The median Respiratory Care Practitioner salary is $45.00 per hour, or $93,600 per year, based on 1,207 job postings across 76 states. Compare pay by location, employer, shift, and contract type.
$45.00
Median hourly
$93,600
Annual salary
$36-$57
Pay range
76
States tracked
Salary guide
A typical Respiratory Care Practitioner earns $45.00/hr, with most posted roles landing between $39.50 and $50.50/hr.
Recent posted pay is down, with the last 30 days showing -8.7% movement versus the prior period.
Location matters: Carmichael, CALIFORNIA is currently among the highest-paying cities, while Lexington, KY sits near the lower end.
30-day market pulse
Compare the most recent 30 days of job postings against the previous 30 days. Use this as a quick read on whether pay and hiring volume are moving together.
Posted pay
-8.7%
Current median: $42.00/hr
Prior period: $46.00/hr
Job openings
+84.3%
494 recent postings
Previous period: 268 postings
Daily pay signal
$42.00/hr latest
Year-over-year
Building
We are collecting enough historical Respiratory Care Practitioner postings to show a reliable year-over-year pay comparison.
Pay is moving down in recent listings, falling from $46.00/hr to $42.00/hr.
Pay range
The middle band is usually the most useful offer benchmark. The 10th and 90th percentiles show the broader market floor and ceiling.
Entry / low
$36.00
$74,880/yr
Median
$45.00
$93,600/yr
Top earners
$57.20
$118,976/yr
MARKET TRENDS
Month-over-month median hourly pay and posting volume.
| Month | Median Hourly | Postings |
|---|---|---|
Apr 2026Current | $41.50/hr | 457 |
Mar 2026 | $46.00/hr | 305 |
Feb 2026 | $46.00/hr | 89 |
Jan 2026 | $46.00/hr | 112 |
Dec 2025 | $43.00/hr | 134 |
Nov 2025 | $48.50/hr | 110 |
BY LOCATION
See how pay varies across the country. Ranked by job volume.
Estimated from national data
~$39.21
—
7 postings · 1 companies
$47.50
$46-$50
7 postings · 1 companies
$37.50
$38-$38
Estimated from national data
~$41.63
—
314 postings · 50 companies
$51.50
$43-$55
27 postings · 4 companies
$40.50
$37-$42
7 postings · 1 companies
$47.00
$46-$47
Estimated from national data
~$40.50
—
Estimated from national data
~$42.22
—
Estimated from national data
~$36.52
—
27 postings · 2 companies
$38.00
$38-$38
Estimated from national data
~$40.57
—
Estimated from national data
~$35.59
—
40 postings · 11 companies
$38.50
$38-$44
Estimated from national data
~$41.78
—
7 postings · 1 companies
$19.00
$19-$19
Estimated from national data
~$42.90
—
Estimated from national data
~$41.84
—
Estimated from national data
~$41.60
—
Estimated from national data
~$40.93
—
49 postings · 4 companies
$41.50
$42-$44
Estimated from national data
~$39.00
—
Estimated from national data
~$46.01
—
5 postings · 2 companies
$45.00
$34-$45
Estimated from national data
~$42.06
—
Estimated from national data
~$36.13
—
Estimated from national data
~$46.45
—
9 postings · 2 companies
$41.50
$42-$42
Estimated from national data
~$35.75
—
Estimated from national data
~$47.54
—
7 postings · 2 companies
$48.50
$47-$49
Estimated from national data
~$45.75
—
5 postings · 3 companies
$50.50
$42-$51
Estimated from national data
~$41.37
—
Estimated from national data
~$40.90
—
5 postings · 3 companies
$34.00
$34-$35
Estimated from national data
~$46.92
—
44 postings · 7 companies
$47.50
$46-$48
Estimated from national data
~$40.08
—
14 postings · 1 companies
$44.50
$44-$45
Estimated from national data
~$43.18
—
Estimated from national data
~$38.35
—
Estimated from national data
~$45.65
—
7 postings · 4 companies
$36.00
$36-$40
6 postings · 2 companies
$34.00
$34-$34
5 postings · 1 companies
$38.50
$39-$39
Estimated from national data
~$36.61
—
144 postings · 16 companies
$46.00
$45-$51
Estimated from national data
~$46.29
—
Estimated from national data
~$36.35
—
Estimated from national data
~$38.93
—
Est.Estimated values are based on national averages.
BY CITY
See which cities offer the highest and lowest Respiratory Care Practitioner salaries.
Carmichael
California · 12 postings
$57.50/hr
Long Beach
California · 10 postings
$52.50/hr
Los Angeles
Ca · 11 postings
$51.50/hr
Los Angeles
California · 46 postings
$51.50/hr
Northridge
California · 19 postings
$51.50/hr
Lexington
Ky · 10 postings
$30.50/hr
Atlanta
Georgia · 20 postings
$38.00/hr
Lynwood
California · 13 postings
$39.50/hr
Baltimore
Maryland · 23 postings
$41.50/hr
Providence
Rhode Island · 10 postings
$44.50/hr
BY EMPLOYER
See which companies pay the most and least for Respiratory Care Practitioner positions.
Sutter Health
27 postings
$66.50/hr
Stanford Health Care
6 postings
$65.00/hr
Kaiser Permanente
54 postings
$61.74/hr
Providence Swedish
8 postings
$53.50/hr
Memorialcare
10 postings
$52.50/hr
Kindred Hospitals
8 postings
$32.75/hr
Scionhealth
7 postings
$33.00/hr
Apria Healthcare
6 postings
$33.25/hr
The University Of Toledo
5 postings
$34.00/hr
Covenant Health
5 postings
$36.00/hr
RELATED POSITIONS
| Job Title | Postings | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Respiratory Care Practitioner | 213 | $46.00/hr |
| Respiratory Therapist | 129 | $39.00/hr |
| Respiratory Care Practitioner Ii Registered | 38 | $43.75/hr |
| Respiratory Care Practitioner Ii | 32 | $57.50/hr |
| Respiratory Therapist Reg | 28 | $41.50/hr |
| Respiratory Therapist (rt) | 20 | $39.75/hr |
| Respiratory Care Practitioner Nicu | 19 | $54.50/hr |
| Respiratory Care Practitioner I Registered | 14 | $60.82/hr |
| Respiratory Care Practitioner Iii | 13 | $59.50/hr |
| Respiratory Care Practitioner Registered | 13 | $52.00/hr |
PAY FACTORS
How shift type, contract length, and employment type impact Respiratory Care Practitioner salaries.
FAQ
The median Respiratory Care Practitioner salary is $45.00 per hour, or $93,600 annually. Pay ranges from $36.00/hr (10th percentile) to $57.20/hr (90th percentile) depending on location, experience, and employer.
Based on 1,207 job postings, the highest paying states for Respiratory Care Practitioners include California, New York, New Jersey. Pay rates vary based on cost of living, demand, and state regulations.
There are currently 1,207 Respiratory Care Practitioner job postings across 76 states, from 236 different healthcare employers.
Respiratory Care Practitioner pay varies based on geographic location, years of experience, certifications, shift differentials (nights/weekends), employment type (travel vs. staff), facility type, and specialized skills. Travel contracts typically pay higher hourly rates.
Respiratory Care Practitioner pay is currently trending downward. Over the past 30 days, median hourly rates decreased 8.7%.
Respiratory Care Practitioner pay varies by specialty and setting. Travel positions typically pay $5.50 to $12.20 more per hour than staff positions. Night shifts and weekend differentials also increase earnings.
Pay varies significantly by location. Top paying cities like Carmichael offer $57.50/hr, while lower cost areas may pay around $30.50/hr. However, rural areas often offer signing bonuses and housing stipends to attract talent.
Entry-level Respiratory Care Practitioners typically earn around $36.00 to $39.50 per hour ($74,880 to $82,160 annually). With experience, pay increases toward the median of $45.00/hr.
DATA METHOD
Source
Based on 1,207 active postings with listed compensation for Respiratory Care Practitioner. We prioritize postings with explicit hourly or annual pay and exclude rows without usable compensation signals from salary percentiles.
Range
Percentiles show the spread of posted pay, not a guaranteed offer or take-home pay after taxes. State and city views use available market observations and label estimated values when direct samples are limited.
Freshness
Current dataset window: 2025-11-01 to 2026-04-30. Recent trend cards compare the latest posting window with the prior period so short-term pay movement is separated from the full historical median.
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