Respiratory Care Practitioner salary: $45.00/hr$1,800/wk$93,600/yr median.
Pay range $39.50$1,580$82,160–$50.50/hr$2,020/wk$105,040/yr across the middle 50% of active Support Allied Health Professional postings nationwide.
236 unique employers · 342 cities · 76 states. Pay moved -8.7% over the last 30 days.
How Respiratory Care Practitioner pay is distributed.
10% of postings pay under $36.00/hr$1,440/wk$74,880/yr. The top 10% pay above $57.20/hr$2,288/wk$118,976/yr.
How Respiratory Care Practitioner pay has moved month over month.
Median pay moved from $48.50 in Nov 2025 to $41.50 in Apr 2026 (-14.4%). Bars show monthly posting volume; the line tracks the posting-weighted median.
| Month | Median /hr/wk/yr | P25–P75 | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | $48.50$1,940$100,880 | $44.00$1,760$91,520–$60.82$2,433$126,506 | 110 |
| Dec 2025 | $43.00$1,720$89,440 | $38.00$1,520$79,040–$47.50$1,900$98,800 | 134 |
| Jan 2026 | $46.00$1,840$95,680 | $40.00$1,600$83,200–$51.00$2,040$106,080 | 112 |
| Feb 2026 | $46.00$1,840$95,680 | $43.00$1,720$89,440–$54.50$2,180$113,360 | 89 |
| Mar 2026 | $46.00$1,840$95,680 | $41.50$1,660$86,320–$51.50$2,060$107,120 | 305 |
| Apr 2026 | $41.50$1,660$86,320 | $37.50$1,500$78,000–$48.00$1,920$99,840 | 457 |
Respiratory Care Practitioner pay across every state with live data.
Showing all 20 states with live data. Bars scale to the highest-paying state.
The metros writing the biggest Respiratory Care Practitioner paychecks.
| City | State | Median /hr/wk/yr | P25–P75 | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| carmichael | CA · CALIFORNIA | $57.50$2,300$119,600 | $57.50$2,300$119,600–$59.50$2,380$123,760 | 12 |
| long beach | CA · CALIFORNIA | $52.50$2,100$109,200 | $52.50$2,100$109,200–$52.50$2,100$109,200 | 10 |
| los angeles | CA · CA | $51.50$2,060$107,120 | $50.75$2,030$105,560–$51.50$2,060$107,120 | 11 |
| los angeles | CA · CALIFORNIA | $51.50$2,060$107,120 | $51.50$2,060$107,120–$54.50$2,180$113,360 | 46 |
| northridge | CA · CALIFORNIA | $51.50$2,060$107,120 | $51.50$2,060$107,120–$51.50$2,060$107,120 | 19 |
Where the top of the market is paying for Respiratory Care Practitioner.
| Employer | Median /hr/wk/yr | Range | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|
| kaiser permanente | $61.74$2,470$128,419 | $45.57$1,823$94,786–$68.07$2,723$141,586 | 54 |
| MemorialCare | $52.50$2,100$109,200 | $52.50$2,100$109,200–$60.50$2,420$125,840 | 10 |
| MultiCare Health System | $50.50$2,020$105,040 | $38.00$1,520$79,040–$54.50$2,180$113,360 | 37 |
| Overlake Medical Center and Clinics | $51.00$2,040$106,080 | $47.50$1,900$98,800–$52.00$2,080$108,160 | 6 |
| PIH Health | $49.50$1,980$102,960 | $43.00$1,720$89,440–$51.50$2,060$107,120 | 6 |
| Providence Swedish | $53.50$2,140$111,280 | $50.00$2,000$104,000–$59.50$2,380$123,760 | 8 |
| RWJBarnabas Health | $49.00$1,960$101,920 | $49.00$1,960$101,920–$52.50$2,100$109,200 | 5 |
| Saint Peter's Healthcare System | $48.50$1,940$100,880 | $40.50$1,620$84,240–$48.50$1,940$100,880 | 10 |
| Stanford Health Care | $65.00$2,600$135,200 | $56.50$2,260$117,520–$68.00$2,720$141,440 | 6 |
| Sutter Health | $66.50$2,660$138,320 | $54.00$2,160$112,320–$66.50$2,660$138,320 | 27 |
Showing all 10 employers with live pay data.
How Respiratory Care Practitioner pay shifts by schedule and contract type.
Staff Position pays the most at $61.05/hr$2,442/wk$126,984/yr median — 50% above Contract at $40.75/hr$1,630/wk$84,760/yr. Fulltime drives the volume with 654 active postings.
How to become a Respiratory Care Practitioner.
Allied Health Professionals are the licensed and credentialed clinicians who deliver therapy, diagnostic imaging, lab work, rehabilitation, and procedural support inside healthcare — everyone who isn't a physician, nurse, dentist, or pharmacist. The category spans physical and occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, radiology and sonography, lab science, respiratory therapy, surgical tech, and dozens more. Because each profession has its own education and credentialing pathway, this page covers the shared structure: degree → clinical hours → national exam → state license.
Every allied health profession has its own ladder, but the shape is consistent: complete an accredited program in your specialty (CAAHEP, CAPTE, ACOTE, ASHA, ARC-PA, NAACLS, etc.), log the required supervised clinical hours, sit for the national credentialing exam (NPTE, NBCOT, ASCP, ARRT, etc.), and apply for state licensure. Most professions also require continuing education to maintain credentials.
| Degree | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate / Associate (AAS)Cert / AAS | 1-2 years | Entry point for technician-level allied roles — surgical tech, EKG tech, phlebotomy, medical assistant, sterile processing. Often combined with a credentialing exam. |
| Associate of Applied ScienceAAS | 2-3 years | Standard for radiologic technologist (RT), respiratory therapist (RRT entry route), and many lab tech roles. Includes supervised clinical hours. |
| Bachelor's degreeBS | 4 years | Required for clinical lab scientist (MLS), most sonography programs, radiation therapy, and the dietitian path. Often the prerequisite for graduate clinical programs. |
| Master's degreeMS / MOT / MSLP | 2-3 years post-bachelor | Required for entry to practice in occupational therapy (MOT/OTD), speech-language pathology (MSLP/CCC-SLP), and physician assistant programs. |
| Clinical doctorateDPT / OTD / AuD | 3 years post-bachelor | Required for physical therapy (DPT) and audiology (AuD) entry; the optional OTD elevates occupational therapists. The standard for several rehab professions today. |
Every clinical allied health profession requires a state-issued license. Eligibility almost always requires graduation from an accredited program plus passing a national credentialing exam.
Standard requirement for patient-facing allied health roles in hospital and clinic settings.
Examples: ARRT for radiologic technologists, NPTE for physical therapists, NBCOT for OTs, CCC-SLP for speech-language pathologists, ASCP for lab scientists, NBRC for respiratory therapists.
| Credential | Issued by | Pay impact |
|---|---|---|
| Specialty credential Advanced or sub-specialty credentialing Examples: orthopedic / neurologic / cardio specialty boards in PT, CT/MR/mammography modalities in radiology, IBCLC for lactation, RD for nutrition. Almost every allied profession has a credential that meaningfully moves pay and scope. | ABPTS, AOTA-BCG, ARRT post-primary, etc. | +5-15% |
| ACLS / PALS Advanced / Pediatric Life Support Required for ICU, ER, cath lab, and pediatric assignments in many imaging and respiratory roles. | American Heart Association | Setting-dependent |
- 0-1 yearsClinical fellow / new graduate
Newly licensed clinician working under mentorship. Many systems offer formal new-grad residencies (orthopedic, neuro, NICU, etc.).
- 1-4 yearsStaff clinician
Independent caseload across the standard scope of practice. Often the point at which clinicians pick a setting (acute, outpatient, school, home health) and start specialty CEUs.
- 4-7 yearsSenior / specialty clinician
Holds a board specialty or advanced credential. Takes on harder cases, supervises students/clinical fellows, and may lead specialty programs.
- 7-10 yearsLead / clinical coordinator
Oversees scheduling, protocols, and quality for a department or service line. Mentors staff and partners with physicians.
- 10+ yearsDepartment manager / director
Owns staffing, budget, and operations for a rehab, imaging, lab, or respiratory department. Often requires a master's or MHA.
Schedule. Outpatient roles run business hours; hospital roles include nights, weekends, and on-call coverage in imaging, lab, and respiratory. Therapy professions average 35-40 patient-care hours per week.
Physical demands. Varies by profession — therapy roles involve patient lifting and transfers, imaging and sonography require sustained standing and equipment positioning, and lab work is largely seated but visually demanding.
Allied health is one of the fastest-growing slices of healthcare. Physical therapy, occupational therapy, sonography, radiation therapy, and respiratory therapy all post above-average projected growth. An aging population, increased rehab demand, and imaging-driven diagnostics keep openings well above supply across most regions.
What clinicians ask about Respiratory Care Practitioner pay.
What is the average Respiratory Care Practitioner salary in 2026?
The median Respiratory Care Practitioner salary is $45.00/hr (approximately $93,600/yr) based on 1,207 active job postings.
What is the pay range for Respiratory Care Practitioner?
Hourly pay ranges from $39.50 at the 25th percentile to $50.50 at the 75th percentile, with the top 10% earning above $57.20/hr.
Which state pays Respiratory Care Practitioner roles the most?
Alabama currently leads with a median of $39.21/hr across 0 postings.
How many employers are hiring Respiratory Care Practitioners?
Our dataset shows 236 unique employers posting Respiratory Care Practitioner roles across 76 states.
Where does TrueRounds get Respiratory Care Practitioner salary data?
All salary figures are computed from active US healthcare job postings with listed pay ranges, collected over a rolling 180-day window and weighted by posting volume.
Explore other Allied Health Professional tracks.
Respiratory Care Practitioner sits inside the Support track. Here are sibling tracks across Allied Health Professional — same category, different clinical focus and pay envelope.
Active US healthcare postings. Weighted by volume. Refreshed daily.
Pay benchmarks are computed from active job postings with listed pay ranges, collected on a rolling 180-day window. Each role's percentiles are weighted by posting volume so a metro with two postings doesn't outweigh a metro with two hundred. Outliers (postings priced more than 4× the role median) are dropped to avoid contract-line distortion.
Use the data, then push back.
Bring these numbers into your next contract conversation. Recruiters know what the market pays — now you do too.