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Best states for a certified respiratory therapist
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Job opportunities vary from state to state, and healthcare practitioner and technical careers are no different. Because we know how difficult it can be to know which states are the best when it comes to certified respiratory therapist jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for certified respiratory therapists.As certified respiratory therapists are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for certified respiratory therapists. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as a certified respiratory therapist, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
The median salary for certified respiratory therapists in California is $73,213. Compare that to the median salary in New Mexico of $45,777, which ranked worst for certified respiratory therapists, and you can see how your location is important for your career.California is the best state, and Pacifica is the city with the highest pay for certified respiratory therapists.
10 best states for certified respiratory therapists in 2026
1. California
Total certified respiratory therapist jobs: 6,456 Average annual salary: $73,213 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $122,000 Location Quotient: 1.3
2. Nevada
Total certified respiratory therapist jobs: 394 Average annual salary: $66,570 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $110,000 Location Quotient: 1.11
3. Indiana
Total certified respiratory therapist jobs: 1,940 Average annual salary: $59,851 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $103,000 Location Quotient: 1.74
4. Oklahoma
Total certified respiratory therapist jobs: 833 Average annual salary: $58,887 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $101,000 Location Quotient: 1.6
5. New York
Total certified respiratory therapist jobs: 2,932 Average annual salary: $68,587 Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $131,000 Location Quotient: 1.35
6. Oregon
Total certified respiratory therapist jobs: 1,031 Average annual salary: $64,550 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $96,000 Location Quotient: 1.47
7. New Jersey
Total certified respiratory therapist jobs: 1,892 Average annual salary: $64,162 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $122,000 Location Quotient: 1.41
8. Texas
Total certified respiratory therapist jobs: 4,882 Average annual salary: $59,002 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $106,000 Location Quotient: 1.42
9. Washington
Total certified respiratory therapist jobs: 1,064 Average annual salary: $65,951 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Location Quotient: 0.86
10. Virginia
Total certified respiratory therapist jobs: 2,226 Average annual salary: $57,798 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $106,000 Location Quotient: 1.39
Certified respiratory therapist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a certified respiratory therapist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a certified respiratory therapist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $73,213 | $43,000 | 39,536,653 | 6,456 |
| 2 | Nevada | $66,570 | $39,000 | 2,998,039 | 394 |
| 3 | Indiana | $59,851 | $34,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,940 |
| 4 | Oklahoma | $58,887 | $34,000 | 3,930,864 | 833 |
| 5 | New York | $68,587 | $35,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,932 |
| 6 | Oregon | $64,550 | $43,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,031 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $64,162 | $33,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,892 |
| 8 | Texas | $59,002 | $32,000 | 28,304,596 | 4,882 |
| 9 | Washington | $65,951 | $46,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,064 |
| 10 | Virginia | $57,798 | $31,000 | 8,470,020 | 2,226 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $58,037 | $30,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,532 |
| 12 | Louisiana | $56,381 | $30,000 | 4,684,333 | 541 |
| 13 | South Carolina | $59,695 | $32,000 | 5,024,369 | 141 |
| 14 | Maryland | $59,505 | $32,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,217 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $68,531 | $37,000 | 693,972 | 174 |
| 16 | Idaho | $60,819 | $40,000 | 1,716,943 | 197 |
| 17 | Alaska | $70,105 | $63,000 | 739,795 | 101 |
| 18 | Tennessee | $54,439 | $30,000 | 6,715,984 | 819 |
| 19 | North Dakota | $52,602 | $34,000 | 755,393 | 189 |
| 20 | Utah | $54,184 | $34,000 | 3,101,833 | 554 |
| 21 | Minnesota | $58,197 | $36,000 | 5,576,606 | 588 |
| 22 | Michigan | $54,836 | $31,000 | 9,962,311 | 910 |
| 23 | Missouri | $52,372 | $30,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,545 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $55,092 | $32,000 | 5,795,483 | 722 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $54,607 | $30,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,259 |
| 26 | Florida | $57,774 | $30,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,258 |
| 27 | Kansas | $53,419 | $31,000 | 2,913,123 | 475 |
| 28 | Montana | $54,712 | $37,000 | 1,050,493 | 184 |
| 29 | Alabama | $51,533 | $28,000 | 4,874,747 | 902 |
| 30 | Georgia | $53,948 | $29,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,459 |
| 31 | Mississippi | $51,525 | $28,000 | 2,984,100 | 390 |
| 32 | Ohio | $52,405 | $29,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,364 |
| 33 | Arizona | $53,651 | $31,000 | 7,016,270 | 782 |
| 34 | West Virginia | $52,620 | $29,000 | 1,815,857 | 72 |
| 35 | South Dakota | $52,742 | $33,000 | 869,666 | 35 |
| 36 | Colorado | $53,822 | $33,000 | 5,607,154 | 799 |
| 37 | Hawaii | $68,597 | $61,000 | 1,427,538 | 90 |
| 38 | Connecticut | $56,406 | $29,000 | 3,588,184 | 174 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $50,144 | $30,000 | 1,920,076 | 382 |
| 40 | Illinois | $49,657 | $29,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,782 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $46,762 | $26,000 | 4,454,189 | 904 |
| 42 | Vermont | $49,042 | $24,000 | 623,657 | 133 |
| 43 | Delaware | $53,675 | $28,000 | 961,939 | 159 |
| 44 | New Hampshire | $49,352 | $24,000 | 1,342,795 | 233 |
| 45 | Iowa | $48,976 | $29,000 | 3,145,711 | 511 |
| 46 | Wyoming | $48,554 | $31,000 | 579,315 | 76 |
| 47 | Massachusetts | $53,269 | $26,000 | 6,859,819 | 205 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $41,747 | $23,000 | 3,004,279 | 515 |
| 49 | Maine | $41,100 | $20,000 | 1,335,907 | 195 |
| 50 | Rhode Island | $43,967 | $22,000 | 1,059,639 | 61 |
| 51 | New Mexico | $45,777 | $26,000 | 2,088,070 | 140 |
Highest paying states for certified respiratory therapists
| Rank | State | Avg. Certified Respiratory Therapist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $73,213 |
| 2 | Nevada | $66,570 |
| 3 | Indiana | $59,851 |
| 4 | Oklahoma | $58,887 |
| 5 | New York | $68,587 |
| 6 | Oregon | $64,550 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $64,162 |
| 8 | Texas | $59,002 |
| 9 | Washington | $65,951 |
| 10 | Virginia | $57,798 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $58,037 |
| 12 | Louisiana | $56,381 |
| 13 | South Carolina | $59,695 |
| 14 | Maryland | $59,505 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $68,531 |
| 16 | Idaho | $60,819 |
| 17 | Alaska | $70,105 |
| 18 | Tennessee | $54,439 |
| 19 | North Dakota | $52,602 |
| 20 | Utah | $54,184 |
| 21 | Minnesota | $58,197 |
| 22 | Michigan | $54,836 |
| 23 | Missouri | $52,372 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $55,092 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $54,607 |
| 26 | Florida | $57,774 |
| 27 | Kansas | $53,419 |
| 28 | Montana | $54,712 |
| 29 | Alabama | $51,533 |
| 30 | Georgia | $53,948 |
| 31 | Mississippi | $51,525 |
| 32 | Ohio | $52,405 |
| 33 | Arizona | $53,651 |
| 34 | West Virginia | $52,620 |
| 35 | South Dakota | $52,742 |
| 36 | Colorado | $53,822 |
| 37 | Hawaii | $68,597 |
| 38 | Connecticut | $56,406 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $50,144 |
| 40 | Illinois | $49,657 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $46,762 |
| 42 | Vermont | $49,042 |
| 43 | Delaware | $53,675 |
| 44 | New Hampshire | $49,352 |
| 45 | Iowa | $48,976 |
| 46 | Wyoming | $48,554 |
| 47 | Massachusetts | $53,269 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $41,747 |
| 49 | Maine | $41,100 |
| 50 | Rhode Island | $43,967 |
| 51 | New Mexico | $45,777 |
Certified respiratory therapist best states FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare practitioner and technical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025