Respiratory Therapists
Respiratory Therapists earn an average annual salary of $109,692, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. The field has seen strong growth, with employment increasing by 18.3% over recent years. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Hospitals and General Medical and Surgical Hospitals.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Respiratory Therapists workforce.
Employment Over Time
18,310 Workforce in 2023
The Respiratory Therapists workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Respiratory Therapists.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$109,692 Average Wage
In 2023, Respiratory Therapists earned an average of $109,692.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Respiratory Therapists.
Salary distribution for Respiratory Therapists.
Employment Growth Projections
2.9% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
82,301 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 15.1%
94,735 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 32.5%
This occupation is projected to grow at 2.9% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Respiratory Therapists.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Respiratory Therapists and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Respiratory Therapists employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Respiratory Therapists.
Wage Trends by Industry
10.9% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Respiratory Therapists.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Respiratory Therapists.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 17,190 employees, $110,089 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Respiratory Therapists.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 4,390 employees, $105,675 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 2,620 employees, $104,287 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 2,210 employees, $96,010 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 1,430 employees, $104,351 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 1,110 employees, $128,011 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 1,070 employees, $120,344 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 950 employees, $144,472 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 730 employees, $132,187 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 580 employees, $96,698 avg wage
- Stockton-Lodi MSA: 390 employees, $105,594 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Respiratory Therapists.
Diversity
Demographic information on Respiratory Therapists in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Respiratory Therapists in 2023 was 18,310 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Respiratory Therapists.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Respiratory Therapists.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Respiratory Therapists.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Respiratory Therapists in 2023 were Health Sciences, Biology, Chemistry.
Common majors for Respiratory Therapists.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Respiratory Therapists workers.
Education level distribution for Respiratory Therapists.
Skills
Respiratory Therapists need many skills, but most especially Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Speaking, Active Learning.
Required skills for Respiratory Therapists.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Respiratory Therapists.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Respiratory Therapists include Customer and Personal Service, Medicine and Dentistry, English Language, Education and Training, Psychology.
Knowledge areas required for Respiratory Therapists.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Respiratory Therapists include Inductive Reasoning, Problem Sensitivity, Oral Expression, Deductive Reasoning, Oral Comprehension.
Required abilities for Respiratory Therapists.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Respiratory Therapists.
Daily Activities
Respiratory Therapists spend their time on activities such as Documenting/Recording Information, Assisting and Caring for Others, Getting Information, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge.
Most important work activities for Respiratory Therapists.
About
Respiratory Therapists
The average yearly wage for Respiratory Therapists was $109,692 in 2023.
SOC Code
29-1126 - Respiratory Therapists
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Respiratory Therapists reports an average salary of $109,692, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 18,310 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 2.9%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.