Respiratory Therapist Salary

The national median salary for Respiratory Therapist is $82,280 per year. Most full-time Respiratory Therapists earn between $74,520 and $98,730.

In your location the median is $82,280. Use your local median — not the national one — when you set a target.

A strong ask is $74,520 to $108,603 for a new offer, and roughly 4–7% above the local median when negotiating a raise as an existing employee.

Anchor high enough that your walk-away number still lands inside the employer's range — but stay defensible with market data from this page.

Bring these Respiratory Therapist-specific points to the table:

•License or board certification (e.g., state license, BLS/ACLS)

•Specialty or modality — scarce skills command more

•Shift differential (nights, weekends, on-call)

•Patient load and case complexity you already handle

Lead with the two or three where you have the strongest, most recent evidence.

For Respiratory Therapist, money talks in measurable outcomes. Prepare three numbers before the conversation:

•What you delivered in the last 12 months (volume, throughput, error reduction)

•What it was worth to the employer (saved hours, avoided cost, faster turnaround)

•The gap between your current pay and this page's median for Respiratory Therapist

"Based on the median for Respiratory Therapist in this market ($82,280), and my experience with [top skill], I'm targeting $100,705. Is there flexibility in the base to get closer to that?"

If the base is fixed, shift the conversation to the levers above: for a healthcare role, ask about shift differential, certification pay, or the sign-on structure.

"I've been at [result] for the past year. Market data for Respiratory Therapist shows the median at $82,280, and I'd like to bring my base to $86,394 to reflect that. What can we do?"

Schedule the conversation around a performance review or after a completed project, and give your manager the market data a week in advance.

When base salary is capped, these often still have room:

•Sign-on bonus, relocation, or tuition reimbursement (common in healthcare)

•Extra paid time off or a compressed/remote schedule

•Professional development — certifications that raise your Respiratory Therapist market rate next year

Get everything in writing, including how often pay is reviewed.

Giving a number before hearing the employer's offer or range.

Anchoring to the national median when your local median is different.

Arguing from personal need ('I need this to cover rent') instead of market data.

Not using the leverage points above because they weren't prepared.

Forgetting that the first offer is a starting point — there is usually room, especially in specialty or shift roles.