How much does a respiratory therapist make in North Carolina?

The median was $80,090 a year in May 2025, and the average was $81,360. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $63,990 and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $99,520.

How much does a respiratory therapist make an hour in North Carolina?

The median hourly wage was $38.51. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $30.77 an hour, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $47.85.

Which city in North Carolina pays respiratory therapists the most?

Raleigh-Cary had the highest median among the 12 metro areas with a published figure, at $87,820 a year. Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia had the largest job count, 1,110, with a median of $82,020.

Is North Carolina a good state for respiratory therapists?

North Carolina had the 29th highest median annual wage for this job out of the 50 states and DC with a published median. The state median of $80,090 was 2.7% below the US median.

What do you need to become a respiratory therapist in North Carolina?

This is a US figure, not one for North Carolina. Across the US, the typical education needed for entry is an Associate's degree, with no work experience or on-the-job training listed.

All careers › Respiratory Therapists › North Carolina

Respiratory therapist salary in North Carolina

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

$80,090median pay per year in North Carolina, or $38.51 an hour, May 2025^[1]

$63,990lowest 10% earn less
$68,01025th percentile
$80,090median
$87,82075th percentile
$99,520top 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 North Carolina was $80,090 a year in May 2025^[1]. That was $2,190 lower than the US median^[6].

Jobs in NC: 4,630^[4]
Rank by median pay: 29 of 51^[5]
Compared with US median: −2.7%^[6]

How much do respiratory therapists make in North Carolina?

Respiratory therapists in North Carolina had a median wage of $80,090 a year, or $38.51 an hour^[1]. Half of them earned more than that and half earned less. The average was a bit higher, at $81,360 a year^[7]. The US median was $82,280^[3], so North Carolina sat $2,190 (2.7%) lower^[6]. Across all jobs in the state, the median was $47,970^[8]. Respiratory therapists earned $32,120 more than that^[9].

The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $63,990 a year, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $99,520^[2]. The middle half of workers fell between $68,010 and $87,820^[2]. By the hour, that middle range ran from $32.70 to $42.22^[10]. About 4,630 people held these jobs in the state^[4].

Pay differs by area. Of the 12 metro areas in or partly in North Carolina with a published median, Raleigh-Cary had the highest, at $87,820^[11]. Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia had the largest job count, 1,110, with a median of $82,020^[12]. Greenville had a median of $69,310^[12].

OEWS counts wage and salary workers, both part-time and full-time. It leaves out the self-employed and business owners. It also leaves out bonuses that are not tied to production and the cost of benefits like health insurance^[13].

North Carolina vs US pay

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

	NC	US
Median per year	$80,090^[1]	$82,280^[3]
Median per hour	$38.51^[1]	$39.56^[3]
Lowest 10% earn less than	$63,990^[2]	$63,660^[14]
Top 10% earn more than	$99,520^[2]	$118,050^[14]
Jobs	4,630^[4]	139,790^[3]

Pay by metro area in North Carolina

Metro areas in North Carolina with the most jobs for respiratory therapists, and the median pay in each^[12]. A metro area that crosses state lines is counted as a whole.

Metro area	Median per year	Jobs
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC^[12]	$82,020	1,110
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC	$80,990	710
Winston-Salem, NC	$80,250	530
Raleigh-Cary, NC	$87,820	430
Greensboro-High Point, NC	$80,090	290
Wilmington, NC	$81,020	200
Asheville, NC	$81,550	150
Greenville, NC	$69,310	150

Pay in nearby states

Median pay for respiratory therapists in the states that border North Carolina, highest first^[15].

State	Median per year	Jobs
Georgia^[15]	$83,700	5,150
Virginia	$82,910	3,340
South Carolina	$77,740	1,960
Tennessee	$72,140	3,440

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^[16]. BLS does not publish this projection by state. The typical education for entry is: associate's degree^[17].

How to become one: steps, training and duties

Frequently asked questions

How much does a respiratory therapist make in North Carolina?: The median was $80,090 a year in May 2025, and the average was $81,360^[1]^[7]. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $63,990 and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $99,520^[2].
How much does a respiratory therapist make an hour in North Carolina?: The median hourly wage was $38.51^[1]. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $30.77 an hour, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $47.85^[10]^[2].
Which city in North Carolina pays respiratory therapists the most?: Raleigh-Cary had the highest median among the 12 metro areas with a published figure, at $87,820 a year^[11]. Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia had the largest job count, 1,110, with a median of $82,020^[12].
Is North Carolina a good state for respiratory therapists?: North Carolina had the 29th highest median annual wage for this job out of the 50 states and DC with a published median^[5]. The state median of $80,090 was 2.7% below the US median^[1]^[6].
What do you need to become a respiratory therapist in North Carolina?: This is a US figure, not one for North Carolina. Across the US, the typical education needed for entry is an Associate's degree, with no work experience or on-the-job training listed^[17].

Facts and sources

BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Respiratory Therapists in North Carolina was $80,090 per year and $38.51 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 North Carolina: 10th percentile $63,990, 25th percentile $68,010, 75th percentile $87,820, 90th percentile $99,520. 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 4,630 people worked as Respiratory Therapists in North Carolina (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS OEWS, May 2025: North Carolina had the 29th 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 North Carolina ($80,090) was $2,190 (2.7%) lower than the US median ($82,280). BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Respiratory Therapists in North Carolina was $81,360 per year and $39.12 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in North Carolina was $47,970. BLS OEWS, May 2025
CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Respiratory Therapists in North Carolina was $32,120 higher than the median for all occupations in the state ($47,970). BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Respiratory Therapists in North Carolina: 10th percentile $30.77, 25th percentile $32.70, 75th percentile $42.22, 90th percentile $47.85. BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS OEWS, May 2025: of the 12 metro areas in or partly in North Carolina with a published median for Respiratory Therapists, Raleigh-Cary, NC had the highest median annual wage, $87,820. 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 North Carolina (highest first): Georgia $83,700; Virginia $82,910; South Carolina $77,740; Tennessee $72,140. 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 North Carolina. 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.