The highest respiratory therapist is earned in Australia, with AU$86,723 (US$64,391). Australia is followed at a distance by the United States where professionals earn $58,670 per year, the United Kingdom with £32,268 (US$42,101), Canada with C$55,509 (US$40,627), and New Zealand with NZ$56,495 (US$39,144). The lowest salaries for respiratory therapists are registered in India where professionals earn Rs443,000 (US$6,846) and in South Africa with ZAR180,000 (US$13,332).
How Much Does a Respiratory Therapist Make per Year?
Factors that Influence the Respiratory Therapist Salary
There are three main factors that usually influence the salary of a respiratory therapist. The geographic location of the employer, the level of experience of each employee, and the industry to which the job belongs. Of course, there are also other factors that influence the salary of respiratory therapist, but they are not as relevant as the three factors about which we’re going to talk about.
Geographic Area
The geographic area where the job is located has perhaps the biggest influence on the respiratory therapist salary.
Respiratory Therapist Salary in the US
A respiratory therapist earns, on average, $58,670 per year, which translates to $28.21 per hour. A beginner in this field can expect a yearly salary of $36,970 for the first years, but bonuses can add about $300 to that amount. After about 10-15 years in this field, an experienced professional can expect to earn about $73,851 per year.
Below, you will be able to find a series of tables documenting the states, metropolitan, and non-metropolitan areas. We will analyze the highest levels of employment and the highest salaries for anyone looking to get any respiratory therapist jobs.
Highest Levels of Employment for Respiratory Therapists
The states offering the highest levels of employment for respiratory therapists are as follows:
Highest Respiratory Therapist Salaries in the US
Meanwhile, the states which offer the highest salary for respiratory therapist are the following:
Respiratory Therapist Salary in Canada
A respiratory therapist working in Canada earns about C$63,000, or the equivalent of US$46,160. A beginner in this field earns about C$36,766 (US$26,939) per year and can reach the national average for this profession in about 5 to 10 years. After more than 15 years in this field, a professional can get to earn C$87,239, or US$63,913. Bonuses can account for up to C$6,100, or US$4,465 per year.
Respiratory Therapist Salary in the UK
According to plotr.co.uk, a respiratory therapist working in Canada earns about C$63,000 (US$46,160) per year. A beginner in this field can take home around £23,747, or US$30,925. With time and experience, however, a respiratory therapist can earn up to £43,453 per year, or US$56,587.
Respiratory Therapist Salary in Australia
A registered respiratory therapist working in Australia earns about AU$86,723 (US$64,391) per year, which translates to AU$41.69 (US$30.98) per hour. Unregistered professionals or beginners in this field can expect wages around AU$53,000 (US$39,660). Nevertheless, those working as respiratory therapists in Australia for more than 10-15 years and are in a management position can expect yearly salaries around AU$142,000, or US$106,260.
Respiratory Therapist Salary in New Zealand
Although no info is available on the respiratory therapist salary in New Zealand, we can take the physiotherapist salary as a reference. Therefore, a beginner physiotherapist working in New Zealand will earn about NZ$45,238 (US$31,854), while a professional working in this field for more than 10-15 years will take home NZ$70,409 (US$49,564). Bonuses can add up to NZ$10,067 (US$7,086), and commission another NZ$15,075 (US$10,611) per year for those eligible.
Respiratory Therapist Salary in India
According to SalaryExpert, the average salary for a clinical coordinator in respiratory therapy working in India is Rs443,000, or US39,144. This translates to Rs212.98 (US$3.29) per hour.
Respiratory Therapist Salary in South Africa
Even though no info is available on the respiratory therapist salary in South Africa, we can take the physical therapist salary and the registered nurse salary as references. Therefore, a healthcare employee with respiratory therapy skills working in South Africa will earn about ZAR180,000 or US$13,332 per year.
Experience
Aside from the certified or registered respiratory therapist salary, which would automatically be higher because of the extra effort and qualifications, the amount of time spent in the profession also greatly influences the respiratory therapist salary. The average respiratory therapist salary usually grows by about $15,000 over the course of one’s professional experience.
According to payscale.com, the estimated salary path for a respiratory therapist, with the respiratory therapist starting salary estimated at $46,000, goes as follows:
- $46,000 – $52,000 after the first five to ten years of experience
- $52,000 – $56,000 after the first ten to twenty years of experience
- $56,000 – $60,000 after more than twenty years on the job
Understandably, the respiratory therapist assistant salary is always going to be lower than that of someone with more responsibilities in their job description.
Industry
Depending on the industry in which each job candidate is employed, the respiratory therapist salary can change by as much as $14,000. Sadly, however, the industries offering the highest pay for the occupation are seldom the same ones offering the largest amount of job opportunities. This is a common occurrence throughout pretty much all job sectors.
The industries with the highest levels of employment for respiratory therapists are as follows:
Working Hours
As with most jobs in the healthcare industry, the working hours of a respiratory therapist are very chaotic. The average RT usually works about three twelve-hour shifts per week, as well as other regular shifts. This makes the average respiratory therapist work week anywhere between 50 to 70 hours long.
Add to this the fact that most respiratory therapists work nights, weekends, and holidays, as well as the fact that they usually go on call, and their schedule can get pretty full most of the times. Of course, it all depends on the industry and the place of employment of the job opening.
If you are interested in other healthcare jobs with similar working hours, you can also check out our guide to the radiation therapist salary.
Bonuses and Benefits Packages
According to payscale.com, the average respiratory therapist salary is often improved by other factors, such as bonuses, commissions, and profit sharing. The three of these can, in theory, bring a maximum addition of about $7,000 a year.
As for the benefits packages, they usually are the same as for any other profession in the healthcare industry – life, health, and malpractice insurance, a decent number of sick and paid leaves, and even a 401(K) plan.
Job Outlook
The employment rate for respiratory therapists is estimated to grow 12% by 2024. This is faster than the average for all occupations in the United States. The growth is owed to the permanent increase of the elderly population, as well as to an increase in the incidence of most respiratory conditions.
Conclusion
With the moderate amount of education required for the position and with the highly optimistic job outlook for the profession, most people hoping for a respiratory therapist salary are satisfied with their jobs. While the long work hours would make some reconsider their career choices, the rest of the benefits provided by the job make it worth their while.
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