A respiratory therapist (RT) is a certified medical professional who specializes in providing healthcare for the lungs.
Respiratory therapists take care of patients who have trouble breathing, for example, a chronic respiratory disease.
If you are more interested in respiratory therapists check how to become a respiratory therapist.
In this article, you can find information about respiratory therapist salary per hour, by state, etc.
So let’s go straight to the point.
If you prefer information provided in a video format check out this from GarryRT and Breathe Easy. If you want to see just the respiratory therapist salary part, fast-forward to the point 12:14.
If you rather prefer reading about the respiratory therapist salaries, scroll past the video and keep on reading.
Average respiratory therapist salary
The respiratory therapist’s mean annual wage is $62.500 and the mean hourly wage is $30.05.
I want to emphasize that this is an average salary.
Next, I will list respiratory therapist’s salaries according to where you work.
As you probably know, respiratory therapists can work in different places:
- A respiratory therapist who works in specialty hospitals expect psychiatric and substance abuses annual mean wage is $64.380 and the hourly mean wage is $30.95.
- A respiratory therapist who works in General and medical-surgical hospitals’ annual mean wage is $62.570 and the hourly mean wage is $30.08.
- A respiratory therapist who works in rental and leasing centers annual mean wage is $54.130 and the hourly mean wage is $26.03.
- A respiratory therapist who works in nursing care facilities’ annual mean wage is $62.590 and the hourly mean wage is $30.09.
- A respiratory therapist who works in professional and commercial equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers annual mean wage is $58.330 and the hourly mean wage is $28.04.
- A respiratory therapist who works in local government, excluding schools and hospitals’ annual mean wage, is $77.380 and the hourly mean wage is $37.20.
- A respiratory therapist who works in outpatient care centers annual mean wage is $76.000 and the hourly mean wage is $36.54.
- A respiratory therapist who works in colleges, universities, and professional schools’ annual mean wage is $75.370 and the hourly mean wage is $36.24.
- A respiratory therapist who works in employment services annual mean wage is $63.450 and the hourly mean wage is $30.50.
As you can see, there are quite significant differences between the salaries depending on where are you working.
Entry-level respiratory therapist salary
Entry-level respiratory therapists with no experience or little experience can get salaries between $43.750 to $51.430 per year.
And per hour $21 to $25 depending on the state and where you work.
As you already might know the salary increases as you gain more experience.
Registered respiratory therapist salary
Registered Respiratory Therapists can earn in the United States about $68.381 per year as of March 2020 according to salary.com. But there can be variations.
The difference typically falls between $62,137 and $74,343.
Salary is affected by many things as you might know. For example, experience and education.
Certified respiratory therapist salary
According to salary.com Certified respiratory therapist’s salary can be in the United States is $63,810 per year of March 2020.
But there can be variations. Salary can be between $56,843 and $69,815. The differences are pretty big as you can see.
Respiratory therapist salary by degree
According to salary.com respiratory therapists salaries by degree are the following:
- The associate’s degree’s salary can be $65.119-$68.559.
- Bachelor’s Degree’s salary can be $65.864-$69.271.
- Master’s Degree’s or MBA’s salary can be $66.330-$69.716.
- JD’s, MD’s, PhD’s or Equivalent’s salary can be $66.983-$70.338.
So as you can see the more educated you are then the more you get paid!
Study nursing is always worth it.
Respiratory therapist salary by state
Last I will tell you the respiratory therapist’s salary by state.
- In California, the annual mean wage is $79.640 and the hourly mean wage is $38.29.
- In Texas, the annual mean wage is $59.930 and the hourly mean wage is $28.81.
- In Florida, the annual mean wage is $57.960 and the hourly mean wage is $27.86.
- In Ohio, the annual mean wage is $56.830 and the hourly mean wage is $27.32.
- In Pennsylvania, the annual mean wage is $56.970 and the hourly mean wage is $27.39.
- In West Virginia, the annual mean wage is $50.420 and the hourly mean wage is $24.24.
- In Mississippi, the annual mean wage is $49.220 and the hourly mean wage is $23.66.
- In Indiana, the annual mean wage is $55.610 and the hourly mean wage is $26.74.
- In Kentucky, the annual mean wage is $49.890 and the hourly mean wage is $23.99.
- In Alabama, the annual mean wage is $50.770 and the hourly mean wage is $24.41.
Like I said salary varies by state and salary is affected by, for example, experience and education.
Now that you know the salary of a respiratory therapist you might also be interested in these articles of ours:
- How to Become a Respiratory Therapist
- Neonatal Nurse Salary
- Do Nurses Make Good Money?
- Do Nurses Get Paid Overtime?
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