BLS metro-level wage data places Respiratory Therapists pay in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI at a median of $89,040 per year ($42.81/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $82,280, Milwaukee-Waukesha pays +8% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 630 respiratory therapistss are employed across the Milwaukee-Waukesha MSA in SOC 29-1126.

The Milwaukee-Waukesha pay distribution spans from $77,680 at the 10th percentile to $100,600 at the 90th — a 1.3× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $83,540 and the 75th at $98,320, so half of Milwaukee-Waukesha-based respiratory therapistss earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide WI data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.