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Respiratory therapist salary in Louisiana

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

$75,240median pay per year in Louisiana, or $36.17 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $61,520lowest 10% earn less
  2. $64,44025th percentile
  3. $75,240median
  4. $80,15075th percentile
  5. $91,200top 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 Louisiana was $75,240 a year in May 2025[1]. That was lower than the US median of $82,280[3].

Jobs in LA
2,520[4]
Rank by median pay
42 of 51[5]
Compared with US median
−8.6%[6]

How much do respiratory therapists make in Louisiana?

The median means half of the respiratory therapists in Louisiana earned more than $75,240 a year and half earned less[1]. That works out to $36.17 an hour[1]. The average was a bit lower, at $74,690 a year[7]. Across the US, the median was $82,280, so Louisiana sat $7,040 below it[6]. Compared with all jobs in the state, the median for this job was $29,720 higher than the $45,520 all-jobs median[8][9].

The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $61,520, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $91,200[2]. The middle half of workers fell between $64,440 and $80,150[2].

Among Louisiana metro areas, Slidell-Mandeville-Covington had the highest median, at $76,680[10]. New Orleans-Metairie had the largest job count, with a median of $76,590[11]. These figures cover wage and salary workers only. They leave out the self-employed, and they do not include nonproduction bonuses or the cost of benefits like health insurance[12].

Louisiana vs US pay

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

LAUS
Median per year$75,240[1]$82,280[3]
Median per hour$36.17[1]$39.56[3]
Lowest 10% earn less than$61,520[2]$63,660[13]
Top 10% earn more than$91,200[2]$118,050[13]
Jobs2,520[4]139,790[3]

Pay by metro area in Louisiana

Metro areas in Louisiana with the most jobs for respiratory therapists, and the median pay in each[11].

Metro areaMedian per yearJobs
New Orleans-Metairie, LA[11]$76,590620
Baton Rouge, LA$74,220320
Lafayette, LA$76,210290
Shreveport-Bossier City, LA$73,940280
Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA$76,680230
Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA$62,260120
Alexandria, LA$71,140110
Monroe, LA$75,77090

Pay in nearby states

Median pay for respiratory therapists in the states that border Louisiana, highest first[14].

StateMedian per yearJobs
Texas[14]$79,54012,130
Arkansas$73,8701,400
Mississippi$63,2701,670

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[15]. BLS does not publish this projection by state. The typical education for entry is: associate's degree[16].

How to become one: steps, training and duties

Frequently asked questions

How much does a respiratory therapist make in Louisiana?
The median was $75,240 a year in May 2025, and the average was $74,690[1][7].
How much does a respiratory therapist make an hour in Louisiana?
The median hourly wage was $36.17[1]. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $29.58 an hour, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $43.84[17][2].
Which city in Louisiana pays respiratory therapists the most?
Slidell-Mandeville-Covington had the highest median of the metro areas with a published figure, at $76,680 a year[10].
Is Louisiana a good state for respiratory therapists?
Louisiana had the 42nd highest median wage for this job out of the 50 states and DC[5]. Its median was $7,040 below the US median[6].
What do you need to become a respiratory therapist in Louisiana?
This is a US figure, not a state one. Across the US, the typical entry education is an associate's degree, with no work experience or on-the-job training needed[16].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Respiratory Therapists in Louisiana was $75,240 per year and $36.17 per hour. Half of these workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Respiratory Therapists in Louisiana: 10th percentile $61,520, 25th percentile $64,440, 75th percentile $80,150, 90th percentile $91,200. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less, the 90th means 10% earned more. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  3. 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
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 2,520 people worked as Respiratory Therapists in Louisiana (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS OEWS, May 2025: Louisiana had the 42nd highest median annual wage for Respiratory Therapists out of the 50 states and DC with a published median. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  6. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Respiratory Therapists in Louisiana ($75,240) was $7,040 (8.6%) lower than the US median ($82,280). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Respiratory Therapists in Louisiana was $74,690 per year and $35.91 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Respiratory Therapists in Louisiana was $29,720 higher than the median for all occupations in the state ($45,520). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in Louisiana was $45,520. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS, May 2025: of the 10 metro areas in or partly in Louisiana with a published median for Respiratory Therapists, Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA had the highest median annual wage, $76,680. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. Metro areas with the most jobs in this occupation, with median annual wage, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. 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
  13. 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
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, median annual wage for Respiratory Therapists in states that border Louisiana (highest first): Texas $79,540; Arkansas $73,870; Mississippi $63,270. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. 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
  16. 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
  17. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Respiratory Therapists in Louisiana: 10th percentile $29.58, 25th percentile $30.98, 75th percentile $38.53, 90th percentile $43.84. BLS OEWS, May 2025

State figures cover only Louisiana. 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.