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Respiratory therapist salary in New York

Updated October 30, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Published by Humblebee.

$107,810median pay per year in New York, or $51.83 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $81,270lowest 10% earn less
  2. $95,69025th percentile
  3. $107,810median
  4. $126,88075th percentile
  5. $131,500top 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 New York was $107,810 a year in May 2025[1]. That was the 2nd highest of any state[5].

Jobs in NY
7,010[4]
Rank by median pay
2 of 51[5]
Compared with US median
+31.0%[6]

How much do respiratory therapists make in New York?

Half of the respiratory therapists in New York earned more than $107,810 a year, and half earned less[1]. That works out to $51.83 an hour[1]. The average was a bit higher, at $110,200 a year[7].

Across the US, the median for respiratory therapists was $82,280 a year[3]. New York was $25,530 (31.0%) higher than that[6]. For all jobs in New York, the median was $59,670[8], so respiratory therapists were $48,140 above it[9].

The lowest-paid 10% of respiratory therapists in New York earned less than $81,270, and the top 10% earned more than $131,500[2]. Pay was highest in the New York-Newark-Jersey City area, where the median was $110,490[10]. Buffalo-Cheektowaga had a median of $86,720[11].

These figures come from OEWS, which counts wage and salary workers. It leaves out the self-employed and owners of unincorporated firms. Bonuses outside regular production pay and the cost of benefits like health insurance are also not in the wages[12].

New York vs US pay

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

NYUS
Median per year$107,810[1]$82,280[3]
Median per hour$51.83[1]$39.56[3]
Lowest 10% earn less than$81,270[2]$63,660[13]
Top 10% earn more than$131,500[2]$118,050[13]
Jobs7,010[4]139,790[3]

Pay by metro area in New York

Metro areas in New York with the most jobs for respiratory therapists, and the median pay in each[11]. A metro area that crosses state lines is counted as a whole.

Metro areaMedian per yearJobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ[11]$110,4907,010
Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY$86,720510
Rochester, NY$82,990410
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY$85,250300
Syracuse, NY$85,860280
Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY$106,910240
Binghamton, NY$103,200100
Utica-Rome, NY$91,61090

Pay in nearby states

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

StateMedian per yearJobs
Massachusetts[14]$102,1702,220
New Jersey$100,8103,350
Connecticut$85,2301,370
Vermont$83,820210
Pennsylvania$78,4906,530

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[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 New York?
The median was $107,810 a year in May 2025, and the average was $110,200[1][7].
How much does a respiratory therapist make an hour in New York?
The median hourly wage was $51.83[1]. The 10th percentile was $39.07 an hour and the 90th was $63.22[17].
Which city in New York pays respiratory therapists the most?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ had the highest median, $110,490 a year[10]. Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh came next among the listed areas at $106,910[11].
Is New York a good state for respiratory therapists?
On pay alone, New York ranked 2nd highest among the 50 states and DC for the median wage[5]. Its median was $25,530 above the US median[6].
What do you need to become a respiratory therapist in New York?
Across the US, the typical entry education is an associate's degree, with no work experience or on-the-job training needed[16]. This is a US figure, not one for New York.

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Respiratory Therapists in New York was $107,810 per year and $51.83 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 New York: 10th percentile $81,270, 25th percentile $95,690, 75th percentile $126,880, 90th percentile $131,500. 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 7,010 people worked as Respiratory Therapists in New York (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS OEWS, May 2025: New York had the 2nd 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 New York ($107,810) was $25,530 (31.0%) higher than the US median ($82,280). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Respiratory Therapists in New York was $110,200 per year and $52.98 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in New York was $59,670. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Respiratory Therapists in New York was $48,140 higher than the median for all occupations in the state ($59,670). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS, May 2025: of the 9 metro areas in or partly in New York with a published median for Respiratory Therapists, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ had the highest median annual wage, $110,490. 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 New York (highest first): Massachusetts $102,170; New Jersey $100,810; Connecticut $85,230; Vermont $83,820; Pennsylvania $78,490. 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 New York: 10th percentile $39.07, 25th percentile $46.00, 75th percentile $61.00, 90th percentile $63.22. BLS OEWS, May 2025

State figures cover only New York. 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.