Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
Associate's degree
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These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Respiratory therapists work in a healthcare role that combines patient interaction, technical skills, and problem solving. Nationally, this career employs about 140,000 people, indicating a substantial workforce and established profession. The national median annual salary of $80,450 reflects solid earning potential, with some states and metro areas offering higher pay. Projected employment growth of 12.1% suggests that opportunities are expected to expand over time, supported by about 9,000 annual openings. Successful respiratory therapists draw on adaptability, detail orientation, science knowledge, and strong interpersonal skills, along with critical and analytical thinking. Physical strength and stamina, mechanical skills, and leadership abilities can also be important. An associate’s degree is the typical education level, making this a healthcare pathway that does not necessarily require a four-year degree. For people interested in patient care and technical healthcare work, respiratory therapy can be a strong option to consider alongside similar careers such as radiation therapists, licensed practical and vocational nurses, and others.
Respiratory therapists earn a national median annual salary of $80,450, providing a solid income foundation across the country. However, salaries vary meaningfully by location. Several states offer median pay above $100,000, including California at $104,820, Massachusetts at $102,170, New York at $107,810, and Washington at $101,130. Among metro areas, pay can be even higher. The San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro shows a median salary of $149,680, while San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA is at $130,220. The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro lists a median of $110,490, and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH is at $104,580. These figures show that relocating or targeting specific regions can significantly affect earning potential for respiratory therapists, especially in select California and East Coast metro areas that report notably higher median wages than the national level.
Respiratory therapists have a national employment base of about 140,000, with projected employment growth of 12.1%. This projected growth indicates that jobs in this field are expected to expand over the projection period. In addition, the occupation is expected to have about 9,000 annual openings. These openings reflect both new positions from growth and ongoing replacement needs. The combination of a sizable existing workforce, double-digit projected growth, and thousands of openings each year suggests a labor market with continuing opportunities for new entrants and experienced professionals alike. The same 12.1% projected growth rate appears across top states and metro areas highlighted by opportunity scores, indicating consistent growth expectations in multiple regions. For students and career changers, these indicators can make respiratory therapy an appealing option when considering long-term employment prospects in healthcare.
Location can play a major role in the opportunity profile for respiratory therapists. Among states, California, Massachusetts, New York, Colorado, and Washington stand out by CareerGPS opportunity score. California leads this group with a median salary of $104,820, employment of 18,650, and an opportunity score of 67.38. New York and Massachusetts also combine six-figure median pay with opportunity scores above 65. Colorado and Washington offer mid-$80,000 to low-$100,000 median salaries and opportunity scores in the mid-50s. At the metro level, opportunities can be even stronger. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA shows a median salary of $149,680 and the highest metro opportunity score of 77.42. The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro closely follows with an opportunity score of 77.27 and median pay of $110,490. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH also combine relatively high salaries with solid opportunity scores, giving respiratory therapists multiple high-opportunity urban regions to target.
The typical education requirement for respiratory therapists is an associate’s degree. This makes the field accessible to students who want to enter a healthcare career without completing a four-year bachelor’s program. While the specific curriculum is not detailed here, the top skills linked with success in this role give a clear picture of what matters. Science knowledge supports understanding of clinical concepts, while critical and analytical thinking, problem solving and decision making, and being detail oriented all contribute to careful, accurate work. Interpersonal skills and customer service are important for working effectively with patients and colleagues. Physical strength and stamina can be relevant given the physical demands that may be involved, and mechanical skills support working with equipment. Adaptability and leadership round out the profile, helping respiratory therapists function in a range of situations and take initiative when needed. Together, an associate’s degree plus these skills form the core preparation for this career.
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