Respiratory Therapists: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical · SOC 29-1126 · O*NET 29-1126.00
Respiratory Therapists fall under the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical category in the U.S. occupational classification. Respiratory Therapists earn a median salary of $80,450 per year, ranking in the top 23% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +12.1% job growth through 2034, projected to grow faster than the US average. Entry into this field typically requires a bachelor's degree followed by a master's or doctoral degree, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do respiratory therapists earn?
The median annual wage for respiratory therapists is $80,450. That puts respiratory therapists at #187 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is above the U.S. median for individual workers and reflects a stable, credentialed occupation. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
Is respiratory therapists a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for respiratory therapists is +12.1%, projected to grow faster than the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 139K positions in 2024 to 156K in 2034, a net change of 17K. Faster-than-average growth means hiring is consistently outpacing the labor market overall. New entrants generally find their first roles faster than peers in stable fields.
What education does my child need to become respiratory therapist?
Becoming a respiratory therapist typically requires a bachelor's degree followed by a master's, doctoral, or professional degree, plus state licensure or board certification depending on specialty. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Related careers your child might also consider
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about respiratory therapists
What is the median salary for respiratory therapists?
The median annual salary for respiratory therapists is $80,450 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is respiratory therapists a growing career?
BLS projects +12.1% growth for respiratory therapists from 2024 through 2034, which is fast growth projected to grow faster than the US average.
What education does my child need to become respiratory therapist?
The typical entry path requires a bachelor's degree followed by a master's or doctoral degree, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to respiratory therapists?
Related occupations within the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 release.