Pay, location & work-life context
Respiratory Therapist Salary Map by State (2026)
Median respiratory therapist pay across 46 states from real job listings — switch views to adjust for cost of living or overlay burnout scores. Medians blend permanent salaries with annualized locums/contract rates. National median: $85,571.
Highest median
New York
$106,475
Best real purchasing power
New York
$98,660 adjusted
Best lifestyle score
Louisiana
6.1/10 avg burnout score
Compare state markets
Choose a metric, then select a state to see its figures and available breakdown.
Tile positions are approximate, not geographic boundaries. Selection adds an outline without changing the metric color. Work-life scores describe listings, not surveyed clinician burnout.
Respiratory Therapist pay by state
Sorted by median advertised pay. On smaller screens, scroll the table sideways to compare all metrics.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Take-home, COL-adj. | Work-life score | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $106,475 | $98,660 | $91,902 | 4.1/10 | 278 |
| Washington | $103,792 | $96,990 | $96,990 | 4.2/10 | 95 |
| Oregon | $98,800 | $95,587 | $86,124 | 3.6/10 | 28 |
| Alaska | $98,530 | $96,259 | $96,259 | 4.2/10 | 7 |
| Minnesota | $96,835 | $98,189 | $88,517 | 4.8/10 | 56 |
| New Jersey | $96,637 | $88,817 | $83,159 | 3.7/10 | 115 |
| Vermont | $96,065 | $98,068 | $89,487 | 3.6/10 | 20 |
| Delaware | $95,275 | $95,458 | $89,158 | 4.2/10 | 15 |
| Massachusetts | $93,600 | $88,505 | $84,080 | 3.8/10 | 153 |
| Connecticut | $91,874 | $88,673 | $82,475 | 3.0/10 | 27 |
| California | $91,520 | $82,659 | $74,972 | 4.1/10 | 327 |
| Maryland | $87,693 | $83,550 | $78,746 | 4.3/10 | 40 |
| Nebraska | $87,547 | $97,163 | $92,111 | 3.5/10 | 20 |
| Illinois | $86,300 | $86,336 | $82,063 | 3.9/10 | 268 |
| Wisconsin | $85,956 | $91,350 | $86,509 | 4.1/10 | 73 |
| Utah | $85,571 | $86,554 | $82,616 | 3.6/10 | 41 |
| Virginia | $85,509 | $84,575 | $79,712 | 4.0/10 | 137 |
| Missouri | $85,280 | $93,903 | $89,490 | 3.7/10 | 47 |
| Michigan | $85,280 | $88,633 | $84,866 | 3.3/10 | 63 |
| Mississippi | $85,280 | $98,076 | $93,761 | 3.0/10 | 7 |
| Ohio | $85,197 | $91,833 | $88,619 | 3.7/10 | 98 |
| Colorado | $84,583 | $82,078 | $78,467 | 3.8/10 | 99 |
| New Mexico | $82,400 | $89,359 | $84,087 | 3.3/10 | 25 |
| Maine | $80,881 | $83,340 | $77,381 | 3.4/10 | 9 |
| Montana | $80,684 | $85,249 | $80,219 | 3.3/10 | 15 |
| Arizona | $79,966 | $79,428 | $77,443 | 3.7/10 | 32 |
| North Carolina | $79,820 | $84,621 | $81,025 | 3.7/10 | 80 |
| Georgia | $79,820 | $82,893 | $78,425 | 3.5/10 | 49 |
| Texas | $79,758 | $82,176 | $82,176 | 3.8/10 | 64 |
| North Dakota | $79,695 | $89,586 | $87,347 | 3.9/10 | 20 |
| Florida | $79,155 | $76,542 | $76,542 | 3.8/10 | 82 |
| Pennsylvania | $79,040 | $81,007 | $78,520 | 3.9/10 | 96 |
| Nevada | $78,000 | $78,016 | $78,016 | 4.3/10 | 7 |
| Iowa | $77,959 | $88,830 | $85,454 | 3.9/10 | 22 |
| Indiana | $75,499 | $80,896 | $78,469 | 3.1/10 | 13 |
| South Carolina | $74,963 | $79,961 | $75,004 | 4.2/10 | 17 |
| Kansas | $74,880 | $83,137 | $78,498 | 3.1/10 | 8 |
| New Hampshire | $74,776 | $71,786 | $71,786 | 4.5/10 | 11 |
| South Dakota | $74,651 | $84,270 | $84,270 | 3.7/10 | 13 |
| Oklahoma | $72,884 | $82,971 | $79,030 | 4.1/10 | 8 |
| Tennessee | $72,800 | $79,242 | $79,242 | 3.6/10 | 39 |
| West Virginia | $70,850 | $79,165 | $75,349 | 4.3/10 | 18 |
| Kentucky | $70,783 | $78,509 | $75,369 | 4.4/10 | 17 |
| Alabama | $70,699 | $79,595 | $75,616 | 3.3/10 | 6 |
| Louisiana | $70,200 | $79,586 | $77,198 | 6.1/10 | 6 |
| Arkansas | $69,067 | $79,445 | $76,347 | 4.4/10 | 9 |
Common questions
Which state pays respiratory therapists the most?
New York currently has the highest median respiratory therapist salary at $106,475, based on 278 real job listings.
Which state offers the best after-tax respiratory therapist pay?
Washington currently leads the take-home view at $96,990 — the state median after its state income tax (Tax Foundation state income tax rates (2025)), divided by the local cost-of-living index. No-income-tax states like Texas, Florida and Tennessee often outrank nominally higher-paying states here.
Why adjust respiratory therapist salaries for cost of living?
Prices differ across states. The adjusted view divides each state's pay benchmark by its regional price index (U.S. average = 100). Source: BEA Regional Price Parities (2024). This is a state-level comparison, not a personal budget or a city-level cost estimate. Missing price data is shown as unavailable.
Which state has the best respiratory therapist lifestyle scores?
Louisiana currently has the highest average WeekdayDoc burnout score (6.1/10, higher is better) for respiratory therapist listings — a measure of call burden, weekend requirements, and schedule flexibility across postings.
More salary maps
See the full percentile breakdown on the Respiratory Therapist salary page.