Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations

Respiratory Therapists Salary in the United States

DOL-verified data from 42 government filings, with BLS survey comparison.

DOL Median Salary
$49,868
BLS median: $80,450
DOL Median Salary
$49,868
From 42 DOL filings
BLS Median Salary
$80,450
BLS OEWS 2024 survey
Total Employers
21
Companies with DOL filings
Total Employment
136,420
Estimated US workers (BLS)

DOL Filings vs BLS Survey

What Employers File with DOL

$49,868
DOL-Filed Salary Range
$35,360$48,193$49,868$55,640$83,672

This figure comes from 42 employer filings with the US Department of Labor under legal obligation. Employers file this salary when sponsoring workers for PERM green cards or H-1B visas.

What BLS Says the Market Pays

$80,450
BLS Survey Salary Range
$61,900$68,410$80,450$95,530$108,820

This figure comes from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey of 136,420 establishments. This is an independent survey-based estimate of what all workers in this occupation earn.

DOL-filed salaries are 38% lower than BLS survey data, which may reflect that sponsored positions concentrate in high-cost locations or experience-intensive roles.

Salary Distribution

Top Paying Employers for Respiratory Therapists

Ranked by median salary from DOL filings
RankEmployerMedian SalaryFilingsvs Market
1Covenant Medical Center$48,1935-40.1%
2LUBBOCK I ENTERPRISES, L.L.C.$35,3605-56.1%

View all companies hiring Respiratory Therapists

Salary by State

StateMedianvs NationalFilings
California$74,277-27.3%1
New York$65,669-36.8%2
Illinois$56,451-30.6%3
District of Columbia$53,414-48.8%1
Michigan$52,406-32.4%4
Florida$49,296-38.2%1
Pennsylvania$45,843-39.8%1
Georgia$45,000-45.1%1
Texas$44,304-42.9%4

Salary Trend - DOL Data

Education Requirements

From PERM filings

For Respiratory Therapists positions, 0% of PERM filings required a Bachelor's degree, 0% required a Master's degree, and 0% required no formal degree.

Education by Top Employer

Most common minimum education from PERM filings
EmployerMost Common EducationMedian Salary
Covenant Medical CenterAssociate's$48,193
LUBBOCK I ENTERPRISES, L.L.C.Not specified$35,360

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a Respiratory Therapists make?

Based on 42 DOL filings, the median salary for a Respiratory Therapists is $49,868, ranging from $48,193 to $55,640.

What is the highest salary for a Respiratory Therapists?

The 90th percentile salary is $108,820 according to BLS data.

Does this data include all Respiratory Therapists salaries or only visa-sponsored workers?

DOL filing data covers positions where the employer filed for PERM green card sponsorship or an H-1B visa. These filings represent a subset of all Respiratory Therapists positions. We compare this data against BLS OEWS data which covers all workers in this occupation.

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Source: US Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) public disclosure files (PERM Form ETA-9089 and LCA Form ETA-9035), and US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Salary figures represent employer filings and government survey estimates, not individual worker pay.