Respiratory Therapist Hourly Pay & Requirements (2026)
Advertised pay, starting pay, skills and experience from 8,120 US job postings by 1,077 employers. Data as of October 2026.
What US employers post for respiratory therapists: advertised pay, the skills and experience they ask for, and the job titles they use, from 8,120 open job postings (October 2026).
- The median advertised pay for respiratory therapists in US job postings is $41.50 an hour (1,379 postings from 297 employers, October 2026).
- The middle half of those postings offer $36.75 to $46.45 an hour.
- Postings that ask for up to 1 year of experience advertise a median of $42.50 an hour (463 postings).
- The skills that most set respiratory therapist postings apart are oxygen therapy, ventilator management, airway management.
- Postings that state a minimum ask for a median of 1 year of experience.
Respiratory Therapist job postings in the US, October 2026
- $41.50/hr
- Median advertised pay (1,379 postings)
- $36.75–$46.45
- Middle 50% of postings
- $42.50/hr
- Starting pay (postings asking up to 1 year)
- 8,120
- US job postings from 1,077 employers
How much does a respiratory therapist make an hour?
The median advertised pay is $41.50 an hour, from 1,379 US job postings by 297 employers that state pay. That is about $86,000 a year at 2,080 hours.
Advertised pay in 1,379 US respiratory therapist job postings: median $86,000 a year ($41.50 an hour), middle half $76,000 to $97,000.
- Median: $86,000 ($41.50/hr)
- 25th percentile: $76,000
- 75th percentile: $97,000
The figures as a table
| Annual pay | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| $10K–$20K | 0.3% |
| $20K–$30K | 0.4% |
| $30K–$40K | 0.3% |
| $40K–$50K | 1.8% |
| $50K–$60K | 3.4% |
| $60K–$70K | 7.8% |
| $70K–$80K | 20.3% |
| $80K–$90K | 26.5% |
| $90K–$100K | 18.1% |
| $100K–$110K | 11.7% |
| $110K–$120K | 3.1% |
| $120K–$130K | 3.3% |
| $130K–$140K | 1.2% |
| $140K–$150K | 0.5% |
| $150K–$160K | 0.6% |
Midpoint of each posting's pay range, hourly pay × 2,080 hours; at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026.
| Median | Middle 50% | Postings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Postings that state an hourly rate | $41.50 | $36.75–$46.45 | 979 |
| All pay postings, annualised | $86,000 | $76K–$97K | 1,379 |
For comparison, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the national median annual wage of Respiratory Therapists (29-1126) at $82,000 (May 2025). Postings advertise pay; the BLS measures what people earn, across all employers and levels.
What is the starting salary for a respiratory therapist?
Postings that ask for up to 1 year of experience advertise a median of $42.50 an hour (463 postings).
| Experience asked | Median advertised pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1 years | $42.50/hr | 463 |
| 2-4 years | $41.60/hr | 278 |
| 5+ years | withheld | 27 |
Highest-paying respiratory therapist jobs
Specializations with at least 250 postings that state pay.
| Specialization | Median pay | Postings with pay | Employers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Respiratory Therapist (general) | $41.50/hr | 1,326 | 285 |
Respiratory therapist pay by state
Single-location US postings; states with at least 100 postings that state pay. States with pay-transparency laws (such as California, Colorado, New York and Washington) are over-represented among postings that state pay.
| State | Median pay | Middle 50% | Postings with pay | Share of postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $45.50/hr | $42.03–$50.00 | 110 | 3.3% |
| Illinois | $41.56/hr | $34.45–$44.64 | 161 | 5.2% |
Skills employers ask for in respiratory therapist job postings
| Skill | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| Communication | 20% |
| Interpersonal skills | 12% |
| Oxygen therapy | 10% |
| Ventilator management | 9% |
| Airway management | 9% |
| Problem-solving | 7% |
| Organizational skills | 6% |
| Critical thinking skills | 6% |
| Blood gas analysis | 6% |
| Customer service | 5% |
Skills named in the posting text; at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026. Methodology.
Skills that set respiratory therapists apart
- Oxygen therapy202.1× as often as in all postings · 10%
- Ventilator management222.3× as often as in all postings · 9%
- Airway management129.1× as often as in all postings · 9%
- Blood gas analysis270.8× as often as in all postings · 6%
- Critical thinking skills6× as often as in all postings · 6%
- Critical thinking3.4× as often as in all postings · 5%
Skills named in at least 5% of these postings and at least 3 times as often as in job postings overall.
Have a respiratory therapist job posting in front of you? See which of its skills your resume is missing.
What does a respiratory therapist do?
Employers post these jobs as Registered Respiratory Therapist, Respiratory Care Practitioner, RRT, Respiratory Therapist (RT), Certified Respiratory Therapist and other titles. The largest specializations are Respiratory Therapy Supervisor (2%), Hyperbaric Technician (under 1%).
The closest official occupation is Respiratory Therapists (29-1126.00). Its most important tasks:
- Set up and operate devices, such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, or aerosol generators, following specified parameters of treatment.
- 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.
- Read prescription, measure arterial blood gases, and review patient information to assess patient condition.
- Relay blood analysis results to a physician.
- Provide emergency care, such as artificial respiration, external cardiac massage, or assistance with cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
How much experience do you need to be a respiratory therapist?
Among 1,685 postings that state a minimum, the median is 1 year. 3% say 0 years and 55% ask for 1 year or less.
Minimum experience asked in 1,685 US respiratory therapist job postings: median 1 year, and 55% ask for 1 year or less.
The figures as a table
| Minimum experience asked | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| 0 yr | 5% |
| 1 yr | 50% |
| 2 yrs | 30% |
| 3-4 yrs | 9% |
| 5-7 yrs | 4% |
| 8-9 yrs | under 1% |
| 10+ yrs | 1% |
Postings that state a minimum (required or preferred); at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026.
We do not show a degree figure: in our checks, degree requirements in posting text were found too rarely to publish one. Why.
Full-time 83%, Part-time 17% of the 962 postings that state working hours.
Other names for a respiratory therapist: job titles employers use
| Job title | Employers using it |
|---|---|
| Respiratory Therapist | 647 (60.1%) |
| Registered Respiratory Therapist | 180 (16.7%) |
| Respiratory Care Practitioner | 79 (7.3%) |
| RRT | 69 (6.4%) |
| Respiratory Therapist (RT) | 51 (4.7%) |
| Certified Respiratory Therapist | 49 (4.5%) |
| Respiratory Therapist II | 30 (2.8%) |
| Respiratory Therapist (RRT) | 29 (2.7%) |
| Respiratory Therapist PRN | 21 (1.9%) |
| Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) | 21 (1.9%) |
| Lead Respiratory Therapist | 20 (1.9%) |
| Respiratory Therapist I | 20 (1.9%) |
| Respiratory Therapist Registered | 20 (1.9%) |
| PRN Respiratory Therapist | 19 (1.8%) |
| Respiratory Therapist SNF | 18 (1.7%) |
| Respiratory Therapists | 16 (1.5%) |
| Respiratory Care Assistant | 15 (1.4%) |
| Respiratory Therapy Student | 15 (1.4%) |
| Respiratory Care Practitioner II | 15 (1.4%) |
| Respiratory Therapy Supervisor | 14 (1.3%) |
Titles read in our audit and used by at least 3 employers.
Respiratory therapist job titles compared
The titles people search for most, from the US job postings that use each exact title (October 2026).
| Job title | Open postings | Employers | Median pay | Median experience | Skills named most |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Respiratory Care Practitioner | 442 | 79 | – | – | communication, ventilator management, oxygen therapy |
Respiratory Therapist compared with similar careers
| Career | Median pay | Median experience | Postings | Shares N of top 25 skills |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Respiratory Therapist | $41.50/hr | 1 year | 8,120 | – |
| Nurse Anesthetist | $279K | 2 years | 2,346 | 11 |
| Emergency Medical Technician | $26.00/hr | 2 years | 5,134 | 15 |
| Neurodiagnostic Technologist | – | 1 year | 1,106 | 15 |
| Physician Assistant | $150K | 2 years | 2,412 | 13 |
Similar careers
| Career | Shares N of the top 25 skills | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Anesthetist | 11 | $279K |
| Emergency Medical Technician | 15 | $26.00/hr |
| Neurodiagnostic Technologist | 15 | – |
| Physician Assistant | 13 | $150K |
| Nurse Practitioner | 15 | $142K |
| Athletic Trainer | 14 | $31.28/hr |
Applying for respiratory therapist jobs?
- Respiratory therapist resume examples: one-page examples for these roles
- Match your resume to a job: paste a posting and see the skills your resume is missing
- Check your resume: see how an applicant tracking system reads it
- Find respiratory therapist jobs: search open postings
Frequently asked questions
How much does a respiratory therapist make an hour?
What is the starting salary for a respiratory therapist?
What are the highest-paying respiratory therapist jobs?
Source and method
Open US job postings collected from employers' applicant tracking systems, de-duplicated, counted only when their job title was read in our audit. Shares count at most 20 postings per employer, and franchise locations of one brand count as one employer. Pay uses hourly and annual figures only; a figure is shown when leaving out the largest employer moves it by 10% or less. Every figure states its number of postings. Methodology and measured accuracy.
Accuracy check: we read 19 randomly chosen postings counted on this page in full; 18 of them were this career or a closely related one (October 2026).
Download the figures on this page (CSV): every number above with its count of postings. Aggregate figures are licensed CC BY 4.0; cite the page when you reuse them.