Respiratory therapists

Detailed Occupation

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2024 Workforce

128k

Average Age

44.5

Estimated Job Growth

12%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$75,808

Average Male Salary

$85,910

Average Female Salary

$70,695

About

Respiratory therapists are most often employed by the General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals industry. The average yearly wage for Respiratory therapists was $75,808 in 2024.

The locations that employ the most Respiratory therapists are San Diego County (Southwest)--Sweetwater Region--Chula Vista City (East) PUMA, CA, Westchester County (Northeast) PUMA, NY, and Philadelphia City (Far Northeast) PUMA, PA. The locations with a relatively high concentration of Respiratory therapists are Pickens (Southwest Corner) & Oconee (West, Central) Counties--Seneca & Clemson Cities PUMA, SC, Marshall & Madison (Far Southeast) Counties PUMA, AL, and San Bernardino County (Southwest)--Colton, Loma Linda & Grand Terrace Cities PUMA, CA.

Management, business, science, & arts occupations Healthcare practitioners & technical occupations

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Respiratory therapists workforce. Respiratory therapists workforce in 2024 was 127,548 people, of which 66.4% were women and 33.6% were men.

Respiratory therapists are paid most in NYC-Queens Community District 12--Jamaica, St. Albans, & Hollis PUMA, NY but are relatively concentrated in Pickens (Southwest Corner) & Oconee (West, Central) Counties--Seneca & Clemson Cities PUMA, SC.

Employment Over Time

Metric

Grouping

42,859

Male Workforce

± 5.08k

84,689

Female Workforce

± 7.14k

The Respiratory therapists workforce in 2024 was 127,548 people (66.4% women and 33.6% men). This implies an average annual growth of 18.4% between 2014 (107,683) and 2024 (127,548).

Employment by Location

Level

Metric

This map shows the states in the United States shaded by average wage for Respiratory therapists.

During 2024, the states that concentrated the best average annual wage were New York ($104,126), Rhode Island ($93,826), and Delaware ($91,480).

Yearly Wage Ranking

$75,808

AVERAGE WAGE

#152 in the ranking (2014)

$69,878

NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE

For all occupations across the US

In 2024, Respiratory therapists earned an average of $75,808, $5,930 more than the average national salary of $69,878

The graph shows the ranking of Respiratory therapists in relation to all Detailed Occupation in 2014.

In 2024, Respiratory therapists had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.273, which is lower than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly for Respiratory therapists (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

The graphic shows the distribution of average salaries by buckets for Respiratory therapists compared to the entire workforce in the country.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Respiratory therapists and on wages for those in the field. General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals is the industry that employs the most Respiratory therapists, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Respiratory therapists, by average wage, is Executive offices & legislative bodies ($143,284).

Occupations by Industries

Metric

Value

128k

2024 Workforce

± 8,765

3.05%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 9.5%

This graphic shows the share of Respiratory therapists employed by various industries. General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals employs the largest share of Respiratory therapists at 93.7%, followed by Outpatient care centers with 2.45% and Nursing Care Facilities with 1.99%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Respiratory therapists in the US. The workforce of Respiratory therapists in 2024 was 127,548 people, with 66.4% woman, and 33.6% men. The average age of male Respiratory therapists in the workforce is 47 and of female Respiratory therapists is 43.3, and the most common race/ethnicity for Respiratory therapists is White.

Gender and Age

Metric

The workforce of Respiratory therapists in 2024 was 127,548 people, with 66.4% woman, and 33.6% men.

The age ranges that concentrated the largest workforce were 40 to 44 years (16,461 people), 35 to 39 years (16,325 people), and 30 to 34 years (16,026 people). Among them they concentrated 38.3% of the total workforce.

Ethnicity

Gender

In 2024, 12.4% of Respiratory therapists workers were Hispanic and 87.6% non-Hispanic.

The treemap shows the distribution of Hispanic workers according to their origin, highlighting Mexican (56.2%), Puerto Rican (13.7)%, and All Other Spanish/Hispanic/Latino (5.17)%

You can review this information by gender using the selectors above.

Races

In 2024, 66.6% of the Respiratory therapists workforce were White, of which 70.4% were women and 29.6% men. Other races that concentrated a significant number of workers were Black (12.6%) and Two or More Races (9.11%).

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices for Respiratory therapists from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Respiratory therapists is Health but the most specialized major according to RCA in 2024 were Science Technologies.

Among the necessary skills for Respiratory therapists, Critical Thinking stands, but the revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that Respiratory therapists need more than the average amount of Science.

Majors

ACS PUMS data only shows the major for bachelor's degrees. However, we can filter the data based on highest degree obtained.

Type of Majors

Degree

The most common majors achieved by Respiratory therapists in 2024 (counting all academic degrees) were Health (22,606 people), Business (4,143 people), and Biology (3,803 people).

You can review this information for different academic grades by modifying the option selected in the selector above.

Education Levels

Metric

The main educational levels achieved by the Respiratory therapists workers were Associates Degree (66,356 people), Bachelors Degree (36,017 people), and Some college (13,787 people).

The graphic shows the Respiratory therapists workforce by gender and educational level.

Skills

Chart

Value

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for Respiratory therapists from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Respiratory therapists need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Monitoring.

Projections

Projections on job growth for Respiratory Therapists from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 3.07%, but Respiratory Therapists are expected to see a growth of 12% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow more than the national average.

Job Growth

12%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

3.07%

National Growth

10-year Projection

This line chart shows the projected 10-year growth in the number of jobs for Respiratory therapists. This profession is expected to grow more than than 3.07%, the average rate of national job growth.