Respiratory Therapist Salary by State (2026)

All 50 states ranked by BLS OEWS May 2025 mean annual wage. New York and California top the table near $110,000; cost-of-living adjusted, lower-cost states such as Minnesota, Georgia, and Wisconsin offer the strongest purchasing power.

National mean: $87,300National median: $82,280BLS OEWS May 2025

Highest Mean Salary

#1New York

$110k+26%

$109k+25%

$101k+15%

$100k+14%

$100k+14%

Best After Cost of Living

#1Minnesota$96k adj.

#2Georgia$95k adj.

#3Wisconsin$93k adj.

#4North Dakota$92k adj.

#5Delaware$90k adj.

COL-adjusted salary approximates purchasing power relative to a national baseline of 1.00.

State Deep-Dives

California

$109k

Mean salary + metro breakdown

New York

$110k

Mean salary + metro breakdown

Texas

$81k

Mean salary + metro breakdown

Florida

$82k

Mean salary + metro breakdown

Washington

$100k

Mean salary + metro breakdown

Massachusetts

$101k

Mean salary + metro breakdown

Nevada

$91k

Mean salary + metro breakdown

Hawaii

$93k

Mean salary + metro breakdown

New Jersey

$100k

Mean salary + metro breakdown

Illinois

$85k

Mean salary + metro breakdown

Top 10 Metro Areas Nationally

BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan area data for SOC 29-1126. California metros take 9 of the national top 10, with the San Jose and Bay Area markets leading.

Metro Area	Mean Annual
#1San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$146,490
#2Vallejo-Fairfield, CA	$133,510
#3Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA	$133,510
#4San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA	$128,490
#5Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	$124,410
#6Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA	$120,450
#7Napa, CA	$115,620
#8New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$113,400
#9Stockton, CA	$109,200
#10Redding, CA	$108,270

All 50 States - Full Rankings

Sorted by mean annual wage, BLS OEWS May 2025 (SOC 29-1126). COL factor = 1.00 is national average cost of living.

State	Mean Annual	Median	Hourly Mean	COL	COL-Adj.	Employed
New York	$110,200+26%	$107,810	$52.98	1.30	$84,769	7,010
California	$109,440+25%	$104,820	$52.62	1.38	$79,304	18,650
Massachusetts	$100,580+15%	$102,170	$48.36	1.25	$80,464	2,220
New Jersey	$99,760+14%	$100,810	$47.96	1.20	$83,133	3,350
Washington	$99,740+14%	$101,130	$47.95	1.15	$86,730	1,860
Oregon	$98,160+12%	$100,560	$47.19	1.12	$87,643	1,340
Minnesota	$96,890+11%	$98,710	$46.58	1.01	$95,931	1,250
Alaska	$96,290+10%	$97,950	$46.29	1.28	$75,227	180
New Hampshire	$93,700+7%	$95,940	$45.05	1.08	$86,759	360
Rhode Island	$93,410+7%	$86,900	$44.91	1.07	$87,299	260
Hawaii	$93,380+7%	$94,210	$44.89	1.48	$63,095	510
Connecticut	$92,510+6%	$85,230	$44.48	1.13	$81,867	1,370
Delaware	$92,190+6%	$91,080	$44.32	1.02	$90,382	500
Maryland	$90,600+4%	$88,960	$43.56	1.12	$80,893	1,800
Nevada	$90,530+4%	$85,480	$43.53	1.01	$89,634	1,270
Georgia	$88,340+1%	$83,700	$42.47	0.93	$94,989	5,150
Colorado	$88,300+1%	$86,220	$42.45	1.05	$84,095	2,110
Virginia	$87,310+0%	$82,910	$41.98	1.03	$84,767	3,340
Wisconsin	$86,230-1%	$84,210	$41.46	0.93	$92,720	1,940
Illinois	$84,920-3%	$84,090	$40.83	0.99	$85,778	4,880
North Dakota	$84,710-3%	$81,230	$40.72	0.92	$92,076	270
Vermont	$84,640-3%	$83,820	$40.69	1.04	$81,385	210
Florida	$82,400-6%	$81,160	$39.61	0.97	$84,948	8,820
North Carolina	$81,360-7%	$80,090	$39.12	0.92	$88,435	4,630
Ohio	$81,240-7%	$79,920	$39.06	0.91	$89,275	6,640
Texas	$81,010-7%	$79,540	$38.95	0.92	$88,054	12,130
Arizona	$80,980-7%	$79,780	$38.93	0.97	$83,485	3,500
Nebraska	$80,710-8%	$81,590	$38.81	0.90	$89,678	840
Utah	$80,500-8%	$80,650	$38.70	0.97	$82,990	1,170
Maine	$80,400-8%	$82,470	$38.65	1.01	$79,604	520
Michigan	$78,550-10%	$79,850	$37.76	0.93	$84,462	4,520
Idaho	$78,370-10%	$78,460	$37.68	0.94	$83,372	820
Indiana	$78,190-10%	$79,730	$37.59	0.90	$86,878	3,170
Pennsylvania	$78,180-10%	$78,490	$37.59	0.98	$79,776	6,530
Montana	$77,850-11%	$81,190	$37.43	0.96	$81,094	390
Oklahoma	$77,710-11%	$78,800	$37.36	0.86	$90,360	2,000
Wyoming	$76,980-12%	$79,330	$37.01	0.94	$81,894	160
Missouri	$76,490-12%	$78,390	$36.77	0.89	$85,944	3,030
South Carolina	$76,490-12%	$77,740	$36.78	0.89	$85,944	1,960
Kansas	$74,860-14%	$76,970	$35.99	0.88	$85,068	1,450
Louisiana	$74,690-14%	$75,240	$35.91	0.91	$82,077	2,520
Iowa	$74,260-15%	$74,760	$35.70	0.89	$83,438	910
New Mexico	$73,720-16%	$68,870	$35.44	0.93	$79,269	840
Arkansas	$72,740-17%	$73,870	$34.97	0.84	$86,595	1,400
Kentucky	$72,470-17%	$72,750	$34.84	0.88	$82,352	2,530
Tennessee	$72,300-17%	$72,140	$34.76	0.90	$80,333	3,440
West Virginia	$71,970-18%	$68,670	$34.60	0.84	$85,679	1,140
South Dakota	$68,910-21%	$68,240	$33.13	0.89	$77,427	430
Alabama	$68,480-22%	$66,150	$32.92	0.87	$78,713	2,350
Mississippi	$68,120-22%	$63,270	$32.75	0.83	$82,072	1,670

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 29-1126 (Respiratory Therapists). COL factors derived from Missouri Economic Research and Information Center composite index. Adjusted salary approximates purchasing power relative to national average cost of living.

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