How much does a Registered Respiratory Therapist make?

As of March 01, 2025, the average annual salary for a Registered Respiratory Therapist in the United States is $78,315. Salary.com reports that pay typically ranges from $71,155 to $85,143, with most professionals earning between $64,636 and $91,360.

Registered Respiratory Therapist Salaries by Percentile
Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $85,143 $7,095 $1,637 $41
Average $78,315 $6,526 $1,506 $38
25th Percentile $71,155 $5,930 $1,368 $34

Average Salary

25% $71,155 10% $64,636 90% $91,360 75% $85,143 $78,315 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click
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How much does a Registered Respiratory Therapist make by hour, week, month, and year?

Salary.com provides you with accurate and diversified Registered Respiratory Therapist salary data based on specialized databases to help you get a fairer salary. Click the switch button below to see more details about Registered Respiratory Therapist hourly pay, weekly pay, monthly pay and so on.

Last Updated on March 01, 2025
Last Updated on March 01, 2025

How Does Experience Level Affect a Registered Respiratory Therapist's Salary?

An entry-level Registered Respiratory Therapist with less than 1 year of experience earns about $74,591. With 1-2 years of experience, the average salary increases to $75,119. For 2-4 years of experience, the pay typically rises to $77,645. Senior-level professionals with 5-8 years of experience earn around $80,468, and those with over 8 years of experience can expect an average of $80,972.

Levels Salary
Entry Level Registered Respiratory Therapist $74,591
Intermediate Level Registered Respiratory Therapist $75,119
Senior Level Registered Respiratory Therapist $77,645
Specialist Level Registered Respiratory Therapist $80,468
Expert Level Registered Respiratory Therapist $80,972
$74,591 0 yr
$75,119 < 2 yrs
$77,645 2-4 yrs
$80,468 5-8 yrs
$80,972 > 8 yrs
Last Updated on March 01, 2025
Entry Level 5%
Mid Level 4%
Senior Level 1%
Top Level 3%
Experienced 3%
View as graph
Last Updated on March 01, 2025

How much does salary of Registered Respiratory Therapist vary from city to city?

Salaries in the United States can vary greatly between cities due to factors like cost of living, local economies, and industry presence.

For example, as of March 01, 2025:
  • In San Francisco, CA, the average yearly salary for a Registered Respiratory Therapist is $97,893.
  • In New York, NY, the average annual salary is $91,472.
  • In Boston, MA, a Registered Respiratory Therapist earns $87,791 per year.

What is the salary trend of Registered Respiratory Therapist?

As of March 01, 2025, our research reveals a significant shift in Registered Respiratory Therapist compensation over the past six years. For example, the median salary increased from $67,397 in 2023 to approximately $67,043 in 2024. (For a detailed analysis of Registered Respiratory Therapist salary trends, click here.)

Key factors like location, experience, industry demand, and economic growth significantly influence salary variations, making them important to consider.

Average Annual Salary of Registered Respiratory Therapist Over Time

2020
$???
2021
$???
2022
$???
$67,397
2023
$67,043
2024
$66,236
2025
2026
$???
Last Updated on March 01, 2025
2020
$???
2021
$???
2022
$???
2023
$67,397
2024
$67,043
2025
$66,236
2026
$???
Last Updated on March 01, 2025

Registered Respiratory Therapist Salary by Year

Year Average Annual Salary
2020 View More
2021 View More
2022 View More
2023 $67,397
2024 $67,043
2025 $66,236
2026 View More
Last Updated on March 01, 2025

Job Openings of Registered Respiratory Therapist

Salary.com job board provides millions of Registered Respiratory Therapist information for you to search for. Click on search button below to see Registered Respiratory Therapist job openings or enter a new job title here.

Most Common Benefits for Registered Respiratory Therapist

Based on HR-reported data: a national average with a geographic differential
Base Salary 71.8%
Bonuses 0.0%
Social Security 5.5%
401k/403b 3.5%
Disability 1.1%
Healthcare 5.8%
Pension 3.0%
Time Off 9.1%
Core Compensation
Core Compensation Median % of Total
Base Salary $78,315 71.8%
Bonus $54 0.0%
Value of Benefits
Core Compensation Median % of Total
Social Security $5,995 5.5%
401K/403B $3,840 3.5%
Disability $1,254 1.1%
Healthcare $6,371 5.8%
Pension $3,291 3.0%
Time Off $9,947 9.1%
Total Compensation $109,067 100%
Core Compensation is based on averages for this job and does not reflect personal factors used to determine your projected salary range.
Value of Benefits indicates the employer's expected contribution and paid time off.
Last Updated on March 01, 2025

What are the salaries of a Registered Respiratory Therapist with different levels of education?

Salaries for Registered Respiratory Therapist with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate

According to our 100% employer reported salary sources the median salary for a Registered Respiratory Therapist with a Associate's Degree is $73,746 - $77,645. Please try our salary wizard to explore how other factors like location, Years of experience and number of direct reports can impact your base pay and bonus.

Registered Respiratory Therapist Salaries by Degree Level

Last Updated on March 01, 2025
Typical Education for Registered Respiratory Therapist
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
High School 4.3%
Associates 64.0%
Bachelors 29.0%
Masters 2.4%
Doctorate 0.4%
Typical Education for Registered Respiratory Therapist
High School 4.3%
Associates 64.0%
Bachelors 29.0%
Masters 2.4%
Doctorate 0.4%
view as table

Registered Respiratory Therapist Salaries by Degree Level

Last Updated on March 01, 2025

What Am I Worth?

FAQ about Registered Respiratory Therapist

1. What is the average salary of a Registered Respiratory Therapist?

The average annual salary of Registered Respiratory Therapist is $78,315. In case you are finding an easy salary calculator, the average hourly pay of Registered Respiratory Therapist is $38; the average weekly pay of Registered Respiratory Therapist is $1,506; the average monthly pay of Registered Respiratory Therapist is $6,526.

2. Where can a Registered Respiratory Therapist earn the most?

A Registered Respiratory Therapist's earning potential can vary widely depending on several factors, including location, industry, experience, education, and the specific employer. According to the latest salary data by Salary.com, a Registered Respiratory Therapist earns the most in San Jose, CA, where the annual salary of a Registered Respiratory Therapist is $98,285.

3. What is the highest pay for Registered Respiratory Therapist?

The highest pay for Registered Respiratory Therapist is $91,360.

4. What is the lowest pay for Registered Respiratory Therapist?

The lowest pay for Registered Respiratory Therapist is $64,636.

5. What are the responsibilities of Registered Respiratory Therapist?

Registered Respiratory Therapist assists in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of patients with pulmonary disorders. Collects and analyzes sputum, blood, and breath specimens to determine levels of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and other gases. Being a Registered Respiratory Therapist also measures the lung capacity of a patient to determine if there is impaired function. Administers treatment prescribed by a physician for the care of patients with abnormalities associated with the process of breathing. Additionally, Registered Respiratory Therapist assumes primary responsibility for respiratory care treatments, including oversight of respiratory therapy technicians. Requires an associate degree. Requires Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) certification. Requires State License to Practice. Typically reports to a manager. Registered Respiratory Therapist's years of experience requirement may be unspecified. Certification and/or licensing in the position's specialty is the main requirement.

6. What are the skills of Registered Respiratory Therapist

Specify the abilities and skills that a person needs in order to carry out the specified job duties. Each competency has five to ten behavioral assertions that can be observed, each with a corresponding performance level (from one to five) that is required for a particular job.

1.)

Analysis: Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.

2.)

Critical Care: Critical care is sometimes referred as intensive care. Intensive care medicine, or critical care medicine, is a branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and management of life-threatening conditions that may require sophisticated life support and intensive monitoring. An intensivist is a physician who specializes in the care of critically ill patients, most often in the intensive care unit (ICU). Intensivists can be internists or internal medicine sub-specialists (most often pulmonologists), anesthesiologists, emergency medicine physicians, pediatricians (including neonatologists), or surgeons who have completed a fellowship in critical care medicine.

3.)

Patient Safety: Patient safety is a discipline and responsibility that emphasizes safety in health care through the prevention, reduction, reporting, and analysis of medical error that often leads to adverse effects. The frequency and magnitude of avoidable adverse events experienced by patients was not well known until the 1990s, when multiple countries reported staggering numbers of patients harmed and killed by medical errors. Recognizing that healthcare errors impact 1 in every 10 patients around the world, the World Health Organization calls patient safety an endemic concern. Indeed, patient safety has emerged as a distinct healthcare discipline supported by an immature yet developing scientific framework. There is a significant transdisciplinary body of theoretical and research literature that informs the science of patient safety. At the same time, efforts are being made to anchor patient safety more firmly in medical education. The resulting patient safety knowledge continually informs improvement efforts such as: applying lessons learned from business and industry, adopting innovative technologies, educating providers and consumers, enhancing error reporting systems, and developing new economic incentives.

About Our Data

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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The average salary for a Registered Respiratory Therapist is $78,315 per year in the United States, updated at March 01, 2025.
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