Respiratory Therapists Salary: $80,450 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 136,420 respiratory therapists work nationally, and $80,450 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown rose about 18% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 2.9% annual growth.
Respiratory Therapists: what the data shows
Common questions about respiratory therapists careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a respiratory therapists?
Respiratory Therapists is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 29-1126.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 136,420 workers.
What does a respiratory therapists do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Documenting/Recording Information, Assisting and Caring for Others, Getting Information, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a respiratory therapists make?
BLS national median annual wage: $80,450 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $109,692 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $80,274 |
| 25th percentile | $93,206 |
| Median (50th) | $104,895 |
| 75th percentile | $129,188 |
| 90th percentile | $141,750 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Speaking, Active Learning, Social Perceptiveness, and knowledge areas including Customer and Personal Service, Medicine and Dentistry, English Language, Education and Training. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is respiratory therapists in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 2.9% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 15.1%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 32.5%.
Current U.S. headcount: 136,420.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do respiratory therapistss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hospitals | 218,200 | 23.6% |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 202,030 | 21.9% |
| Cross-industry | 136,420 | 14.8% |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 126,950 | 13.7% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 120,220 | 13.0% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 16,200 | 1.8% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Respiratory Therapists in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Biological Scientists, All Other | 59,710 | $93,330 |
| Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists | — | — |
| Veterinarians | 80,630 | $125,510 |
| Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health | 84,930 | $80,060 |
| Veterinary Technologists and Technicians | 131,320 | $45,980 |
| Occupational Therapy Assistants | 47,910 | $68,340 |
| Occupational Therapy Aides | 5,000 | $37,370 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Respiratory Therapists workforce.
Employment Over Time
136,420 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Respiratory Therapists grew from 45,580 in 2009 to 71,500 in 2025 (56.9%).
Historical employment for Respiratory Therapists from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$80,450 Median pay (BLS national)
Respiratory Therapists earn $80,450 as the BLS national median annual wage.
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.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 18,310 employees, $106,790 avg wage
- TX: 11,860 employees, $78,150 avg wage
- FL: 8,840 employees, $81,310 avg wage
- NY: 6,780 employees, $105,740 avg wage
- OH: 6,460 employees, $78,380 avg wage
- PA: 5,850 employees, $76,170 avg wage
- IL: 5,450 employees, $81,810 avg wage
- GA: 5,030 employees, $85,890 avg wage
- NC: 4,440 employees, $76,710 avg wage
- MI: 4,150 employees, $75,230 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Respiratory Therapists.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 7,010 employees, $102,370 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 6,570 employees, $109,720 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 4,040 employees, $85,480 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 3,380 employees, $78,850 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 2,950 employees, $84,070 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 2,740 employees, $86,250 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 2,660 employees, $93,410 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 2,450 employees, $83,530 avg wage
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ: 2,210 employees, $77,930 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA: 2,210 employees, $93,470 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 U.S. workforce for Respiratory Therapists is about 136,420 people in our OEWS extract.
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
Respiratory Therapists earn $80,450 as the BLS national median annual wage.
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 136,420 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.