How much does a respiratory therapist make an hour in Illinois?

The median hourly wage was $40.43.

Is Illinois a good state for respiratory therapists?

Illinois ranked 19th out of 50 states and DC for the median annual wage for this job. The median was $1,810 higher than the US median. It was $32,130 above the median for all jobs in Illinois.

What do you need to become a respiratory therapist in Illinois?

This is a US figure, not a state one. Across the US, the typical entry education is an associate's degree.

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Respiratory therapist salary in Illinois

Q: How much does a respiratory therapist make in Illinois?

The median was $84,090 a year in May 2025. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $64,480 and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $100,100.

Updated November 2, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Published by Humblebee.

$84,090median pay per year in Illinois, or $40.43 an hour, May 2025^[1]

$64,480lowest 10% earn less
$77,44025th percentile
$84,090median
$96,26075th percentile
$100,100top 10% earn more

Middle half of workers in the inner band^[2]US median for this job, $82,280^[3]

The median pay for respiratory therapists in Illinois was $84,090 a year in May 2025^[1]. That was $1,810 higher than the US median^[6].

Jobs in IL: 4,880^[4]
Rank by median pay: 19 of 51^[5]
Compared with US median: +2.2%^[6]

How much do respiratory therapists make in Illinois?

Half of respiratory therapists in Illinois earned more than $84,090 a year, and half earned less^[1]. That works out to $40.43 an hour^[1].

Across the US, the median for this job was $82,280 a year^[3]. Illinois came in $1,810, or 2.2%, higher than that^[6]. Illinois had the 19th highest median for this job out of the 50 states and DC with a published figure^[5]. The median for all occupations in Illinois was $51,960, so they earned $32,130 more^[7]^[8].

The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $64,480, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $100,100^[2]. Among the 11 metro areas with a published median, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN had the highest at $87,060^[9]. St. Louis, MO-IL had a median of $79,210^[10].

These figures cover wage and salary workers only. They leave out the self-employed, and they do not include bonuses or the cost of benefits to employers^[11].

Illinois vs US pay

Pay for respiratory therapists in Illinois next to the national figures^[1]^[3].

	IL	US
Median per year	$84,090^[1]	$82,280^[3]
Median per hour	$40.43^[1]	$39.56^[3]
Lowest 10% earn less than	$64,480^[2]	$63,660^[12]
Top 10% earn more than	$100,100^[2]	$118,050^[12]
Jobs	4,880^[4]	139,790^[3]

Pay by metro area in Illinois

Metro areas in Illinois with the most jobs for respiratory therapists, and the median pay in each^[10]. A metro area that crosses state lines is counted as a whole.

Metro area	Median per year	Jobs
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN^[10]	$87,060	3,620
St. Louis, MO-IL	$79,210	1,260
Peoria, IL	$77,660	210
Rockford, IL	$77,640	160
Springfield, IL	$78,340	140
Champaign-Urbana, IL	$74,660	120
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL	$75,460	100
Cape Girardeau, MO-IL	$66,910	90

Pay in nearby states

Median pay for respiratory therapists in the states that border Illinois, highest first^[13].

State	Median per year	Jobs
Wisconsin^[13]	$84,210	1,940
Indiana	$79,730	3,170
Missouri	$78,390	3,030
Iowa	$74,760	910
Kentucky	$72,750	2,530

Median pay for respiratory therapists in every state

Job outlook and training

Across the US, jobs for respiratory therapists are projected to grow 8.5% from 2025 to 2035^[14]. BLS does not publish this projection by state. The typical education for entry is: associate's degree^[15].

How to become one: steps, training and duties

Frequently asked questions

How much does a respiratory therapist make in Illinois?: The median was $84,090 a year in May 2025^[1]. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $64,480 and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $100,100^[2].
How much does a respiratory therapist make an hour in Illinois?: The median hourly wage was $40.43^[1].
Which city in Illinois pays respiratory therapists the most?: Of the 11 metro areas with a published median, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN had the highest at $87,060 a year^[9].
Is Illinois a good state for respiratory therapists?: Illinois ranked 19th out of 50 states and DC for the median annual wage for this job^[5]. The median was $1,810 higher than the US median^[6]. It was $32,130 above the median for all jobs in Illinois^[8].
What do you need to become a respiratory therapist in Illinois?: This is a US figure, not a state one. Across the US, the typical entry education is an associate's degree^[15].

Facts and sources

BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Respiratory Therapists in Illinois was $84,090 per year and $40.43 per hour. Half of these workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Respiratory Therapists in Illinois: 10th percentile $64,480, 25th percentile $77,440, 75th percentile $96,260, 90th percentile $100,100. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less, the 90th means 10% earned more. BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Respiratory Therapists in the US as a whole was $82,280 per year and $39.56 per hour, with about 139,790 jobs nationwide. BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 4,880 people worked as Respiratory Therapists in Illinois (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS OEWS, May 2025: Illinois had the 19th highest median annual wage for Respiratory Therapists out of the 50 states and DC with a published median. BLS OEWS, May 2025
CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Respiratory Therapists in Illinois ($84,090) was $1,810 (2.2%) higher than the US median ($82,280). BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in Illinois was $51,960. BLS OEWS, May 2025
CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Respiratory Therapists in Illinois was $32,130 higher than the median for all occupations in the state ($51,960). BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS OEWS, May 2025: of the 11 metro areas in or partly in Illinois with a published median for Respiratory Therapists, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN had the highest median annual wage, $87,060. BLS OEWS, May 2025
Metro areas with the most jobs in this occupation, with median annual wage, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Respiratory Therapists in the US: 10th percentile $63,660, 25th percentile $74,520, 75th percentile $98,730, 90th percentile $118,050. BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS OEWS, May 2025, median annual wage for Respiratory Therapists in states that border Illinois (highest first): Wisconsin $84,210; Indiana $79,730; Missouri $78,390; Iowa $74,760; Kentucky $72,750. BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS Employment Projections (US, not by state): employment of Respiratory Therapists is projected to grow 8.5% nationwide from 2025 to 2035, with about 8,600 openings a year on average. All occupations are projected to grow 3.5%. BLS Employment Projections
BLS Employment Projections (US, not by state), typical path into Respiratory Therapists: education needed for entry: Associate's degree; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: None. BLS Employment Projections

State figures cover only Illinois. Job outlook and entry requirements are national (US) figures: BLS does not publish them by state in our sources. Figures labelled “CareerFacts calculation” are simple differences between the BLS numbers shown.