | $77,970 |
| 269 | Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $65,640 | $47,760 | $74,460 | $72,430 |
| 270 | Gadsden, AL | $64,980 | $49,070 | $72,820 | $75,860 |
| 271 | Jackson, TN | $64,290 | $52,270 | $70,220 | $75,170 |
| 272 | Tuscaloosa, AL | $62,210 | $51,520 | $67,480 | $70,920 |
| 273 | Jacksonville, NC | $60,360 | $50,770 | $65,080 | $65,550 |
| 274 | Dothan, AL | $59,300 | $46,990 | $65,350 | $70,740 |
| 275 | Hattiesburg, MS | $58,510 | $47,360 | $64,000 | $66,770 |
| 276 | San Juan, PR | $52,600 | $30,450 | $63,500 | N/A |
| 277 | Mayaguez, PR | $44,180 | $26,520 | $52,870 | N/A |
| 278 | Ponce, PR | $41,410 | $24,210 | $49,860 | N/A |
More
More on respiratory therapists
Method
About these numbers
- Mean wages are BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2025 estimates for each metropolitan statistical area, as published in the Department of Labor’s 2026–27 OFLC prevailing-wage file. Only metros with their own BLS estimate are listed.
- Entry (Level I) and experienced (Level IV) are the Department of Labor’s prevailing-wage levels for the occupation in that metro, used for employer visa filings. They are benchmarks from the same OEWS survey, not percentiles.
- OEWS top-codes wages at $115 an hour ($239,200 a year); top-coded means are shown as "$239,200+" and left out of rankings.
- At US prices divides the mean by the metro’s BEA Regional Price Parity (2024) over 100, a NueCareer calculation.
Questions
Respiratory Therapist salary by city: FAQ
Which city pays respiratory therapists the most?
San Jose, CA, where the average (mean) wage is $146,490 a year, followed by Santa Cruz, CA ($133,520), Vallejo, CA ($133,520), San Francisco, CA ($128,480). The national mean is $87,300 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do respiratory therapists earn the most after cost of living?
Divided by each metro's BEA price level, pay goes furthest in San Jose, CA ($132,660 at national prices, $146,490 nominal), Vallejo, CA ($123,080 at national prices, $133,520 nominal), Santa Cruz, CA ($121,500 at national prices, $133,520 nominal).
How much do respiratory therapists make in the biggest cities?
New York, NY-NJ: $113,400; Los Angeles, CA: $102,560; Chicago, IL-IN: $88,400; Dallas, TX: $86,670; Houston, TX: $81,160 (mean annual wage, BLS OEWS May 2025).
Where do respiratory therapists earn the least?
Of the 278 metro areas with their own estimate, Ponce, PR has the lowest mean wage, $41,410.