Respiratory therapists

Detailed Occupation

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2021 Workforce

119k

Average Age

44.4

Estimated Job Growth

19.3%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$65,260

Average Male Salary

$74,948

Average Female Salary

$60,022

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 $65,260 in 2021.

The locations that employ the most Respiratory therapists are Huntington City PUMA, WV, Easley & Clemson Cities PUMA, SC, and Oklahoma City (West) PUMA, OK. The locations with a relatively high concentration of Respiratory therapists are Huntington City PUMA, WV, Colton, Loma Linda & Grand Terrace Cities PUMA, CA, and Cumberland Valley Area Development District (North) PUMA, KY.

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

Employment and salary information for the Respiratory therapists workforce. Respiratory therapists workforce in 2021 was 118,927 people, of which 64.9% were women and 35.1% were men. Respiratory therapists are paid most in Dane County (West) PUMA, WI but are relatively concentrated in Huntington City PUMA, WV.

Employment Over Time

Metric

Grouping

41,730

Male Workforce

± 5.01k

77,197

Female Workforce

± 6.82k

The Respiratory therapists workforce in 2021 was 118,927 people (64.9% women and 35.1% men). This implies an average annual growth of 11.8% between 2014 (106,382) and 2021 (118,927).

Employment by Location

Level

Metric

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

During 2021, the states that concentrated the best average annual wage were New York ($94,439), California ($83,197), and Virginia ($81,590).

Yearly Wage Ranking

$65,260

AVERAGE WAGE

#179 in the ranking (2021)

$59,596

NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE

For all occupations across the US

In 2021, Respiratory therapists earned an average of $65,260, $5,664 more than the average national salary of $59,596

The graph shows the ranking of Respiratory therapists in relation to all Detailed Occupation in 2021.

Wage Distribution

Gender

0.269

WAGE GINI

In 2021, Respiratory therapists had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.269, which is lower than the national average of 0.478. 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 Administration of human resource programs ($83,712).

Occupations by Industries

Metric

Value

119k

2021 Workforce

± 8,463

3.16%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 9.83%

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 95.7%, followed by Nursing Care Facilities with 2.25% and Outpatient care centers with 2.07%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Respiratory therapists in the US. The workforce of Respiratory therapists in 2021 was 118,927 people, with 64.9% woman, and 35.1% men. The average age of male Respiratory therapists in the workforce is 46.3 and of female Respiratory therapists is 43.4, and the most common race/ethnicity for Respiratory therapists is White.

Gender and Age

Metric

The workforce of Respiratory therapists in 2021 was 118,927 people, with 64.9% woman, and 35.1% men.

The age ranges that concentrated the largest workforce were 30 to 34 years (16,230 people), 35 to 39 years (15,293 people), and 40 to 44 years (14,504 people). Among them they concentrated 38.8% of the total workforce.

Ethnicity

Gender

In 2021, 11.4% of Respiratory therapists workers were Hispanic and 88.6% non-Hispanic.

The treemap shows the distribution of Hispanic workers according to their origin, highlighting Mexican (83.7%), Puerto Rican (9.33)%, and Cuban (6.94)%

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

Races

In 2021, 71.3% of the Respiratory therapists workforce were White, of which 67.9% were women and 32.1% men. Other races that concentrated a significant number of workers were Black (13.1%) and Asian (7.08%).

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 2021 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 2021 (counting all academic degrees) were Health (19,568 people), Biology (4,376 people), and Business (4,183 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 (63,296 people), Bachelors Degree (32,594 people), and Some college (13,621 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 3.71%, but Respiratory Therapists are expected to see a growth of 19.3% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow more than the national average.

Job Growth

19.3%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

3.71%

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 3.71%, the average rate of national job growth.